Make Your Spring-Cleaning Checklist

READY HVAC UNITS. Of course, you’ll always want to keep equipment in tip-top shape year-round, but with warmer temperatures on the horizon, it makes sense to zero in on these critical units. “Before you start putting the air conditioning on to your buildings, clean the coils and replace or clean the filters, whatever option you have (on your HVAC units),” says Howard, adding that a capable operator should be able to do these things. Dirty filters can decrease the efficiency of the unit and in certain cases, cause the compressor to overheat.

PAY MIND TO ICE MACHINES AND STEAMERS. Howard says both types of equipment may get more use during summer months. For ice machines, “replace the water filters and clean and sanitize them,” he says. A poorly maintained unit could lead to bad tasting ice, bacteria buildup, insufficient operation and other risks. Crab shacks and seafood houses could soon get busy, Howard says, and will want to descale the boilers on their steamers. Not descaling a boiler could lead to scale buildup and cause the unit to not heat well. In fact, it could destroy the boiler altogether, costing thousands of dollars to replace.

DEEP CLEAN THE COOKLINE. Much like pulling the couch out from the wall at home and cleaning behind and underneath it, do the same with cooking equipment. Howard says it might sound like a common task on a restaurant’s to-do list, but it isn’t. “Disconnect the gas, pull out the equipment, clean behind it and wipe down the gas hoses—that’s the thing that commonly gets missed,” he says. “On gas equipment, there are little vent caps on the regulator and if they get covered with grease, they can become locked out, leading to a costly service call.” A damp, not soaked, rag and a mild detergent will work.

For more maintenance advice, from ventilation must-do’s to fryer faux pas, visit FER’s maintenance archives.