There tends to be a very similar running theme when it comes to specific equipment breakdowns. This article is going to explore five of the most common catering equipment repair and maintenance issues.
Catering Equipment Maintenance Issues
The oven is one of the most commonly used pieces of catering equipment so it’s understandable that issues can occur. The main issue that tends to flare up is to do with the filter. If the filter gets covered in dirt and isn’t cleaned regularly then it can cause the oven to end up overheat. The easiest way to avoid any overheating issues is to ensure that the filters are cleaned at regular intervals to get rid of any build up.
In order to keep all your stock as fresh as possible and your kitchen running, your refrigeration system needs to be working at full capacity. Since it’s one of the only pieces of equipment that runs 24/7 in the commercial kitchen, they need slightly more upkeep. As with most other pieces of kitchen equipment, you’ll have to check any filters or gaskets for grease and dirt build up. The condenser and evaporator coils also need to be cleaned on a semi regular basis to ensure the efficiency of the equipment.
One incredibly common issue that flares up in a commercial kitchen is a blocked sink. This is something that not many people actually realise or think about, but it’s something that’s nearly unavoidable when you think about how much waste food goes through the kitchen.
There are a few small changes that you can bring into your commercial kitchen sink to try and avoid any unnecessary blockages. Get a well fitting drain sieve that will catch any large bits of food, make sure you have a plunger on hand to deal with any small blockage before they become bigger ones and use an industrial strength drain cleaner on a regular basis to clean out any internal build ups that you might not be able to see. However, if you’re still having plumbing or drainage issues after making those changes then it’s worth getting professional advise and bringing a plumber out to double check the piping works.
Talking about plumbing issues, another common kitchen problem lies with dish and ware washers not working properly. This could be a number of different things. The first place to start if you are having issues is by checking the washer arms to ensure that there is no blockages. If that doesn’t work then there may be a filter issue or you might even be using the wrong cleaning products. If there are any other issues, it’s worth getting some catering engineers out to carry out catering equipment repair services.
This final point doesn’t apply to every single kitchen but it will apply to a huge percentage of commercial catering kitchens out that. And that’s the fryer! The main issue that tends to come with the lack of temperature control. If you can’t control the temperature of the oil down to the degree, you can end up with food that’s undercooked, overcooked or even worse, raw. Using an external temperature gauge allows you to have a more accurate reading and it can also give you some pre-emptive warnings in case the temperature is starting to fluctuate. It gives you a warning that there might be an issue that’s about to happen.
Catering Equipment Maintenance Services
These common issues can most of the time be sorted with some small changes and small maintenance tasks that can be carried out by a kitchen team. However, it’s important that you schedule in regular planned preventative maintenance (PPM). This form of maintenance is more in depth and goes through every single piece of catering equipment that you have in your kitchen. Commercial catering engineers such as NWCE Foodservice Equipment carry out catering equipment maintenance services on a range of different equipment. They book in the service checks at a date and time that suits you in order to make sure that your kitchen doesn’t suffer with any downtime. They’re able to fully check everything over, carry out any catering equipment repair services that are needed and flag up any issues that may occur in the future. Overall, it’s a way in which you can ensure your kitchen runs as smoothly as possible.
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