Service Technician/Business Development, Elmer Schultz Co., Philadelphia
Dillon Sagrantz, Elmer Schultz Co.After seven years of working for G & R Mechanical in Hatfield, Pa., Dillon Sagrantz decided it was time for a change in his professional life. So, in January 2023, he joined Elmer Schultz in Philadelphia as a service technician and in a business development role.
Q: Is commercial foodservice equipment becoming more high-tech a good thing or a bad thing?
A: If you can keep the equipment as basic as possible, it may be better in the long run for the customer. You will save money on service and parts. If the equipment is basic, you have four or five components to deal with. But with the new equipment, it’s easier to cook on, the (cooking) times are faster and there’s less failure in cooking the food. It will be perfect every single time.
Q: How does planned maintenance impact performance, the life of equipment and more?
A: It’s a hugely important thing to do. If you don’t do that, (equipment) will go down. You’ll have tubes breaking and have plenty of issues there. It’s very important to keep the steamer delimed. Most of the time, the ports are on top of the steamer. I would recommend learning how to delime.
Q: What is a common mistake to avoid regarding refrigeration maintenance?
A: The easiest thing to take care of is to make sure the condenser coil is clean. If it’s not clean, that could cause leaks or a failure. You also have to keep the key pieces of equipment around it clean. You get a grease buildup in the coil and that will cause high liquid-line pressure and failure in the system. You can get leaks in the system if you don’t have high-pressure control.
Say you have four coolers. If you’re keeping up on cleaning the coils, it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes or so a month to accomplish this task. Most of the time, you can keep a planned maintenance program with your local service providers.
Q: Which maintenance tasks can be done by operators and which ones should be left to the professionals?
A: Cleaning the coils are the most important thing operators can do themselves. One thing I would leave to the pros is checking the refrigerant levels and charging the unit when necessary. That’s more in-depth maintenance. If there’s any type of coil cleaner, we know how to use it properly. You can’t open up a system if you don’t have an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) certification.
