Using common sense – and OEM food service parts – to keep your equipment in perfect working order and efficiency.
For the successful commercial food service operator, keeping up with the maintenance of commercial kitchen equipment requires planning, discipline, and a knowledge of OEM food service parts to keep your restaurant running smoothly. In order to insure the steady performance of your food service equipment here are ten tips you can follow to keep its quality and continued efficiency.
These durable pieces of equipment are designed and manufactured to run consistently at precision levels. By following these tips, combined with the use of OEM food service parts, this kitchen technology will serve a commercial food operator for decades to come.
1. Daily Maintenance – The first step in keeping food service equipment and food service parts maintained is in the daily cleaning and degreasing regimen. Continued dirt, grime or grease build-up not only inhibits the proper high function of food service equipment, but wrecks havoc on efficiency and will eventually pose a safety problem or permanently damage the equipment.
2. Scheduled Maintenance – Creating a long-term maintenance schedule or plan in conjunction with the manufacturer’s recommendations is the larger view of maintenance, but just as important. By following the suggested manufacturer service schedule using OEM food service parts, operators can easily replace worn parts prior to large, expensive malfunctions.
3. Calibration – Tuning and calibrating food service equipment to factory specifications is another maintenance must. This keeps temperature consistent whether for heating, cooking or refrigeration. It also maintains the precision integrity of all mechanical or electric appliances.
4. Cleaning Products – Food service equipment is often made from tough materials, but that doesn’t mean it can’t react poorly to some cleaning products. Make sure to read the labels for detergents or cleaners to insure it won’t harm expensive equipment or food service parts.
5. Warranty Protection – Look closely into the warranty specifications of food service equipment to learn your responsibility as an owner for protecting these valuable guarantees. Using generic food service parts for repair is but one example of ways operators can unwittingly void a warranty.
6. Storage – Keeping small appliances or counter-top units properly stored is an easy step in insuring these pieces of food service equipment aren’t unnecessarily exposed to untoward dirt or damage.
7. Service Contracts – Investigating a manufacturer’s service contract from an authorized provider using OEM food service parts is often worth the investment. These professional services often maintain equipment to specs, keeping the recommended service schedule for you.
8. Design – Examine the inherent design of food service equipment prior to purchase, making sure high-use food service parts are easy to remove and clean.
9. Training – Employee and operator training on the proper cleaning techniques and food service equipment maintenance is perhaps the most important step in keeping appliances functioning. The people using the equipment daily are either the guardians of its function, or the biggest danger.
10. Manuals & Information – Armed with an up-to-date manufacturers manual, food service staff can find the information they need to keep equipment properly maintained or answer practical questions to perform minor repairs.
Remember to only use genuine OEM food service equipment from trusted provide.
