15

Feb

Commercial Food Steamer Fixes You Must Know

Commercial steamers are essential appliances in cafes, restaurants, and food businesses. So, if they don’t function as expected, it can be frustrating and mostly you need a hand from a commercial appliances repair expert to fix your commercial food steamer. Therefore, we are giving you some tips for fixing two common problems with your commercial steamer.

Commercial Steamer Fixes

Commercial Food Steamer Is Overfilling With Water

If your restaurant steamer overfills with water, you should perform these actions:

Level The Unit

A simple cause of overfilling in commercial steamers is the tilting of the steamer in one direction. So, check the steamer and level it. You should also check the floor where it’s placed. Is the floor damaged? Are the wheels or legs of the steamer damaged? To make sure the steamer is level, employ a sprint level.

Check If The Water Pressure Is High

High water pressure will lead to the overfilling of the steamer. You should check the water pressure of the facility. It should not be more than 60 PSI for the proper functioning of your steamer. If it’s greater than that, your steamer will frequently overfill from water causing a mess.

On the other hand, if the water pressure is low, it can cause other problems like no steaming, which means no cooking. Therefore, water pressure is an important factor.

Make Sure The Water Level Setting Is Correct

This is another simple thing that most people take care of, but sometimes, it’s ignored. If your steamer is new and you don’t know what is its minimum and maximum water level recommendation, refer to the user manual.

Check The Water Level Control System

The water level control system is what keeps the water level in check. It has valves and sensors that work with the control unit of the steamer to operate and regulate the level of water in the steamer.

If a valve or sensor malfunctions, there will be water-related problems. For example, if the valve becomes stuck in the open position, water will keep flowing into the reservoir and it will overflow. On the flip side, if the valve is stuck closed, no water will enter the unit and the unit won’t steam at all.

Similarly, if the sensor malfunctions, it won’t detect the correct level of water. This will result in overflowing water or low water levels in the steamer.

Sometimes, these valves and sensors are functional, but malfunction due to limescale buildup in the unit. Other times, they are worn and need to be replaced.

You need an expert to inspect the water level system to know whether the components are dirty or faulty. The professional will suggest the right action after inspecting the steamer.

Check The Drainage System

If the water control system is sound or fixed, but your steamer is overfilling with water, the next thing to check is the drainage system.

Through the drainage system, excess water is removed to keep the right water level inside the reservoir. However, if the drainage system is blocked, water won’t have anywhere to go so the unit will overfill with water.

The blockage of the drainage system including the drain stainer is common. Over time, grease, minerals, and food particles build up on the drain stainer and the pipes of the drainage system causing a blockage. The blockage is not apparent when minor, but when it becomes significant, you notice water drainage problems and overfilling of water.

If you want your commercial steamer to function without problems, you must clean and delime it often. This will prevent all types of blockages.

However, if you clean and delime your steamer as recommended by your manufacturer, but you face drain and water blockages, you should check your water. It may be due to hard water.

Hard water means an excess amount of minerals like calcium and magnesium in water. These minerals stick to the surface of materials when water passes through. This white, yellow, or brown buildup is called scale and it’s hard to remove. This can block valves and pipes causing water problems in your steamer.

So, consult your water supply company for more details and if the water is hard, consider getting a water softening system for your facility. However, even with soft water, you must keep a proper schedule of cleaning and descaling your steamer.

Check The Door Seal Or Gasket

The door seal or gasket creates a seal around the door that keeps the steam and water droplets in the unit airtight. However, if the gasket or seal becomes loose or is damaged, there is some space for steam or water vapors to escape. Due to this, you will notice water outside the steamer and may think that it’s overfilling with water and look for water pressure but the problem could be with the door seal.

Door seals can be damaged due to usual wear and tear and frequent use of the steamer. Other than wear and tear, improper cleaning can also damage the door seal. Using harsh cleaners can cause damage to the seal and other components of the steamer. So, make sure to use the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning solutions for cleaning the steamer.

Commercial Steamer Door Opening During Operation

The door of the steamer opening during operation can be a huge problem. Because of this problem, your steam might not be cooking food as expected. Another issue from this can be steam and water around the steamer.

Close The Door Latch Properly

If this happens seldom, then the person closing the door may not be shutting it properly. Make sure to close the door properly so it doesn’t open when pressure builds up inside the steamer during its operation.

Damaged Door Seal Or Latch

The door seal and latch work together to keep the door closed. If either of the two components is damaged, the door may open during operation. Have an expert check these parts to detect problems with them and fix them.

Adjust The Door Pin

We know that the door seal wears over time. Due to this, you have to adjust the door pin. If not, the door seal won’t shut the door properly and it may open when the steamer is steaming food.

You can consult an expert to know whether your unit requires this door pin adjustment. You can also read the user manual if it instructs about anything like this. If it does, then its door pin does need adjustment with time.

Look For A Clogged Drain Or Vent

A clogged drain line or vent will create pressure in the steamer which can push the door to open up. You should clean the drain line and the vent. Moreover, make sure not to attach more than two steamers to the same drain line.

Conclusion

Two common problems of a commercial steamer are overfilling with water and the door opening during operation. Now you have fixes for these problems. To avoid issues with your steamer, always consult a commercial steamer repair Fairfax technician for inspections and repairs. Moreover, clean and descale your steamer regularly to avoid clogs and blockages inside the unit. Only you use cleaning solutions recommended by the manufacturer of your commercial steamer.

04

Sep

Guide to Restaurant Steamer Cleaning

Modern diners have become health conscious, and thus steamers are gaining a lot of popularity. With the help of this equipment, restaurant and cafe owners can cook healthy and tasty meals in no time. The commercial steamers are quite easy to use. If staff knows how to use this equipment, it can ease their work. However, just like any other commercial kitchen equipment, commercial steamers also require regular maintenance and cleaning to function without any interruption. It is your responsibility to schedule commercial steamer repair and maintenance as soon as you notice any problem in your appliance.

Why Cleaning Your Restaurant Steamer Matters

Commercial steamers are easy and quick to clean –as long as you know the right techniques of cleaning the appliances.  From leftovers to chemical residuals, anything left in your commercial steamer can be passed to customers. Not just contaminants can change the taste of food, but such food is not healthy as well.  A poorly maintained commercial appliance is also unlikely to efficient performance as a result it takes longer cook times and often requires early replacement.

Tips For Commercial Steamer Cleaning

Anything that goes inside the steamer can penetrate the food, affecting its taste, and probably harming your patrons. It is important to avoid using toxic chemicals for cleaning the appliance. The harsh chemicals will not only damage your appliance, but they will also leave toxins inside it.

When it comes to cleaning, your staff should clean the spills right away. Clean the appliance from inside out with water and soap every day. And perform thorough cleaning every week. In fact, you should schedule professional cleaning every month to clear the hidden debris.

One of the most critical aspects of cleaning commercial steamer is thoroughness –use a scrubber to clean interior parts of the appliance, pay special attention to clear out clogging.  Also, do not overlook touch parts such as the latch, door, and knob that bear endless contact from kitchen staff.

Since steamers use water, you might have to deal with the lime build-up. In order to avoid the lime build up, you need to keep cleaning the water. Also, do not let lime to get stubborn. Later, it will become really very difficult for you get rid of it.

Commercial steamer cleaning and maintenance is mandatory. In order to increase the efficiency and life-span of your appliance, you are required to pay attention over cleaning. You can consult with the commercial appliance repair services for through cleaning.