Some service calls can be avoided by checking a few small issues.

Every service tech has a story like it: They go to a kitchen for an emergency repair, only to find the “broken” unit isn’t broken at all. Instead, a valve just got turned the wrong way, or a switch needed to be flipped.

These so-called nuisance calls are a problem for everyone involved. Operators don’t like paying a couple hundred dollars to address a non-issue and service agencies would rather have their techs helping customers with genuine issues.

Jason Williams, field service supervisor with the New Castle, Del., branch of Baltimore-based service agency EMR, offers some tips that can help operators avoid nuisance calls.

Gas-fired cooking equipment

According to Williams, many of the nuisance calls for gas equipment are due to problems with the unit’s gas supply. These often occur during cleaning. A staffer pulls the piece away from the wall to sweep and mop and, either intentionally or accidentally, shuts off the gas valve.

Similarly, flexible gas hoses can get knocked loose during cleaning. This won’t always be obvious, says Williams. “If there are quick connect fittings, sometimes they'll come loose. It looks like it is connected but it is not pushed in all the way and it restricts your gas flow.”

When a gas-fired unit won’t heat, especially first thing in the morning, staff should check the gas hose and gas valve before calling for repair.

Another problem with gas fired units involves the starting mechanism. To fire up a griddle, for instance, line cooks must push a button to start the flow of gas to the pilot. A thermocouple then heats up, sending a signal to the pilot that allows the gas to continue to flow.

This process can go wrong for a variety of reasons, including grease in the button or a thermocouple that’s just slightly out of position.

In many cases, staffers just need to hold the button down for an extra 30-to-60 seconds to heat the thermocouple and get the unit working, says Williams. While a service call will be necessary to address the issue, this approach can avoid a more costly emergency repair.

Electric-powered cooking equipment

The issues with electric-powered equipment are similar to gas. Units often get unplugged during cleaning, but not plugged back in.

If a unit is plugged in but still won’t turn on, operators should check the breaker box. A breaker can trip if water accidentally gets splashed into a GFI outlet, which frequently occurs during cleaning. Even without cleaning, breakers connected to these outlets can trip simply due to the power demand of certain pieces of equipment, Williams says.

For units with computerized control panels, operators should make sure the vents, fans and filters that help cool those panels are in good working order, he adds. A blocked vent or clogged filter can cause control panels to overheat and essentially shut down.

Refrigeration

According to Williams, over-filling a refrigeration unit often causes many of the problems with this equipment.

In an over-filled refrigeration unit, the cold air cannot move freely inside. When this happens, the unit cannot keep food at safe temperatures. At the same time, restricted airflow around the coils can cause these components to freeze up.

Operators can avoid these issues by simply following the manufacturer’s guidelines on how much a unit can hold, Williams says.

Also important is understanding a refrigeration unit’s capabilities. Cold tables are a frequent source of these issues. These pieces are designed simply to hold food at a safe temperature. They are not meant to quickly bring down the temperature of food that’s just been cooked, such as grilled vegetables.

In addition, the pans in cold tables should be properly sized to the unit, Williams states. “You don’t want any gaps between [pans]. I see that all the time where they put the wrong sized pan in and there are gaps at the top. You want to make sure all those pans are completely filled and there’s no air gaps at all along the top.”

A table with air gaps may not safely hold food. What’s more, the warm air that enters the chamber may cause the unit’s coils to freeze, says Williams. Before calling for a cold table repair, then, operators should make sure they’re using the unit properly.

Indeed, improper equipment use, or simply overlooking something like a loose hose or utility valve turned the wrong way, can lead to unneeded repair calls. Kitchen staff and leaders should be trained to check for these nuisances before calling in an emergency repair.