19/10/2022
Your kitchen will be a hive of activity, filled with moving parts, people and food. Making sure that your equipment is maintained correctly to be able to keep up with the standards that are required of you. Not only a broken appliance presents a hygiene risk to your food, but a broken appliance could also pose a health risk to your employees.
Do your appliances need a service, or are you in need of some TLC? With 40 years of experience in this industry, Carlton Services has dealt with nearly every problem a commercial kitchen below, we are sure to get you back up and running.
What common maintenance issues happen in a kitchen?
Cooker Issues
Common issues
- Ovens not heating to the correct temperatures
- Intermitting or no power
- Uneven cooking
- The pilot light staying on
The most frequently used appliance in a commercial kitchen is a cooker, which is often why it is prone to having faults.
Commercial cookers are the central point of many dishes and have many working parts that can fail. One is the internal thermostat which can often defect, causing problems achieving the correct temperature, mainly if there has been a new one installed recently. Thermostats regulate temperature with the use of a capillary tub attached to a bulb, this bulb is used to measure the ambient temperatures. If you’ve carried out the maintenance yourself, the bulb could be inadvertently placed in the incorrect location, causing the thermostat not to have accurate readings. Therefore, you need a qualified professional to carry out any cooker maintenance.
Any time you smell a strong odour of gas around your cooker, this could be a serious fault and should not be ignored. It could be a minor issue with your pilot light, but it could be an instance with a ruptured pipe or seal in the cooker.
Refrigeration Issues
Common issues
- Ice build-up
- Failure to maintain temperature levels
- Lighting issues
- Power issues
Regular maintenance is key to keeping your commercial fridge or freezer running effectively. Checking the gaskets and air filters to make sure there is no build-up of dirt and grease, spoiling a clean gasket, or blocking the air filters from properly ventilating will all be the types of tasks that you can carry out to ensure no further problems can occur.
When your refrigeration systems struggle to reach the required temperature, you hear unusual noises or any issues with the curial components of the system. It is then vital to use a qualified professional to resolve these issues.
Clogged Sinks
Common issues
- Leaking faucet
- Leaking underneath piping
- Rusting
- Unusual smells
Unfortunately, commercial sinks are more susceptible to being blocked than residential sinks due to the volume and pressure your kitchen is under.
A kitchen drain system can get clogged when you least expect it. A clogged sink can produce foul smells and attract bugs. Knowing what is down there blocking it, it could be as simple as grabbing the leftover food debris and pulling it out or it could involve some chemical dissolvent. A clogged sink may not always be obvious and can cause more significant leakage issues if not dealt with.
Dishwashers & Glass Washers
Common issues
- Draining problems
- Door seals leaks
- The water inlet valve is not shutting off the water flow
- Faulty float assembly or switch
Even though commercial dishwashers differ from residential ones and are usually built to withstand more demanding workloads, they are still partial to a fault. Leaking dishwashers are often the common fault with many systems we see, but they can leak because of a host of reasons. Still, it’s vital to get professional help because using them with a leak can cause damage to the appliance.
Always contact an appliance professional
Some issues that can happen in a commercial kitchen revolve around improper cleaning and the use of appliances. You can reduce the risk of issues by appropriately cleaning your kitchen and having regular maintenance. Having a professional come in regularly to ensure that all the key appliances are maintained is a key part of the running of a commercial kitchen.
