Benefits of Preventative Maintenance

Thousands of dollars a day can be lost when just one piece of equipment goes down. If you cant make product, you have nothing to sell. Preventive Maintenance has been shown to reduce emergency service calls by up to 62% in our industry. 

Emergency service can also be very expensive if clients aren’t careful. Extra costs can be associated with emergency service calls that you probably don't think about. Technician overtime, expidited or unavailable parts, staff with nothing to do, etc.... 

It isn’t wise to neglect preventive maintenance procedures on an automobile, so why neglect them on kitchen equipment? A little preventive maintenance goes a long way. Maintenance not only extends the equipment life, but it also reduces the total cost of ownership and increases resale value. Properly maintaining equipment also means better food quality, more efficient equipment, reduced labor costs and higher customer satisfaction. A few simple tasks can help you avoid costly breakdowns and repairs. Make sure you adhere to a preventive maintenance schedule, or if you prefer, call us to manage the process for you.    

 At AFE, we try to avoid generic parts. Generic prescription medications might be as good as the real thing, but that doesn’t always hold true with food equipment parts. Equipment specifications are subject to change, and parts from a non-OEM source might not adhere to these specifications. By ordering parts directly from the manufacturer, clients can be sure replacement parts are going to work right the first time. Additionally, generic parts might void the manufacturer’s warranty, leading to even more costly repairs down the road. 

Water isn’t always a friend! Water-fed equipment is at risk of scale, corrosion and chlorine buildup. These water issues can inhibit heat transfer, resulting in slower heat cycles, heating element failures, increased energy consumption and rising costs. Purchasing water treatment solutions such as water softeners, in addition to warewash, reverse osmosis and beverage systems, can prevent problems and hidden costs. 

 Foodservice and food retail operators should know their service technicians and make sure they are up to the task. Technicians who are knowledgeable and punctual are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, they aren’t always easy to find. Some technicians have classroom training, but little else. Technicians should have classroom and on-the-job training as well as experience working with equipment in simulated situations before stepping foot in a client’s facility. When dealing with service technicians, the key is minimizing time spent on site. These technicians should have the knowledge to diagnose foodservice equipment problems immediately and resolve them efficiently. Well-trained technicians may come with a price, but less expensive, inexperienced technicians can spend hours on site, thus quickly racking up service fees..