In my years as a service technician, I was often asked about how to prevent high cost maintenance. The answer was very simple. Keep it cleaned. The reaction I got from this answer made me smile because the customer was not sure if I was kidding or not.
I do like to kid around, you know, keep the mood light. But in this case, I am always serious. By keeping the equipment clean, it is easier to detect breaks that could lead to major failure if not attended to immediately.
Also it is easier for the tech to work on a clean piece of equipment because he doesn't have to waste time cleaning the area first.
The equation is very simple; either you pay a member of your staff ($10 to $15 per hour) to clean the equipment or you pay the tech at $70 to $100 per hour.The reason I am bringing this up is because I came across a Garland gas range. It must be at least 20 years old. It was the cleanest gas range I have seen in years for an equipment of that age. I have seen gas range with only six months use that was cover in dirt and the burners all clogged up.
When it is that dirty, I tell the owner or the manager that it is not good to be this dirty. But when it is well kept like this unit, I am pleased to tell them also.
For me, to work on a clean piece of equipment means I can do my job more easily. I can inspect the gas line crossing the top of the unit. I don't have to fight with greasy tools because my tools will pick up all the grease. And so on.
As a habit, restaurant owner or manager should include in their weekly schedule a few hours to clean the equipment in and around them. I am sure the staff will enjoy working in clean environment and the health department won't have much to criticize.
A clean oven is a good oven. ;)
