How to Properly Maintain Your Restaurant Equipment – Appliance Repair Specialist Guide

To get the greatest benefit and no problems with your restaurant equipment, you need to ensure that it is regularly maintained. This includes proper washing and cleaning, ensuring proper operation, diagnostics, and replacement of worn or broken parts. 

Regardless of the type and type, we recommend tips on simple maintenance procedures you need to apply for each type of electromechanical appliance in your restaurant kitchen to avoid costly appliance repair.

Guidelines for Use

The first thing to do is to read the recommended maintenance procedures, which are described in the operating instructions or the equipment’s booklet. 

General tips and articles from the Internet are also good to read, but it is in the manual that you will find specific tips and recommendations for keeping it in optimum technical condition. 

Most manufacturers’ websites provide user manuals and datasheets for all types and models of their products, including discontinued models.

Fill in the Warranty Card

The only way to benefit from warranty service on new restaurant appliances, which period usually ranges from 1 to 3 years, and allows you to receive free service and appliance repairs is to fill out the warranty card. Where will be indicated, date of sale, serial number, a list of equipment, etc?

Train Your Employee 

Misuse and negligence are some of the major causes of failure of restaurant appliances during operation. And most warranties do not provide for free appliance repair or replacement of parts that fail for these two reasons. 

By yourself or with the help of outside experts, train your staff in the correct operation of the equipment, whether it is a simple industrial meat grinder or a programmable German combi-steamer. 

This will save your budget, plus the chef who knows how to properly and quickly use this or that kitchen gadget, greatly speeds up the service of the guests of your restaurant.

Daily Washes

Daily cleaning is probably the most important tip for taking care of your restaurant kitchen appliances. Daily cleaning ensures the equipment is free of soot, grease deposits from cooking, food residues, etc. If this is not done, not only the mechanical parts but also the expensive electronic circuit boards can be damaged.

General Cleaning Schedule

On a weekly, monthly, or half-yearly basis, depending on the type of equipment, the so-called general cleaning should be performed by the manufacturer’s recommendations. The purpose of this measure is obvious.

Carry Out Regular Diagnostics

At the same time when you perform a complete cleaning of the appliance, check all accessible mechanical parts, tubes, hoses, wires, etc. for; 

  • cracks, 
  • loose or broken fittings, 
  • leaks, 
  • exposed contacts, etc. 

Finding and fixing a small fault today will ensure significant savings on larger repairs in the future. It is best to have regular appliance maintenance in Shelburne for your restaurant which includes all the necessary diagnostic and proactive measures for breakdowns.

Replace Broken or Worn Parts Immediately

After a certain period, parts of kitchen appliances wear out and need to be replaced. If you find that a piece of restaurant appliance is not working properly, it is important to urgently perform a diagnosis and identify the “weak link” and replace it. 

This is not only to get your kitchen back on track but also, as mentioned above, to save on major repairs in the future.

Follow the Chemical Instructions

Where you use chemicals to wash and clean hot and cold food preparations, or where appliance uses such chemicals in their work cycles, such as industrial dishwashers or Convotherm combi steamers. 

Make sure to use the chemical recommended by the manufacturer. The “wrong” chemicals and concentrates can be extremely dangerous for your employees as well as for the technical condition of the cooking equipment.

Take Proper Care of Stainless Steel

Professional restaurant appliance is usually made of stainless steel. Despite its name, even such metal can become rusty, corroded, discolored, and so on. So use only special detergents and stainless steel cloths. Also, keep your stainless steel restaurant equipment clean and do not leave any food or moisture residue on it.

Conclusion

One way to save money on repairs is to do them yourself. But if the appliance is new, such measures may invalidate the warranty. Be extremely careful with the renovation work you decide to do yourself. So before you repair yourself, make sure you are 100% capable of doing it. Even if the unit is not new and there is no warranty, any repairs should be carried out by a service technician or professional appliance repair company.