Perlick Appliance Repair

Perlick bar equipment we repair

We fix Perlick bar refrigeration. That covers back bar coolers, keg and direct-draw coolers, bottle coolers and the refrigerated parts of Perlick underbar systems. We also service the cooling side of Perlick remote beer systems. If it keeps your drinks cold behind the bar, we can look at it.

Perlick began in 1917 as R. Perlick Brass Works in Milwaukee. It made brass dispensing parts for the city's breweries. In the 1930s it added a refrigeration department. It is still family-owned and still based in Milwaukee. Perlick says it built the first remote beer system that could move cold beer 100 feet and beyond.

Warm beer, foam and other Perlick trouble

Most Perlick calls start with a bartender saying the beer is pouring foamy. Foam has many causes. The one we can fix is temperature. Beer that's too warm in the keg or the line foams at the tap.

Keg cooler or direct-draw box running warm. Look at the condenser coil first. It releases heat from the cooler. Behind a bar, spilled sugar and lint coat it fast. The compressor then runs nonstop and still can't hold temp. We also check the evaporator fan, which moves cold air around the kegs.

Remote system warm at the tap. Long-draw systems send beer far from the cooler to the tower. A chiller pumps cold glycol, a food-safe coolant, through the trunk line beside the beer lines. If the glycol pump stops or the chiller's own condenser clogs, beer warms on the way. The pour gets foamy even when the keg is cold.

Back bar cooler iced up. Frost on the evaporator coil blocks air. We check the defrost parts and the door gaskets. Doors that open hundreds of times a night wear gaskets out.

Water pooling under the bar. Clogged drain lines and cracked pans are common in underbar units.

Picture a sports bar two hours before a big game. The keg cooler reads 44 and the taps pour half foam. The fix is often a coil cleaning and a new fan motor. Not a new cooler.

One tip from the field: keep boxes and cases away from the grilles on your Perlick coolers. Those grilles are how the unit breathes. Block them and even a healthy cooler runs warm.

How our Perlick visit works

We send a tech the same day on most Perlick calls. Reach us before your shift starts for the best odds.

The tech tests the cooler, the fans and the glycol side if you have one. The diagnostic for bars and restaurants is $149. You pay nothing for it if you approve the fix. We give you a fixed price up front, and nothing starts until you agree.

Genuine OEM parts go into every Perlick we fix. Should a part need ordering, your next visit is booked before we leave. Bars get techs who are licensed and insured, with a clean background check on file. Our repair warranty stands behind the job.

Is an aging Perlick system worth fixing?

Usually. Perlick underbar equipment is built into your bar. Tearing it out means new plumbing, new trim and days closed. Fans, gaskets, controls, pumps and defrost parts cost far less than that.

Replacement comes up when a compressor fails on a cooler with rusted panels. It also comes up when your draft setup no longer fits your tap count. We'll tell you where your unit stands.

Perlick repair near you

Our crews fix Perlick systems in Chicago, Houston, Northern Virginia, the District, LA and Pasadena. Bars in LA can see our Los Angeles repair page. Houston bars can check our Texas service page.

We also handle bar and kitchen refrigerator repair for other makers. Many bars pair Perlick taps with Beverage-Air back bars, and one visit can cover both.