Fryer Preventative Maintenance Tips
Although Parts Town will always be here for you when your equipment goes down, we want to help you maximize your uptime as much as possible. As part of a continuing campaign to share what we know about preventative maintenance, we bring you:
Four Things YOU Can Do To Keep Your Commercial Fryer Running At Peak Performance
1. Monitor for leaks
A gas leak is one of the worst, most hazardous problems a commercial kitchen can encounter. Fortunately, there's a simple way to test your fryer for leaks. Simply spray the gas-conducting hoses with a soap-based cleaner and watch for bubbles. If gas is leaking out of the lines, the soap will bubble up. If this happens, you should immediately shut off the gas and contact a technician to help you correct the issue.
Your fryer can also fall victim to grease leaks. These are both easier to spot - just look for puddles of grease! - and less dangerous. They're still a risk, though, so if your fryer is leaking any substance, you'll want to take steps to get it fixed. By checking your unit for leaks, you can maintain good deep fryer safety standards to keep your unit working properly and safely.
2. Boil out your fryer regularly
Over time, fat and carbon deposits will build up on your fryer's heating element and in the tank. The manufacturer of your machine will be able to provide specific instructions as to how to boil out the tank. We recommend doing this on a weekly basis, but you should always stick to the advice of your machine's manufacturer if there is doubt. Check your manual or call Parts Town - we can help you get in touch with the manufacturer if you need further assistance.
3. Beware of polymerization
This is really just our fancy way of saying "don't get extra stuff in your oil," by which we primarily mean food and water (although we don't recommend you put anything else in there either!) Foreign objects in your oil will speed its breakdown and cause the taste to deteriorate more quickly. Of course, to a certain extent this is unavoidable, but you can take steps to guard against it. Load your fry baskets away from the vat so that loose particles of food and ice crystals don't end up in the oil. Maintaining the purity of your cooking oil will keep it from breaking down so quickly.
4. Optimize oil quality and lifespan
You can further protect and prolong the lifespan of your fryer oil by keeping the heat relatively low. We suggest maintaining a temperature of under 355 degrees Fahrenheit, and decreasing the temperature to 250 during downtime. Make sure you place a cover on your fryer at night, as well as during any long stretch of time during the day when it is not in use - just like any food product left to sit exposed to air, your oil can become stale.
Filtering the oil in your commercial fryer is another important way to maintain oil quality. Use a fryer oil filter like this one from Frymaster to remove foreign matter that finds its way into the oil. Finally, remember that when the time does come to change your fryer oil, you can contact your local biodiesel company to help you dispose of the used stuff. Used oil should be stored in spill resistant stainless steel drums.
Keep watching partstown.com/blog for more Things YOU Can Do to optimize your commercial kitchen.