Ever wonder what lurks behind the shadows that could keep your commercial kitchen from running as smoothly as possible? It may not just limited to the equipment…it could be a number of things that you haven’t even considered.

Here is a list of random, yet important things to check on when you walk through your commercial kitchen. You can save money and be more efficient by just keeping an eye on some of these things that you might not usually be on the lookout for:

• Be sure to keep any exposed probes or floats clean on any unit that uses water for cooking or steaming.
• If you change your own exhaust fan belts, never adjust the pulley size to fit the belt, this could affect your kitchen heating or air conditioning. In other words, use the correct belt as per manufactures specs.
• Be sure to keep the vents clean on all of your equipment. Also make sure you provide the proper clearance as per manufacture specs or recommendations
• Take good care of your kitchen floor mats. Some kitchens clean their mats with oven cleaner and other chemicals that can make the rubber break down and everything the mats come in contact with will have black marks. Be sure to read and use the manufacturers cleaning recommendations.
• If one of your air conditioners stops blowing cold air, move the fan switch to the on position. This will help move air form other units working in the building. 
• It is important for every kitchen to verify that its electric three phase motors and compressors are protected. A three-phase monitor relay, also called a phase failure relay, is an economical investment that is simple to install. A three-phase monitor relay protects against damage caused by phase loss as well as other three-phase fault conditions.
• If the dining room lights flicker intermittently during service, the dimmer switches are most likely not the right amp rating.
• Electrical safety is important to all kitchen staff and managers who should know the difference between a tripped circuit breaker and one that is off. 
• Educate your kitchen staff to stop using pam or Wesson oil as a lubricant. Many appliances do not react well to these products and in many cases creates a pasty building up that affects the operation of the unit and in turn creates a preventable service call. 
• Every restaurant owner should know the water quality in its kitchen and throughout the building and have equipment properly filtered and maintained as a package. When different filters from different manufacturers are used throughout the building, it is more difficult to keep them serviced correctly. Check out your system…you might be surprised…
• Most kitchen staff do not realize when they shut the fresh air fan off for the hood they start sucking the treated air (AC) from the dining room.
• More than a few customers could use a few pointers on how to properly treat their repair technicians and place a service call. Technicians can be the Heroes when vital equipment is not working properly or completely down so they should be treated with respect. Also it is important to be clear when communicating the problems you are having so technicians can arrive properly prepared to fix their problem.
• If the water is not full enough in your steamtables to touch the bottom of the pan, temperatures will be hard to maintain as well as the safe serving temperature of your food.

Sometimes it is a good idea to look beyond the obvious concerns in your commercial kitchen. Even the small things can add up to big savings or sneaky problems. Be sure to stay on top of yours!

For more insights Connect with Heritage Parts and our Connect Blog https://www.heritageparts.com/connect.