Why You Need A Preventative Maintenance Schedule

Every day in the restaurant business you’re presented with new challenges.

It’s almost impossible to predict what problems you’ll have to solve when you unlock the doors in the morning. Menu changes, staffing issues, delayed deliveries, budgeting considerations...the list goes on and on.

The last thing you want to think about? The possibility that your equipment will fail in the middle of dinner service, and you’ll have to spend part of your shift getting it fixed, instead of focusing on your guests.

Dealing with repairs and maintenance on the fly can be a huge drain on your energy, and your pocket. Without a routine, or preventative maintenance schedule, the equipment that is integral to your business and relatively easy to manage, could fall apart at the worst possible moment. 

Why Use A Preventative Maintenance Schedule?

Here’s how it works: when you don’t take the time to regularly service your restaurant equipment, it’s impacted by unnecessary strain, which can lead to premature wear down. 

It’s easy to write off the idea of routine maintenance, crossing your fingers that your equipment won’t break when you need it most. But Murphy’s Law exists for a reason. 

If you’re failing to regularly service your equipment and give it the TLC it needs (and deserves), you’re kicking the can. The decision to prolong  the pain of getting it fixed until the damage reaches a point of critical mass, typically results in expensive repairs that could have been avoided entirely.

We're passionate about restaurant owners adopting a proactive mindset when it comes to preventative maintenance. Our $0.02? Just do it—now. A preventative maintenance schedule means you can deal with potential problems today instead of waiting for something to completely fail tomorrow, creating more complicated consequences.

Need tips on setting up a preventative maintenance schedule? Start here.

Every piece of equipment will have its preventative maintenance schedule. Before putting a process in place, consider the function of the equipment, what parts are most likely to fail, and the frequency with which the equipment is used in your kitchen. Here are a few recommendations for a preventative maintenance schedule. 

1. Air Filters

Recommended Preventative Maintenance Schedule: Every 1-3 months

Your restaurant’s air filters are your primary separation from the outdoor environment. Think about the air quality right outside your doors. Are you near a parking garage, or an area that experiences a lot of traffic and exhaust? The more severe the pollution in your vicinity, the more often you’ll want to change your air filters.

2. Range Tops

Recommended Preventative Maintenance Schedule: Daily

You never want to hear that you need to add another item to your staff’s daily list, but, in this case, the added workload far outweighs the consequences you could experience if you don’t constantly maintain your range tops. It’s imperative that you keep your range stove’s pilots free of the buildup that prevents you from lighting them, making the stove difficult to use, and ultimately ending in a service call.

3. Ice Machine Chemical Cleans

Recommended Preventative Maintenance Schedule: Every 1-3 months

Without preventative maintenance, the machine may begin to plug up, or mold could develop in the ice that is going into each and every one of your customers’ drinks. Run a chemical clean every 1-3 months (the sooner the better) on your ice machine to keep your customers safe.

If you’re looking for more tips on preventative maintenance schedules, our team is here to help. 

We can help you create checklists and reminders to ensure you and your team are keeping your precious equipment well maintained. Give us a call, shoot us an email, or get in touch with our team to learn more.