After Tedeschi Food Shops implemented a quarterly preventative-maintenance program for its foodservice equipment, the chain reaped savings of about 20% in repair and maintenance costs in 2009 over 2007.
Energy expenditure and lost sales decreased, repair costs dropped, service calls fell, spoilage virtually disappeared and there were no unavailable products. Employees were also happier, no longer having to inform customers there was no refrigerated food and beverages.
Six years ago, the Rockland, Mass.-based retailer worked with two of its longtime contractors and came up with a quarterly preventative-maintenance schedule. Now, every three months, contractors spend three or four hours in each store checking every piece of equipment.
“We find out what’s wrong before equipment actually breaks down,” says Henry Stone, director of store services, “and we have less equipment actually breaking down.”
The financial savings have been significant, but there’s more to the equation. “Even if costs were even, the fact of the stores not being impeded [by broken equipment] is worth money,” says Stone. “It makes a lot more sense to fix something before it breaks. If something’s working right, you don’t see it; and if it’s not, it’s all over you.”
A stitch in time saves nine: Grandmothers say it frequently, but there’s more than a kernel of truth in that cliche. Yet many convenience operators don’t conduct preventative maintenance on their foodservice equipment. But equipment that’s cared for will last longer, be more efficient and cheaper to run, have less downtime, and be less likely to cause foodborne-illness outbreaks.
“Equipment ages faster when you don’t take care of it. There’s a shelf life to everything,” says Mike Dunne, sales manager of Restaurant City, a restaurant equipment supply store in Providence, R.I. “And it’s little things that drive the electricity bill up.”
One key to performing sufficient preventative maintenance is having a checklist, so you can cross off scheduled jobs when they are done.
What follows is a look at the major pieces of foodservice equipment and how you can perform preventative maintenance on them.
Refrigerators and Freezers
Refrigerators and freezers are among the biggest consumers of energy in any convenience-store operation. Make sure you pay attention to them and you’ll save energy and extend the life of your coolers.
- Check the temperature of the machines. If they’re too cold, you’re using more energy than you need to.
- Clean out the condenser and air coils every few months because they can pick up dust, and sometimes grease, which means they have to work harder. Start by checking the machines every month to see if they need to be cleaned. If they don’t, check every three months. To clean, brush or wipe down the condenser with a wet rag or use a vacuum cleaner. If your c-store has a lot of grease floating around, spray on a degreaser first. “If you don’t clean the condenser and the coils, your cooler will work harder, so you have to replace the compressor,” says Jeff Clark, conserve program director for the National Restaurant Association (NRA), Washington, D.C. “It doesn’t take long—maybe half an hour. Really dirty coils can double the cost of your refrigeration.”
- Make sure your freezers and refrigerators have space around them so they can draw in air.
- Check the door seals regularly and replace them every
- year or two. Wipe them daily to keep the seals’ integrity intact. When they rip, replace them; if they come loose, put them back into the groove. If your refrigerator is older, ensure the hinges are working on the door and that you have a good seal on that side, and that there are no breaks in the plastic or glass.
- Install air curtains inside the doors to prevent the cold air from escaping.
- Clean the drain pans, which will keep their elements working properly, and make sure the water has evaporated.
- Regularly defrost your freezer (if it’s not done automatically, check your manual for frequency) and make sure the defrost lines are insulated and wrapped.
- Consider an electronically commutated motor (ECM). “ECMs are very efficient—they move the same amount of air for one-third of the cost,” says Richard Young, senior engineer and director of education for the Foodservice Technology Center, San Ramon, Calif. When your motor goes out, replace it with an ECM; utility companies often offer rebates on them.
Ice Machines
It’s critical that ice machines be cared for properly. Not only can they become less efficient if neglected, but they also can harbor bacteria, meaning your convenience store could be the next one in the news about an outbreak of foodborne illness.
- At least twice a year, remove all ice and clean (with a cleaner that will leave no taste) and sanitize the inside to prevent bacteria. Clean more if you use deep fryers, for example, and less if your ice machine is in a well-ventilated room.
- Regularly clean the coils and condensers, as well as the spot that makes the ice. These can be wiped down with a cloth or brush, or vacuumed.
- Be sure you’re not creating too much ice each day.
- Check the calibration and temperature.
- Change the water filters regularly because minerals and lime from the water build up. “They get plugged in some areas more than others,” says Bruce Hodge, president of General Parts LLC, Waukesha, Wis. “Just one-eighth of an inch buildup of lime and scale can reduce the efficiency of the equipment by up to 33%.”
Exhaust Hood
It may be ugly and noisy, but an exhaust hood is often required in any c-store that cooks food.
- Keep it clean on the outside with a degreaser. “If you leave it, the grease will build up and you’ll have to call in a professional,” says Dunne of Restaurant City.
- Check the belt at least annually, preferably twice a year, and replace it every year.
- Remove and wash all filters every 30 days. “You can usually power wash them or put them through the car wash,” says David Kincheloe, president of National Restaurant Consultants, Denver.
- Empty the grease trap regularly to keep the machine efficient.
- Add triangular panels to direct the heat into the hood. These cost $100 to $200 each.
- Make sure there’s no gap between the hood and the wall, “or air will go between the wall and vent hood,” says Clark of NRA, “and your motors will have to work harder to clean the air, using more energy.”
- Consider buying on-demand ventilation systems, with variable speed motor drives for the exhaust hood fans.
- For safety reasons, make sure you have your fire-suppression systems certified annually.
Coffee Machines
Coffee machines aren’t big drains on budgets, but they’re still worth monitoring.
- Change the filters regularly.
- Every day, wipe down the machine and clean the nozzle that the coffee flows through.
- Clean the water lines coming into the coffee machine every two to four weeks, says Kincheloe. “If you don’t, calcium builds up and the equipment becomes less efficient,” he says.
Roller Grills
Roller grills need a little attention, both to keep food tasting good and the machine running well.
- Wash roller grills with hot, soapy water to prevent bacteria buildup, says Hodge. “The buildup of the juices and the fat will also cake on,” he says, “and not only do you get a worse product, [but] it can get down into the bearings and cause problems with the motor.”
- Every day, wipe down the drawer underneath the warmer. It’s moist, so it’s an area that can harbor bacteria and mold.
Other Steps to Take
- Watch your water costs. “The cost of water has been rising for years—faster than inflation—and it’s only going to get more expensive,” says Young of the Foodservice Technology Center. So watch out for leaking sinks and toilets, he says, especially because commercial properties are billed twice for water: when it comes in and when it goes out.
- Don’t set your water temperature too high—110 or 120 degrees is sufficient.
- Insulate your pipes with 1-inch-thick foam or fiberglass, to retain heat.
- Change your microwave filter, if it has one, at least monthly.
- Clean fountain dispenser nozzles daily with hot soapy water, says Dunne of Restaurant City. “Syrup builds up and there’s less room for the liquid to come through,” he says.
- Wash meat slicers as often as possible, because specks of food can attach to them. The more expensive machines come apart more easily, so it’s best to buy a good one.
- Make sure you have surge protectors on all your compressor units, says Kincheloe of National Restaurant Consultants. “As the power goes up and down—which it does in most areas—it creates heat and affects the longevity of your equipment,” he says. “Surge compressors absorb the surge and the heat so equipment is not affected.”
- Utility companies often have free energy-efficiency walk-throughs. You can sometimes get rebates if you upgrade—mostly in Western states, but also Wisconsin, New York and the New England states.
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