5 Tips for Restaurant Equipment Maintenance

At Part's Depot Inc, we consider ourselves Restaurant Equipment Connoisseurs! With nearly 20 years of experience, we have seen all the ins and outs of restaurant equipment use - from parts lasting an incredibly long time because of diligence and detail with maintenance, to parts malfunctioning almost immediately out of the box due to user error and lack of experience.

With that said, Part's Depot Inc. is here to help guide you through the confusing world of restaurant equipment maintenance so that you can always get the best bang for your buck with restaurant part longevity! Follow our equipment maintenance tips and your restaurant equipment may just outlive you!

1. Reference the Owner's Manual
• First off, you should ALWAYS read through your owner's manual, which comes with each piece of equipment. The owners manual will always tell you exactly what needs to be done to keep your equipment in excellent working condition. Lost your manual? You're in luck because most most manufacturers have their manuals available for download on their websites.
2. Educate Employees on Proper Use and Procedures for the Equipment
• One of the leading causes of restaurant equipment malfunction is misuse and abuse by uneducated employees. This is especially important because most warranties will not cover repairs resulting from this kind of misuse. Be sure to teach employees how to properly use, clean, and maintain your restaurant equipment in order to keep everything up and running at all times. 
3. Clean All Restaurant Equipment Daily
• This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is often overlooked in the hectic world of restaurant management and activities. Daily cleaning may be the most important maintenance tip for maintaining your restaurant equipment. This prevents dirt, grime, grease, and food scraps from building up and eventually causing damage to the machine parts. On top of that, health inspectors often closely look at how clean your restaurant equipment is.
4. Frequently Inspect your Restaurant Parts and Equipment
• Any time you perform a thorough cleaning on your restaurant equipment, be sure to inspect any moving parts, utility connections, and other components. Check for wear, tear, and leaks throughout the equipment. Correcting small issues early on can save you from expensive and time consuming repairs in the future. Not sure how to inspect your parts? Local manufacturers often have service contracts available in which a rep will come in and inspect your equipment for you. 
5. Follow Chemical Cleaning Instructions
• An often overlooked detail of equipment maintenance is using manufacturer specified chemicals to clean your equipment and parts. Regardless of if you are using the chemicals to clean the equipment, or the equipment uses chemicals itself (such as a dishwasher), be sure you have thoroughly read the instructions on the labels and manual. Using improper chemicals can cause equipment to degrade quicker and even potentially malfunction.