True Refrigerator Error Code EAL / BAL / PAL: External Alarms
EAL, BAL and PAL are alarm messages on a True cabinet with a Dixell controller. They mean a device wired to the control, such as a pressure switch, is signaling a problem, not that the cabinet air is too warm. Note which message shows, check the food temperature, and call us.
Medium: an outside device is signaling a problem and the control may have switched outputs off.
- Code
- EAL / BAL / PAL
- Maker
- True
- Equipment
- Reach-in refrigerators
- Applies to
- Dixell controller
What does True error code EAL / BAL / PAL mean?
EAL is an external alarm, BAL is a serious external alarm, and PAL is a pressure switch alarm. The Dixell controller has an input for outside devices, and when that input changes state the control shows one of these messages. That means the control is reporting on something outside the temperature loop: a switch, a wired alarm contact, or a pressure device on the refrigeration side. Depending on how the cabinet is wired, it may keep running, or the control may switch outputs off, so the first thing to learn is how the box is behaving. A PAL message in particular points to refrigeration pressures that tripped the switch, which is a sealed-system matter rather than an operator one. A technician reads which message appears, then follows the input wire to the device that triggered it.
Affected models and control systems
True cabinets with a Dixell controller. The behavior after an alarm depends on how the external input is wired.
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
- EAL, BAL or PAL on the display
- An alarm tone
- Compressor stopped if the control switched outputs off
- Cabinet warming while the message stays
Possible causes
Listed in True's documentation
- The external input wiring that feeds the alarm
- The pressure switch or other device connected to the input
- Settings that define what the input does
- Refrigeration pressures that trip the switch
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code EAL / BAL / PAL on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- A pressure switch tripped by a condenser fan that stopped in a hot kitchen
- A wired alarm contact left open after earlier work on the cabinet
- A switch input programmed for a device the cabinet does not have
Safe checks before calling for service
- Write down which of the three messages is showing.
- Press a button to quiet the alarm.
- Put a thermometer in the middle of the load, and move food if the cabinet is warm.
- Leave panels closed and do not touch the wiring.
- Tell us whether the compressor is running when you call.
How a technician diagnoses error code EAL / BAL / PAL
- Read which message is active and when it started.
- Check cabinet temperature and whether the compressor is running.
- Trace the external input wire to the device that opened it.
- Test the pressure switch or contact with a meter.
- Read the pressures on the sealed system with gauges.
- Review the input settings before replacing any device.
- Pressure readings require gauges on the refrigeration circuit and EPA-certified handling.
- The switch circuit ties into the Dixell control behind a powered panel.
- Input settings in the control are part of the cabinet's service data.
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
Is EAL the same as a high temperature alarm?
No. It reports an outside device, not the cabinet air temperature.
Does PAL mean the compressor is dead?
Not necessarily. It means a pressure switch tripped, which can have several causes on the refrigeration side.
Can I reset it?
You can silence the alarm with a button, but the message returns until the device clears.
Need help with True error code EAL / BAL / PAL?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.