True Refrigerator Error Code LA: Dixell Minimum Temperature Alarm
LA on a True cabinet with a Dixell controller is the minimum temperature alarm. The cabinet air has dropped below its low limit and the box keeps running. Silence it, look for frozen product, clear the vents, and check with a thermometer.
Medium: product can freeze and the compressor may be running continuously, but the cabinet is still operating.
- Code
- LA
- Maker
- True
- Equipment
- Reach-in refrigerators
- Applies to
- Dixell controller
What does True error code LA mean?
LA appears on models like the T-23-HC and T-49-HC when the control has measured cabinet air below its low limit. The box keeps running. In a refrigerator it means product may start to freeze at the back wall. In a freezer or prep table, it can signal a control or sensor reading problem or a compressor that is not cycling off. The Dixell control cycles the compressor from the thermostat probe, so anything that stops that cycle from ending, a probe reading warm, a set point changed, or an output stuck on, lets the cabinet run colder than intended. Pans or product blocking the air can also chill one zone hard while the rest is normal. A thermometer in several spots tells whether the whole box is cold or only one zone.
Affected models and control systems
True cabinets with a Dixell controller, such as the T-23-HC and T-49-HC.
Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.
What you may notice
- LA on the display
- Frozen lettuce, drinks or liquids near the back wall
- Compressor that seems to run all the time
- Alarm tone
Possible causes
Listed in True's documentation
- The thermostat probe reading or its placement
- Set point or alarm limits changed on the control
- Compressor running without cycling off
- Product or pans blocking the air flow so one zone chills hard
- The control output stuck on
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code LA on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- A thermostat probe pushed against a cold surface so it reads wrong
- A relay on the control that has welded closed
- A cabinet loaded with a few items so cold air stays concentrated
Safe checks before calling for service
- Press any key to silence the alarm.
- Look for lettuce, drinks or liquids that have frozen near the back wall.
- Make sure nothing is blocking the air vents inside the cabinet.
- Check the temperature with a thermometer.
- If LA returns, tell us whether the compressor ever shuts off.
How a technician diagnoses error code LA
- Read the code and note the cabinet temperature.
- Compare the display with a calibrated thermometer.
- Check set point and alarm limits.
- Inspect the thermostat probe position and resistance.
- Watch whether the compressor cycles off at set point.
- Test the control output and relay.
- Testing the control output and relay involves live low-voltage and line wiring.
- A compressor that never cycles off wastes power and wears quickly.
- Probe checks need a meter and reference temperature.
How error code LA differs from similar codes
HA is the matching high temperature alarm on the same Dixell control.
Technical reference
- Document
- Commercial Refrigeration General Control Guide TEC_TM_001 Rev C, Dixell p.96 Display Code Definitions
- Edition
- TEC_TM_001 | REV. C | EN, 09/3/2025, P#811072
- Models / control
- Dixell controller
- Section
- Electronic Control (with Display) - Display Code Definitions: Carel p. 74, Danfoss ERC/ETC p. 87, Dixell p. 96, LAE p. 110
- Checked
- October 2026
We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.
Related True reach-in refrigerator error codes
Does LA mean the cabinet is too cold?
Yes, it is below the low limit, which can freeze lettuce and drinks.
Why would LA show on a prep table?
A probe reading error or a compressor that is not cycling off can cause it.
Will LA clear by itself?
If the air warms above the limit it clears, but a repeat points to a probe, setting or output.
Need help with True error code LA?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.