How to make your investment last; cut down on replacements and repairs through preventive maintenance

Nation's Restaurant News, Sept 1, 2003

Too busy to polish metal or replace sharpening stones? You're throwing away money. If you take an aggressive approach to equipment maintenance, your machines--large and small--will last far longer.

Caring for restaurant equipment is similar to caring for a car, notes John Evans, product line manager, food machines, for Hobart Corp. in Troy, Ohio, You can bring a car in for service only when you break down on the road--or you can arrange for an oil and filter change every 3,000 miles, a tire rotation twice a year and a fluid check four times a year. Those regular checkups prevent your car from breaking down in the first place.

Equipment Insights asked specialists what steps operators should take to keep their equipment in tiptop shape. Following are their suggestions.

Clean daily. "A lot of food products and grease get down inside equipment," explains Ron DeSantis, associate dean for equipment facilities and sanitation at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. "If you don't clean it every day, the dirt starts to build up and gets into cracks and crevices. Then you need a scraper to get it off. Plus, built up dirt will start to wear equipment down. If you clean equipment every day, it's quicker to clean, and your staff is more likely to do it."

Make it official. In fact, set up a regular preventive maintenance program, DeSantis advises. Make a schedule for calibrating ovens, checking refrigerator temperatures, cleaning refrigerator and condenser fans and descaling dish machines. When dust and grease build up, equipment becomes less efficient. Dirty machines "have to work harder to do the same thing, and then they break down more quickly," DeSantis says. "If you keep the maintenance on a three-week or monthly cycle, the build up will never get that huge." Some tasks need to be done weekly, but others must be done monthly, semiannually or annually. Choose the appropriate timing and keep to a regular schedule.

Follow orders ... If one capful of quaternary ammonia mixed with water is good, two must be great, no? No, says Evans of Hobart. "Closely read the cleaning product manufacturers' directions, the equipment manufacturers' directions and the guidelines published in the pamphlet 'Stainless Steel Equipment Care and Cleaning by NAFEM [the National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers]," he insists. Too strong a concentration of cleaning supplies will attack metals, making them dark and discolored or even pitted.

... even old orders. Not sure of the proper way to clean that slicer you bought used? Contact the manufacturer, Evans suggests. Most manufacturers keep copies of maintenance manuals even for retired models.

Sign of contract. Set up a service contract for your equipment, suggests Rob Foraker equipment manager at 61-unit Hax & Erma's, Columbus, Ohio. The first year might be covered under warranty, but, after that, have the manufacturer or a local service company agree to regularly scheduled visits to fine tune each piece of equipment.

Be a haggler. Don't be afraid to bargain, Foraker suggests. "Some manufacturers' representatives will extend the warranty for an extra year if you ask for it," he reports. Multiunit operators have more clout in this area, he admits, as the reps want their companies' products spec'd by the chains.

Be specific. Look carefully at what's included in a service contract, Evans warns. He recommends paying a flat fee for a service that involves lubrication and changing fluids regularly. Compare proposals by different service companies to make sure all maintenance is being covered.

Check around. Before you sign on with a service company, call some of its clients, Foraker suggests. Ask about the timeliness of service calls, about whether service is completed in the first visit, and if the technicians are registered with the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (www.cfesa.com), which requires extensive training.

Be faithful. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, says Foraker. If you've had a good experience with a piece of equipment, stick with that same make and model for replacements, he says.

Take it easy. When choosing new items, opt for ones that are easy to clean. "They need to come apart easily and be put together easily," Foraker insists. "That way, employees will be more likely to clean them, and cleaner equipment lasts longer. Some mixers require weekly lubrication, Evans adds, while others are sealed and don't need lubricant at all. Some slicers' sharpening stones need to be replaced, others have lifetime warranties, he says. Consider buying the ones that need the least work.

Take advantage. Have a new manager who doesn't get how to clean the fryer? Call the rep in. "Manufacturers' reps are well trained and don't charge to help out, so use the free help whenever you possibly can," Foraker says. "That's what they're there for."

Use the storerooms. Store small equipment such as blenders and spice grinders in closets or cabinets whenever possible, suggests DeSantis. "When equipment is safely put away, there is a smaller chance of it getting knocked over or dropped or having something spilled on it," he explains.