When to Replace your Commercial Warewasher

Last updated on July 1st, 2022 at 12:51 pm

Are you making repeated service calls for your commercial warewasher? Are you debating between another service call versus replacing the whole unit? Although these are cleaning machines, proper maintenance and cleaning are important to keep warewashers operating efficiently and effectively. Typically, a warewasher is replaced for one of three reasons: technical problems, inefficiency, or inadequacy for operational needs.  Technical problems can mean the machine is out of warranty and past its prime. Older generation warewashers are expensive to keep running from a service point of view. Most high-quality commercial warewashers are expected to have a useful service life of 10 years on average.

As your foodservice establishment continually grows or expands overtime, you may find that your warewasher isn’t capable of handling the growing demands efficiently. If your machine is requiring you to rewash items or extending operating times, it is probably time to consider replacing the unit. The good news is that today’s warewasher models consume significantly less water and energy than models of only five years ago. This reduces the time necessary to recoup the investment of a new machine significantly. So how can you tell when it’s time to replace your warewasher? Look for the following:

When to Replace

1. Increased service calls and high repair costs: When a unit requires an increasing number of service calls or multiple component replacements, it may be nearing the end of its service life.
2. Signs of wear and tear: Tank leaks may signify that the welds are giving out. Also, problems can be caused by water leaking from the boosters.
3. Loss of controls: If the warewasher’s controls are not operating properly or pump pressure is lost, replacement is most likely appropriate.
4. Inconsistent results: The results of the unit are a key indicator that the warewasher is not operating at 100 percent.
5. Older models: Operators may want to replace older warewashers that are utilizing excessive amounts of energy and/or water with a more efficient unit.

Once you have that new machine installed, it’s important to get the most out of your purchase. Remember these steps for extending the life of your new warewasher:

Maintenance Musts

1. Clean dish machines after every shift, since flushing out the water removes accumulated soil from the machine, improving washing performance.
2. Regularly wash and clean scrap screens or filters.
3. Depending on usage and water quality, wash and rinse arms should be cleaned weekly or as required.