6 SIMPLE DISHWASHER MAINTENANCE TIPS OWNERS TEND TO FORGET

There’s a reason why the operating manual is included in every equipment purchase – to guide you and your employees on how to correctly and efficiently operate the equipment.

That way, you can reduce human error and inform your employees precisely on what can and cannot be done, especially when it comes to operating the dishwasher.

Don't miss out on the finer details such as the cleaning instructions because different dishwashing machines require the use of different chemical detergents. Not all chemical detergents are created the same.

A leaking commercial dishwasher can mean many things – the door gasket’s watertight seal has dried out and become brittle or damaged, the spray arm can’t do its job properly due to improper cleaning, a loose or damaged drain hose isn’t removing water, or the equipment’s water inlet valve isn’t tight enough. If any of these issues persist, it may reduce the efficiency of your equipment.

So, make sure to check for leaks around the door or the plugs inlet and outlet to reduce wastage of water and energy. You should also check if the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced because food debris can clog the filter and prevent drainage, causing poor cleaning results.

If your water is particularly hard, getting your commercial dishwasher professionally descaled on a regular basis helps to protect the internal components from failing, especially the heater. This will prolong the lifespan of your heating elements. Alternatively, you can opt for MEIKO’s built-in water softener called ‘Active Clean’.

A water softener will remove calcium and magnesium minerals from the wash tank water by using salt as an ion exchange to reduce the build-up of scales which will affect the heating elements and wash arm nozzles.

You may have bought a piece of restaurant equipment that has a self-cleaning programme but the various sieves, filters, wash arms, seals, corners, etc. in your commercial dishwasher still need to be washed or rinsed properly.

Besides, it’s important that your dishwashing machine is cleaned and water is drained out of it because dirty water can harbour bacteria which could potentially cause health hazards to those operating the machine.

Rinse aid, detergent, and sanitizer are the most important chemicals used by a commercial dishwasher because they help to give you sparkling clean and well-sanitized dishes. The presence of too little or too high concentrations of these chemicals on your dishes may cause unwanted results.

Therefore, make sure to check the detergent/sanitizer supply periodically so that they are in constant correct dosing for the best washing results and ensure that food oils and dirt don’t build up in your dishwasher.

Scheduling periodic professional service maintenance for your commercial dishwasher may seem like a simple task but it is often forgotten for a variety of reasons. Also, missing equipment servicing can degrade the performance of your commercial dishwasher in the long run and prevent it from performing at optimum efficiency and shorten its lifespan.

With MEIKO Connect, which is available for certain dishwashing machine models, you can monitor your restaurant equipment as well as access and record machine- and hygiene-related data through your smartphone. You can also keep up with the maintenance service so that you don't miss out on any of the appointments.