Equipment Maintenance 101

In today's marketplace, the difference between a successful thriving business and one that just manages to keep its doors open can be influenced by many different factors. One important factor that is often overlooked is proper care and maintenance of your businesses operating equipment (such as cooking line-ups, air conditioning and heating systems, make-up air and exhaust units, refrigerated storage and display fixtures, etc.) Without this equipment, your business would not exist.

By neglecting this equipment two things will happen and neither one of them is good. First of all, as your equipment deteriorates, the lifespan is shortened which leads to the need to replace your equipment more often. Large capital outlay (cash) can be devastating when it is not planned for. Secondly, increased utility costs for water, natural gas, and electricity will occur. As the equipment gets dirtier or operates less efficiently, these costs continue to rise.

In the case of rooftop heating and cooling or ventilation systems, dirty air filters and/or worn or loose motor belts will cause reduced airflow. Air conditioning units won't be able to handle the heat load causing them to run continuously using many extra hours of electricity. Frozen or iced over cooling coils can lead to water damage to adjacent materials (ceiling areas, carpet, furniture, etc.) or an even more severe problem… the failure of the system compressor leading to costly repair bills.

Heating units use excessive amounts of fuel and with continued cycling of the unit on high temperature the safety control will cause more problems and eventually the unit will fail.

Kitchen make-up air systems and the hood exhaust systems are sized to work together. The main purpose of the exhaust is to remove smoke and heat effectively from the workspace while the make-up air system replenishes the air, which has been removed from the kitchen. This air has to be heated for winter operation and can also be cooled for summer operation.

Many times problems can arise if the make-up air unit is left off by the kitchen staff or is not working because of breakdown. This is especially important in the wintertime. <NEXT>