Commercial deep fryers are commonly used in restaurants and cafes. This means if they break down, you would want them fixed ASAP. The right way to fix your deep fryer is to hire a commercial appliances repair expert. However, if you or your staff want to try a few things, here are some ways to fix commercial deep fryer problems.

Commercial Deep Fryer Troubleshooting

Deep Fryer Burners Not Lighting

A problem that irritates many staff members and restaurant owners is the non-responsive burners of a deep fryer. The light pilot will be lit, but the burners won’t light.

Check The Gas Valve

If your commercial deep fryer burners are not lighting, the first thing to check is the gas valve. As the pilot light is on, the gas supply is on, but it may not be completely open. So, check the valve and make sure it’s fully open.

Sometimes, the gas valve is clogged. It might also be stuck so if the gas valve is not moving after applying force and rotating it in the right direction, let an expert have a look at it.

In case you don’t want to involve the gas valve and first want to make sure that it is responsible for your deep fryer burners not lighting, check other gas appliances. Are they lighting fine or do you notice low gas pressure? If the gas pressure is low, the gas valve should be checked. If you hire an expert, they may check the gas pipes as well.

Clean The Burner Orifice

The burner orifice can get clogged with debris and dust. This will close the small holes that allow gas out and light the burner. So, if your deep fryer burner is not lighting while the pilot light is on and you have checked the gas valve and gas pressure, clean the burner orifice. Use a stiff brush to unclog the burner orifice.

Set The Thermostat To A Higher Temperature

When the thermostat is set to a low temperature, that temperature will be reached quickly and the burner will be turned off. So, if your deep fryer burner won’t light, check if the temperature is set too low. Increase the temperature set on the thermostat to see if the burner turns on.

The Thermostat Requires Calibration

If you set the thermostat to a higher temperature and the burner doesn’t light, the thermostat requires calibration. A thermostat that’s not calibrated properly won’t correctly detect the temperature of the deep fryer. In turn, the burners might keep running when they shouldn’t or the burners won’t turn on when they should.

You should read the operator’s manual of your commercial deep fryer to know how you can calibrate its thermostat. You can also get an expert to calibrate it. They will also check the thermostat if it’s faulty or only needs calibration.

Faulty Thermostat

In case you calibrated the thermostat yourself or a staff member did it and the burner is still not lighting, the thermostat may be faulty. There is an easy method of testing the thermostat of a deep fryer using a multimeter.

Go to the back of the commercial deep fryer. You will see two terminals. Turn on the multimeter and set it to the ohms setting. After this, you need to connect the wire of the multimeter to each terminal of the deep fryer.

Check the reading on the multimeter screen. Infinity means the thermostat is fine. However, if you see a reading of zero or anything close to zero, the thermostat is faulty. Hire a professional to replace the thermostat.

Commercial Deep Fryer Has No Power

A no-power problem of a deep fryer is an electrical problem and is not related to the gas supply.

Check And Replace The Power Switch

Power switches of every restaurant appliance is used a lot so they can break over time. If a power switch is broken, the deep fryer won’t power on. Hire an expert to replace the power switch of your deep fryer.

Unplugged Or Broken Power Cord

A broken power cord won’t flow current to the deep fryer and even when the power switch is fine, the appliance won’t turn on. Check the power cord and plug it in. You should also try changing the power outlet and try another one. Plus, inspect the cord for noticeable damage, and if found, have it repaired or replaced by a professional.

Reset The Circuit Breaker

The cause of a commercial deep fryer not powering on could be a tripped circuit breaker. Access the breaker box of the building and flip it on. Sometimes, a breaker is tripped for no big reason, but in some cases, a tripped circuit breaker hints at an issue with the circuit breaker, power distribution to the circuit breaker, or the appliance.

Therefore, if you notice frequent tripping of the circuit breaker, have an electrician check the breaker box.

Commercial Deep Fryer Is Not Draining Oil

Removing old oil from the deep fryer is an important part of frying food that tastes delicious and fresh. So, if your deep fryer doesn’t let you drain old oil, you can’t fry anything in it.

The Oil Temperature Is High

Some deep fryers have the safety feature that they don’t let the user drain oil if the temperature of the oil is higher than a certain limit. Oil with a higher temperature is only safe inside the deep fryer. If hot oil is drained, it can damage the valve and the drain filter. Moreover, if the hot oil comes in contact with the user, it can cause burns.

Therefore, if your deep fryer is not draining oil and you just fried something and the oil is hot, let it cool down. When the oil is at room temperature, try draining the oil again.

Clogged Or Dirty Drain Filter

As you keep using the deep fryer and keep draining, the drain filter slowly becomes dirty and partially or completely clogged. It won’t drain oil in this situation. So, cleaning the drain filter should be one of the main deep fryer maintenance tasks for yourself or your staff.

To clean the drain filter of your deep fryer, you should empty the appliance first. Then, use warm water and a non-metallic brush to remove particles from the drain filter. Make sure to use a non-metallic brush because if you use a metallic brush, it can damage the drain filter or any other component of the deep fryer. If the drain filter is too clogged, you can also use dishwashing soap along with warm water.

Dirty Or Obstructed Drain Valve

You use the drain valve to drain the oil. If it’s obstructed or dirty, oil won’t pass through it and won’t drain. In case of partial block, oil will drain slowly, but if totally blocked or obstructed, oil won’t drain at all. Make sure the drain valve is open and completely clean.

Conclusion

Due to heavy daily usage in commercial settings, your commercial deep fryer will run into problems. With the above troubleshooting tips, you know what to check if your deep fryer burners won’t light, the fryer doesn’t power up, or if the deep fryer doesn’t drain. Some problems are easy to fix while some require an authorized deep fryer repair Alexandria expert to fix them.