Most businesses thrive or falter based on the functionality of their commercial refrigeration units and other foodservice equipment. If you run a busy foodservice operation — whether it’s a restaurant, wholesale business or small bakery — you know how quickly things can fall apart when a piece of equipment fails.

Keeping your foodservice equipment running at its best means sticking to a regular maintenance schedule. It’s not just about ensuring everything works when you need it to — maintenance protects your bottom line.

For example, a commercial refrigeration unit that stops working can mean throwing out a cooler full of spoiled ingredients — that’s wasted product and lost revenue. A maintenance schedule is also key to keeping food safe: regularly checking to see if your equipment is performing as expected ensures food stays at safe holding temperatures, reducing the risk of spoilage.

And when something does need professional service? Routine maintenance can help ensure your equipment is eligible for warranty coverage, saving money in the long run.

It can be daunting to know exactly how to maintain your equipment, so we’ve created an exhaustive list that breaks down maintenance tasks by the things that should be done daily, weekly and beyond.

Adhering to this list will help extend the life of your kitchen’s most important tools. Let’s dive in.

Daily ABCs of Maintenance: Always Be Cleaning Your Foodservice Equipment

Cleaning is the first step to maintaining the longevity of your equipment:

• Wipe down all surfaces and exteriors with a food-safe sanitizing solution. Each municipality has different rules on what constitutes a sanitizing solution, so refer to your foodservice certification program guidelines for more information.
• Inspect door seals. The first way most commercial refrigeration systems fail is by the seals getting dirty or not sticking to the fridge. Check to ensure there is no debris and that the seals are functioning correctly: if they aren’t, the refrigerator can lose temperature, and food can fall out of safe holding temperatures.
• Check for spills, especially in areas that are not immediately visible, such as a commercial refrigerator.
• Turn off and clean grills, flattops, and fryers.
• Note anything that seems out of place or unusual. If you hear a strange buzzing sound or see something leaking, investigate the source.

Weekly Maintenance: Time to Deep Clean Your Foodservice Equipment

Daily cleaning is essential, but taking the time every week to give your foodservice equipment a thorough scrub will keep it in tip-top shape:

• Empty and sanitize interiors. Pull out shelves and wipe all surfaces with sanitizer. Let surfaces dry before restocking.
• Inspect the condenser coils on commercial refrigeration units. If dirty, wipe down.
• Check ice machines. Ice machines are often overlooked, so be sure to clean and sanitize them regularly.
• Deep clean ovens. Remove racks and scrub the interior and the door. Brush out debris from the decks of deck ovens. 
• Inspect and clean range hoods.
• Vacuum behind and under major appliances to clear dust and waste.

Monthly Maintenance: Time to Test Your Foodservice Equipment

Make sure everything is working correctly by putting your foodservice equipment to the test:

• Test and calibrate thermostats and timers on both hot and cold equipment — especially in commercial refrigeration units. Health inspectors will almost always verify that the thermometers in a refrigerator are calibrated correctly, so always test to ensure they’re reading accurately.
• Perform oven and refrigerator calibration tests. Ensure that when your oven is set to 450 degrees, it actually registers 450 degrees inside. The same applies to the fridge: if it’s set to 43 degrees, a thermometer should read 43 degrees inside.
• Lubricate moving parts (mixer gears, slicer arms, etc.) if needed. Check door handles and tighten loose screws.
• Defrost freezers. Defrosting prevents ice buildup that restricts airflow and raises energy use.
• Evaluate airflow on vents. Blocked airflow raises internal temperatures and stresses refrigeration systems.

Quarterly Maintenance: Keeping Foodservice Equipment in Tip-Top Shape

This is the time to go really deep with your foodservice equipment: every three months, we recommend:

• Replace any parts that need to be changed out. Some parts will simply wear out over time — that’s expected. Having a schedule to replace them will prevent sudden equipment malfunctions.
• Audit energy use. Check for any spikes in energy use that may indicate equipment issues.
• Assess compressor function. Hold your hand near the compressor unit to ensure it’s working correctly. If it’s too hot, there might be issues with the compressor.
• Have refrigeration systems professionally inspected (including refrigerant levels and compressor health) if needed.

Annual Maintenance: Time to Call in the Foodservice Equipment Professionals

Once a year, we recommend scheduling maintenance checks with foodservice technicians and reassessing your commercial kitchen’s needs and capabilities:

• Schedule full equipment service with authorized technicians. Review and renew warranties, service contracts, and maintenance logs.
• Retrain staff on how to use equipment and updated safety protocols. Check to see if anyone needs to renew food safety licenses or certifications.
• Check all safety equipment, like fire extinguishers.
• Evaluate if any of your foodservice equipment needs to be upgraded.

Quick Guide to Best Practices to Preserve Foodservice Equipment

Although this guide walks you through maintenance steps, from daily cleanings to annual service visits, there are a few best practices to always keep in mind:

• Read warranties. Sometimes, skipping a step or replacing a part with an unauthorized component can void your warranty. Serv-Ware publishes all its warranties online for easy access.
• Use cleaning equipment and solutions designed for your equipment. A sanitizer that’s not compatible with a particular material can damage the equipment.
• Train staff on maintenance. Maintenance training should be included as part of the staff onboarding process.
• Track everything. Log temperatures, cleaning dates, and service visits. You’ll lose track of when things were serviced if you don’t write them down.

The Bottom Line of Foodservice Maintenance

Preventative care for foodservice equipment may not seem glamorous, but investing in preventative maintenance is what keeps equipment running smoothly for years.

Whether it’s wiping down surfaces daily or scheduling a yearly tune-up, taking care of your commercial refrigeration and other foodservice equipment helps protect your warranty, boost energy efficiency, and cut down on surprise repair bills.