Commercial Dishwasher Maintenance

Last updated on May 14th, 2021 at 11:06 am

It’s a Saturday night and your restaurant is full to capacity. Dishes of your perfectly executed creations are being delivered to eagerly awaiting customers. Wine glasses and mixed drinks are being enjoyed by all. Yep, it’s every restaurateurs dream until, UH-OH your Commercial Dishwasher decides to just stop working. That dream is now your worst nightmare come true.

So what can you do to prevent a Commercial Dishwasher breakdown? Like all of your commercial equipment, proper maintenance will improve its performance and extends the machines life expectancy. Keep in mind, a well-maintained Dishwasher will last up to 20 years. Below are several maintenance steps that you can take to care for your Commercial Dishwasher.

Read Your Owner’s Manual: Before you clean, maintain or service any equipment, always read the provided Owner’s Manual or look it up online.

Prescrapping Procedures: Even the best Commercial Dishwasher is not a food disposal. Make sure that your employees are thoroughly removing food debris before placing them in the Dishwasher. Failing to do so will clog the filter.

Clean the Filter: Check the filter regularly. If you see food particles and gunk on the filter, the flow of water will be blocked causing dishes to be poorly cleaned. A clogged filter will also prevent water from draining. To avoid these issues:

1. Clean the filter every 20 cycles or more often if you are using the Dishwasher for heavy cleaning.
2. Never beat the filter against anything to dislodge particles. Instead, remove the filters and clean them with a brush under running water or use a toothpick to clear out stuck food.
3. After cleaning, make sure to re-install the filter (believe us- people forget to re-install more often than you think).

Thoroughly Clean Inside: This needs to be done daily.

1. Turn off On-Off push button and the main water valve.
2. Remove the overflow tube from the wash tank to empty the water. To do so, turn off the On-Off push button, and press Drain Pump push button until all the water has been completely emptied.
3. Remove the spray arms loosening the fixing screws, and thoroughly clean the nozzles and cleaning and rinsing arms under running water.
4. Reassemble all parts and refit the spray arms in their seats, fixing them with the relative screws.
5. Clean the tank thoroughly. Do not use bleach or chlorine based detergents, or use metal brushes or corrosive products, which can damage the machine

Rinse-Aid: Just like with your dishwasher at home, Commercial Dishwashers require rinse-aid to prevent streaks and spots on your flatware and glasses. Insufficient rinse aid will also cause dishes and glasses to not dry completely. Check rinse-aid levels every morning. You can increase or decrease the amount of rinse-aid being released during each cycle by adjusting the screw on the dispenser.

Tank Water: To avoid poorly cleaned dishes, replace the tank water by refilling the tank at least every 20 wash cycles, or twice a day. Tank water left in the machine from the day before may also cause the machine to stop and draw water.

End of the Day Routine: At the end of the day, leave the dishwasher door open to allow the machine to air out.

Annual Routine: Have a qualified technician inspect the machine to clean the solenoid valve filter, remove scale from the heating elements, check the tightness of the seals,  check condition and/or wear of the components, and check operation of the dispensers.