The Importance of Choosing Genuine OEM Parts in Commercial Fryers

When your fryer is on the fritz, you may be tempted to use less-expensive generic or OCM parts instead of genuine OEM parts. Although you might think they’re all the same, this guide explains why genuine OEM parts are the better choice because of their safety, reliability, efficiency and warranty protection. Even if the upfront costs are higher, you can save money in the long run.

Safety

First of all, real OEM parts are safer. Most equipment manufacturers test their genuine OEM parts at their own factories to ensure they fit and perform properly. However, they also trust third parties to conduct additional testing to guarantee safety before distribution.

Commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers use third-parties such as Underwriter Laboratories (UL) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to make sure their parts are not only electrically safe but also sanitary. This third-party testing assures that OEM fryer parts are safe not only for the machine but also for consumers and operators. That means components are tested to ensure they’re made of materials that won’t taint food or overheat and harm staff who use the fryer on a daily basis.

Reliability

Another factor making genuine OEM fryer parts superior is their reliability. Since manufacturers design and test their parts to fit and function with your fryer, they’re guaranteed to work properly.

This is in contrast to generic and OCM parts. Since both don’t undergo the same rigorous testing and programming as OEM parts, there’s potential that they’re not working to the specification of your unit. This can cause the parts to wear out quickly, overwork surrounding components, damage the equipment, injure the operators or compromise food quality.

Not to mention, your brand’s integrity can take a hit if a fryer goes down. Downtime can add up in terms of lost revenue, too. According to Parts Town’s 2021 customer study conducted by Intellegenics, the average downtime of one fryer can cost a chain restaurant is about $605 per day. That can add up over time if the unit doesn’t get repaired in time or needs to be replaced.

Efficiency

Genuine OEM parts also are more efficient. Since they’re made to function with your exact fryer, this helps the unit run properly and minimizes both replacement costs and energy consumption.

For example, if your fryer’s heating element or burner is faulty, it may require more energy to heat the oil. More energy usage means higher utility bills, along with the cost to replace the non-OEM part down the road. Even if generic or OCM replacement parts are less expensive, their inefficiency will lead to higher costs in the long run.

Warranty Protection

One of the biggest factors in favor of genuine OEM parts is often overlooked: Warranty protection. Many commercial kitchen equipment warranties state that installing generic or OCM replacement parts will invalidate the warranty, making future repairs and maintenance more expensive.

Although a less-expensive generic or OCM thermostat may seem like a good option for your fryer, having to pay out-of-pocket for parts and labor if your unit has more problems will wipe out any cost savings. Once again, saving a little money now can lead to spending big money later.

If you want more information on why genuine OEM parts are superior to generic or OCM for your commercial kitchen equipment, learn more at https://www.partstown.com/genuine-oem.