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SERVICELINE NEWS

DISHWASHERS: MAINTENANCE TIPS

1. SAVE WATER: A dishwashing operation in a typical restaurant could be consuming two-thirds of all the water used by that restaurant. A common fault such as a poorly fitting drain seal can allow water to drain away during operation, therefore needing more heated water to maintain the washing cycle. It follows that the embedded energy costs, as designed by the manufacturer, will only be achieved if the equipment is regularly maintained and serviced.

2. TEMPERATURES: The machine operating temperature is crucial to the effectiveness of its washing and rinsing. The detergent works best at pre-set wash temperatures and rinsing at 85 degC is necessary to ensure a hygienic finish. Check your temperatures at the end of a busy session, and if they are not as stated in the manufacturers’ handbook, phone for a service engineer.

3. WATER QUALITY: The quality of water supplied to your dishwasher is important and if you have a water softener fitted (most caterers should), check that it is full of salt and that it is refilled regularly. It’s generally cheaper than repairing damage caused by scale! Excessive limescale will also add to your energy costs. Only a few millimetres of scale can add more than 10% to your bills. A heating element which is thick with scale uses up to 50% more energy to reach working temperature. Hard water also requires more detergent, so keep the softener topped up.

4. PUMPS: Broken glass and cocktail sticks are the curse of glasswasher pumps. And it’s not uncommon to find dishcloths and teaspoons that have found their way into a dishwasher pump. These repairs are not covered by manufacturers’ warranty, so make sure that the filters supplied inside the machine are in place and are not damaged. On flight-type and rack conveyor machines, it’s easy to miss putting a filter back properly in place.

5. You’ll get a better washing result and not have to clear the dishwasher’s FILTERS so often when you take a moment to check that plates are being properly scraped of food waste when the dishwash operation is in full swing. If you have a pre-rinse sink or waste disposer, check that these are being used to clear food waste before putting them into the dishwasher. Excessive food waste will also clog the spray arms, and reduce the effectiveness of the detergent.

6. If you’re using a specialist GRANULE WASHER, make sure that the granules are replaced regularly. As they become smaller, they become less effective against burnt on food deposits, and you’ll end up having to put items through more than once.

PUBLISHED IN Caterer & Hotelkeeper 22nd August 2007



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