During the course of a year, school foodservice operations stop working for weeks to months at a time. That doesn’t mean the kitchen should shut down completely, as well.
According to Rusty Parke, vice president of operations for Indianapolis-based Vanco Commercial Service, there are different guidelines for the hot side vs. cold side equipment that’s going to be inactive during summer and winter breaks.
On the cold side, many operators want to shut down their reach-in and walk-in units to cut their electricity bills. This is a mistake, says Parke.
First, because there’s no work being done in the kitchen, the savings simply won’t be significant. While refrigerators aren’t perfectly sealed and perfectly efficient, they’re designed to keep cold air inside the box. If they’re never being opened, they simply won’t turn on that much, meaning their electricity consumption will be minimal, Parke says.
What’s more, this low reward is paired with a much higher risk. Refrigeration units, especially walk-ins, often end up with some moisture in the panels, typically in the form of ice, Parke says. If a unit is shut down, that ice will melt. The water may then essentially dissolve the insulation, causing it to drop to the bottom of the panels.
“Essentially you’ve lost all the insulation value. The condensing unit that was designed to keep a well-insulated box at temp is now trying to keep a non-insulated box at temp,” Parke says.
That’s not the only issue schools may face from cold-side shutdowns. If a refrigerator or freezer is left off for weeks or months at a time, its gaskets may develop dry rot. When school resumes, the operator will need to replace those gaskets and that will come at an extra cost.
Of course, some K-12 operators will decide to turn off their refrigeration during breaks no matter what. Kitchen staffers, then, can take at least one step to maintain a healthy environment, Parke notes. “Prop the door open, because if there’s any moisture inside there, you’re going to create a great environment for mold and bacteria to grow [if the door is closed].”
On the hot side, there’s not as much to worry about, Parke says. If the HVAC has been turned off in a kitchen, condensation is likely to develop in a few spots. That means there’s a slight chance that this condensation forms on a unit’s electrical components. That’s more of a freak occurrence than a regular problem, though, he says.
The issues that do arise usually involve equipment that holds or uses water, such as combi ovens, steamers and warewashers. Much like the gaskets on refrigerators, the seals on these units may succumb to dry rot if not in use. While this won’t occur with every gasket every time a unit sits idle for a few weeks, it happens enough to cause problems.
There’s no simple answer to this issue since operators shouldn’t just run a load of dishes or fire up a combi for no reason.
Instead, Parke says, school foodservice leaders should take advantage of the breaks by scheduling planned maintenance during this time. Typical planned maintenance checks include examinations of gaskets and other seals.
“We’re not asking them to turn a unit on and leave it on, but I think it’s key to get somebody in there with a trained eye to look at [gaskets],” says Parke.
While it may seem like a no-brainer to shut down a kitchen that’s going idle for several weeks, the reality is more complex. K-12 foodservice leaders should be aware of the challenges presented by an unused kitchen and take steps to prevent breakdowns when school is back in session.
