It’s important to us to provide dealers tools to make them shine in the eyes of their operator customers. Check out this article on the importance of regular foodservice equipment maintenance and download the free checklist to use to give out to your operators!
EMR’s Dave Fitch highlights the latest foodservice equipment maintenance advice for operators and emphasizes why it matters.
Seven years into his career at service company EMR, Baltimore Field Service Supervisor Dave Fitch is no stranger to planned maintenance. But, he admits, the guidelines are always changing.
“It’s a continuously changing cycle,” he says. “It’s never just one thing fits every customer.”
Just Start Somewhere!
So, where to start? Frankly, somewhere is light-years better than nowhere.
“It doesn’t have to be the most elaborate thing,” Fitch says, “but at least just once a year [a hired company should] look over the equipment from top to bottom, and if something doesn’t look right, generally it’s not.”
While the annual check is a start, there also are daily, weekly and quarterly recommendations for most types of equipment. Dishmachines, for example, need daily checks for water leaks—a sign that seals or bearings are going bad, Fitch notes.
Different Needs for Different Types of Operators
Not every operation’s checklist will be identical. Bakeries or operators like Subway that have lots of yeast in the air will want to clean and sanitize ice machines monthly, whereas semiannually suffices for others, Fitch says.
In many instances, a certified technician is required, like when fryers need a semiannual fire suppression inspection. Occasionally, however, the operator can handle the task, only calling on a tech if a problem is spotted. And, with an eye out for common problems, that call will likely be placed much earlier.
Ultimately, planned foodservice equipment maintenance can catch issues before they’re an emergency, potentially reducing service costs and equipment downtime—something that’s even more important as the pandemic continues to impact parts availability and shipping times.
Checklist Preview:
Editor’s note: This checklist doesn’t address daily cleaning routines and is not all-encompassing. Check the manufacturers’ recommendations.
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