How to Know When to Replace a Warewasher

Published on Monday, August 15, 2011

Written by The Editors

Here are three ways to tell when it is time to replace a warewasher.

Although these are cleaning machines, proper maintenance and cleaning are important to keep warewashers operating efficiently and effectively.

Typically, a warewasher is replaced for one of three reasons.

• Technical Problems: Usually, this means the machine is simply old, out of warranty, and is expensive to keep running from a service standpoint or is "dead." Most high-quality commercial warewashers are expected to have a useful service life of 10 years on average.
• Inefficiency: Today's warewasher models consume significantly less water and energy than models of only five years ago. This reduces the time necessary to recoup the investment of a new machine significantly.
• Unit is Inadequate for Operation's Needs: Typically this means that the facility is expanding over time, and the demands on the machine are growing, extending operating times beyond what is acceptable for the facility. However, it could also be that the machine was specified incorrectly in the first place, that the ware has changed and no longer suits the dishwasher, re-washing of some items has become necessary, etc.