Food Warmer Maintenance Tips
Once again it’s time for a quick crash course in restaurant equipment spare parts, and today we’re looking at the food warmer. There are a variety of food warmers out there (learn about some of them here), but the principles of repair and part replacements remain similar across all of them.
First and foremost, as always, safety is the key. Please disconnect the machine from the power source, ensure that everything is safe to touch, and go about your business with the proper safety precautions. Yes, you want to get that warmer back up and running quickly, but you don’t want to burn anyone in the process.
Food Warmer Safety
When dealing with a food warmer, one safety tip may be the single most valuable:
Power down the unit, and wait about an hour to do what you wanted to do. Check the temperature before diving in!
If the unit is still warm, resist the urge to splash water on it. This might seem like a reasonable idea at first, but we assure you, the water will probably cause more harm than it’s worth. You could damage the unit or yourself with this tactic. In the case of a hot warmer, discretion is the better part of valor.
Clean with Caution
Cleaning on a daily basis can help prevent future problems. We stress again – don’t pour cold water on a dry heated unit. This can cause real problems. Also remember to check your manuals (conveniently, Parts Town has many equipment manuals that can help you out if you misplaced the one that came with your unit) and see what the cleaning directions are. For instance, with some warmers, you should not use anything besides warm, soapy water for cleaning. Occasionally a mild cleansing agent and scouring pad could be used if you have a buildup.
Chlorides, or chloride-based products, can potentially cause corrosion of the unit. Unless you enjoy replacing food warmers, we recommend not using these harsh cleaners – no matter how much faster they make the job.
There you have it – some simple tips that you can use to keep a food warmer running like new. Sometimes, however, no amount of cleaning in the world can get your equipment working again. In these cases, you’ll probably need to find some replacement food warmer parts and/or a qualified service tech to help you out!