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Keeping the foodservice equipment marketplace up to date with the latest menu and concept trends.

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Service Tips: Rotating Rack Ovens

Even the most basic rotating rack oven requires a significant upfront investment from foodservice operators. These operators should take a few basic steps to make sure that investment pays off over the long-term.

  • One of the most common service calls for rotating rack ovens involves the oven not firing or not coming up to temperature. In nearly all these cases, the burner is dirty. Have oven burners cleaned regularly during planned maintenance visits.
  • The most expensive component in a rack oven is the heat exchanger. Operators should make sure the service company they work with is an authorized service agent of the oven manufacturer and uses a combustion analyzer to determine that the draft and combustion are set perfectly. Over-firing the burner can burn a hole in the heat exchanger, which is an extremely costly repair.
  • Spark rods and flame rods are very inexpensive. Consider having them both changed during planned maintenance calls. The amount of revenue that can be lost by a burner that is not operational and the cost of an emergency service call just to replace these components far exceed the expense of changing them out on a regular basis.
  • Door limit switches and rack limit switches will typically become more difficult to work with before they stop working entirely. If one is sticking, it's time to have it replaced.
  • Take time to understand the sequence of operations of an oven. It doesn't have to get very in-depth, but understanding this sequence will help you and your service agent diagnose a problem much more rapidly.
  • Operators should be aware that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates that wholesale and retail bakeries have an independent factory-authorized representative inspect its production equipment once a year to certify it is in proper working condition.