Cleaning and Maintenance of Capital Kitchen Equipment - Assignment Example

Cleaning and Maintenance of Capital Kitchen Equipment Capital equipment refers to equipment that costs more that a particular amount of money and whose durability usually exceeds one year. The cost of the equipment is relatively high when compared to other equipment and includes costs such as transport, installation, training where needed, amongst other expenses. The buyer therefore has several considerations before purchase. Given the equipment’s lifespan and the cost of procuring it, maintenance is required to ensure it remains in a good state. In a kitchen setting, there is equipment that fall under the category of capital equipment. In our discussion, we shall consider dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators, ranges/cookers and ventilation equipment. We shall further look at how best we can maintain the equipment to ensure they retain quality. Description 1. Dishwasher Imagine washing 1,000 dishes manually. A lot of time will be spent scrubbing the dishes, which leads to fatigue. You may have to employ the services of more than one person. You will need plenty of soap. If in a busy setting, such as hotels with a large turnover of customers, it may end up being a major expense. Many people with such needs end up acquiring a dishwasher. Unlike manual cleaning, a one-time purchase makes cleaning more efficient. A dishwasher is mechanical and cleans many dishes at once. It uses electric energy. It has rotating sprays of hot water that clean the oily and greasy dishes. Detergent and water is sprayed at first to clean them, after which it is drained and clean water sprayed to rinse them. A heating element in the washer is then used to dry the dishes (Sforza, 2014). 2. Oven Ovens are heat-insulated machines that can achieve very high degrees of heat. They are used in both a domestic and a commercial and industrial setting. In a domestic setting, they are machines used for cooking. They can also be used to heat the house, bake and even dry some materials. In a commercial setting, ovens are used for large-scale baking, pottery, metalwork, amongst other activities involving a lot of heat but have to be customized for these duties. 3. Refrigerators and Freezers A refrigerator is a machine used to store food in cold temperatures for them to last for a longer period. The low temperature slows the rate of reproduction of the bacteria that spoil food. Fridges are subdivided into compartments and can hold more than one type of food. For a home refrigerator, the compartments can be used to store vegetables, meat products, cooked food and soft drinks. Freezers also use the same technology, though they can achieve lower temperature that the refrigerator. They can be larger, with little or no subdivision and are used for commercial and industrial purposes. For instance, for a large retailer of ice cream or meat products, a customized freezer can be used to store the products indefinitely (Better Homes and Gardens, 2014). 4. Ventilation Kitchens have air pollution issues brought about by smoke, grease, soot and odours. The ventilation is a system comprising of an extraction of the pollutants and a filtering mechanism. A good ventilation system should be easy to use, not noisy, ensure circulation of air in the kitchen especially for combustion, extract all the fumes from the cookers and ovens and ensure the environment does not get uncomfortably hot (PG & E, 2013). 5. Range/cooker/kitchen stove Ranges, like ovens, are used for cooking. Direct heat is applied in cooking the food. Some use gas while others use electricity. They may have burners at the top and ovens on the inside. They come with different numbers of burners to meet the consumer’s different needs. For instance, in a domestic kitchen, they can have 4 burners whereas in large kitchens such as busy restaurants, they may be many enough to handle the numerous orders placed by the customers. Prevention Maintenance Plan Item Inspection Schedule Cleaning and Maintenance Check list Safety Information Faults Recommendations Dishwashers Monthly 1. First run the dishwasher and then empty it 2. Unplug it from the socket to avoid electrocution 3. Ensure the holes in all spinning arms are open and allowing smooth flow of water 4. If there is debris that has accumulated blocking the water way, clean it off with a sharp stick or a strong wire 5. Use a wet cloth to wipe the edges of the machine and a soft brush to clean around the gasket 6. Check under the bottom of the door. If debris has accumulated, wipe it off with a wet cloth 7. Check the bottom of the machine where the drain is. Remove any solid objects that may be blocking it 8. Disassemble the drain gently and empty any debris that may be clogging it 9. Remove any mold with bleach 10. Use a safe rust remover if there is rust on the dish washer 11. Use a spray cleaner to clean the front of the machine 12. Clean the dish basket with a brush if dirt has accumulated Ensure the machine is unplugged to avoid electric shocks. List all the noted faults Recommend any repairs that may be required Ovens (Non self cleaning) After 4 months 1. Remove the racks of the oven 2. Make a solution of water and baking soda in a spray bottle 3. Spray the oven until the carbon is saturated 4. Wait for at least an hour for the solution to soak 5. Wear rubber gloves, scrap off the soaked carbon and sweep it out 6. Spray the baking soda solution again 7. Now use a vinegar half water solution to wipe to down 8. Clean the racks Wear rubber gloves when scrubbing off the carbon List all the noted faults Recommend any repairs that may be required Refrigerators (fridges) After 6 months 1. Locate the fridge coils (usually behind or underneath the fridge). 2. Dust the coils using a broom or a vacuum 3. Check the door seals for any damage, including cracks. 4. Use a small piece of paper to close the fridge door and pull it out. If it comes out with ease, the seal needs replacement. 5. If the seal is effective, clean it with warm soapy water and dry it with a dry cloth. 6. Locate the drain hole and drip pan and remove any accumulated food particles and mineral deposits. 7. Clean the dry pan 8. Ensure an air space of at least 3 inches between the fridge and the wall to allow for air circulation 9. For proper movement of the door, ensure the fridge is level. You may use the level used by carpenters. 10. If not level, adjust it appropriately. 11. Unplug the fridge to allow it defrost. Don’t use a sharp object to remove the ice as it can damage then fridge. 12. Refer to the manual to establish any additional maintenance requirements for the particular fridge model. 13. To save energy: If your freezer is mostly empty, fill the space with water in containers as it takes more energy to cool large spaces Maintain a temperature of 3 degrees in the fridge and -16 degrees Celsius as colder temperatures waste energy For fridges that use dials instead of selectors, use a weather thermometer and adjust the dial to the recommended temperature Recommend any repairs Ensure the fridge is unplugged from the socket when cleaning List all the noted faults Recommend any repairs that may be required Ranges/cookers Every 3 months 1. Turn off the gas burners. 2. Fill a sink with a water and liquid dishwashing soap solution 3. Remove the surface burners and soak them in the solution for 30 minutes 4. After soaking, clean the burners with a piece of cloth or cleaning rag 5. Clean the holes where gas flames are emitted with a sharp object such as a strong wire 6. Thoroughly rinse the burners in hot water 7. Dry the gas surface burners be placing them on a towel upside-down 8. After drying them, place them back on the cooker 9. Clean the top surface of your cooker with hot water and dishwashing soap using a cleaning pad. 10. Dry it using paper towels. Ensure the gas is completely turned off. Ensure the stove has cooled down to avoid injury. List all the noted faults Recommend any repairs that may be required Ventilation equipment Every 3 months 1. Open the kitchen windows to ensure good circulation of air 2. Unplug the fan and turn off the circuit in use 3. Remove the mesh filters and dip them in a sink with a mixture of boiled water and ammonia. 4. After an hour, wear rubber gloves and a mask and scrub them hard to remove any other dirt 5. Soak the frames before cleaning them. Leave them to dry 6. Keeping the mask on, use a trisodium phosphate cleaner to clean the fan, working from the back. Scrub the housing and the blades drying where you have cleaned with paper towels 7. Connect the mesh filters to their frames and install them back the kitchen exhaust pan. 8. Switch it back on Wear gloves and a gas mask during cleaning. List all the noted faults Recommend any repairs that may be required Contracted Repair Company Aqua Team Power Team Telephone (647) 717-5411 Victoria Park Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M1R 155 References Aqua Team Power Clean. (2014). Retrieved on 29 March 2014 from: http://www.aquateampowerclean.ca/contact-us.html Better Homes and Gardens. (2014). How to wash a dishwasher. Retrieved on 29 March 2014 from: http://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/house-cleaning/tips/how-to-clean-a-dishwasher/ PG & E. (2013). Refrigerator Maintenance Checklist. Retrieved on 29 March 2014 from: http://www.pge.com/web/includes/docs/pdfs/mybusiness/save/ber/FridgeMaintenanceChecklist.pdf Sforza, N. (2014). 5 Keys to Refrigerator Maintenance. Retrieved 29 March 2014 from: http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/home-improvement/maintenance-repairs/refrigerator-maintenance-00100000087958/ Read More