Commercial food steamers use water. That is literally the heart and soul of the appliance, ensuring that whatever you put into it comes out moist, fully cooked, and steaming hot. However, limescale buildup due to hard water can block important components of the appliance, leading to steaming issues and break downs. This is why scheduling regular maintenance offered by commercial appliances repair services can help you avoid most of the problems. Here is how hard water causes limescale buildup, how to delime your commercial food steamer, and how to prevent it.

Why Is Using Hard Water Bad?

Aside from commercial food steamers, there are a lot of other equipment and appliances that people use in a commercial food business or restaurant.

The point is, some of this equipment uses water for operation or as a primary function. Dishwashers, steamers, ice makers, and other things use water, and if you’re using hard water, then you will run into some problems that have to do with the clogging of the equipment as well as scale deposition.

Hard water has a lot of undissolved heavy mineral ions in it – primarily calcium and magnesium. Well, if you use this water in any of your restaurant equipment or appliances, then you will see that the inside as well as any other area of the equipment exposed to the water, will form a whitish yellow layer of scum. That is known as scale.

It is basically the undissolved precipitate of the hardness-causing ions and this precipitate is very stubborn. It will not go away with just high-pressure water or even simply wiping it down. You’ll need to put in some more elbow grease to really get rid of the scale on the equipment.

Now, even though scale might not seem very harmful at first glance, you will know what this seemingly harmless precipitate is capable of doing when it clogs the important and narrow parts of the equipment and leads to the appliance breaking down.

This scenario, in a restaurant, is really dangerous and it can put operations to a halt. So, hard water is definitely a big no when it comes to use in a restaurant or commercial food business kitchen.

How To Descale A Commercial Food Steamer

First things first, here is everything you need to know about deliming a commercial food steamer. If you follow this step by step, then you’ll have a clean steamer in no time at all.

Shut The Steamer Down

The first thing you want to do when you’re descaling your commercial food steamer is that you have to shut it down. You can’t clean or maintain a steamer that is hot and still running. You’re not only going to risk third-degree burns, but you will also make the appliance prone to damage.

So, turn the whole thing off and, for good measure, unplug the appliance too. Then, you want to let it cool down so that it is safe for you to handle it and get it clean from the inside out.

Add Descaling Solution

To remove scale from any appliance, you might hear that a lot of things work. Citric acid, harsh abrasive cleaners, and things like that are normally recommended. Well, you might want to pump your brakes on this one. Before putting anything inside the commercial food steamer, you want to first read the instruction manual and then figure out what your steamer can and can’t handle.

Normally, a descaling solution is used to get rid of the scale in the steamer and you need to follow the instructions to get everything done without any problem. So, always read the back label and then go ahead and use the solution.

Clean & Run

Once you know what descaling solution you have to use to clean the scale, you want to put it inside the steamer and then run a cycle in the steamer. This is a very easy way to clean the steamer without doing a lot of work.

The appliance itself will do all of the work and you just need to wait a couple of minutes and then let it all drain out before you can inspect the inside. If the scale is gone, then you’re good to go, otherwise, you can do another run and you’ll see the difference in no time.

How To Prevent Or Reduce Limescale Buildup In Commercial Appliances?

Sometimes, hard water is inevitable and you have to use it, depending on where your restaurant or food business is. This is why you want to know these very important tips for working with hard water and preventing or slowing down lime buildup in your food steamer, combi oven, and other water-related appliances to avoid break downs and also improve water efficiency a bit.

Invest In A Water Softener Systems

If you literally have hard water coming in through the faucets, then you have to invest in a water softener. This system will literally save your kitchen as well as your equipment, because it will remove all of the hardness-causing ions and lead to soft water. If you think about it, then it is an investment for sure.

You have to get this system installed in order to really get rid of the hard water problem. It is an expensive addition, but it will be a lifelong one, so it’s worth it.

Always Use Filtered Water

If you don’t want to invest in a water softener yet, then at least try to use filtered and pure water in the appliances that call for it. You can’t just use any water in the equipment and hope that it will be okay.

You want to ensure that even if you don’t have an abundance of pure, filtered water for the restaurant, you still want to reserve a bit for the appliances that use it and are prone to getting scale deposits on the inside walls and other important places.

Maintain Appliances Regularly

This kind of goes without saying, but if you don’t want your restaurant appliances to break down on you when you need them the most, then you have to commit to maintaining them regularly. You need to descale them regularly, clean them on a daily basis, and ensure that hard water isn’t causing a problem.

Hard water won’t make the appliances break down at first contact, rather, it is the lack of maintenance that leads to the equipment and important parts breaking down. That is something that you have to take care of, because it will only pay you off in the end.

Use Appropriate Products

You don’t want to remove scale from your commercial kitchen equipment with the help of citric acid and other harsh cleaning agents. There are a lot of sensitive and rubber parts in many appliances and they can get damaged when they come in contact with citric acid.

This is why you want to always use a descaling solution, which can help to gently get rid of the scaly layer on the equipment without damaging it or any part. It will increase the longevity of appliances.

Conclusion

Commercial food steamers are excellent, but you need to ensure that you’re regularly cleaning and removing limescale and protecting the appliance from damage to keep it running smoothly for long. It will save you from a lot of trouble. In case of any issues, consult a commercial steamer repair Fairfax technician for inspections, maintenance, and repairs.