So, the summer has come and gone, as has the back to school and sports team’s push for the fall. If you haven’t already, you’re probably ready to call it, and put the “Gone Fishin’” or “See You Next Year” sign in the window. But, before you make any vacation plans, you may want to take some time to make a phone call, and run through this brief checklist of shutting down your frosen dessert equipment to help you be better prepared for next year. Obviously, Old Man Winter is right around the corner, and he’s just coming off his vacation well rested!! So, before you grab the fishing pole, surfboard, or blanket for a nap, you may want to think about putting on your cleaning clothes and winterizing your equipment for the upcoming off-season. A couple of days and a simple phone call is all it takes, and then you can kick back and enjoy some well-earned R&R.
Winterize
This is the phone call. If you’ve never winterized your equipment in the past, consider yourself lucky if you’ve avoided major restart issues, repairs, and/or expenses. Frozen dessert machines and freezing temperatures do not mix well. Winterization is the process of removing all water in the condensing lines of your Electro Freeze frozen dessert equipment. If there is any water left in your equipment as the temperatures get close to freezing or below, the internal plumbing lines of the machine will crack, allowing water to enter the system which can destroy major (and expensive) components of the frozen dessert equipment – condensers, compressors, etc…. The simple act of removing all water from your systems now can save you money, headaches and time in the future! Instead of getting an engineering degree to DIY it, you can just call the professionals at Sentry Equipment. We know the Electro Freeze brand and the proper procedure for winterizing all of the equipment. We will professionally winterize your equipment and guarantee the job - should there be any issues caused by the winterization process upon startup the next spring, Sentry will cover any and all repairs! For more, check out our "Why You Need To Winterize" Blog.
Cleaning
You need to break out the scrubbers and buckets for one last, good overall cleaning – head to toe. This includes everything – equipment, tables, refrigerators, walls – and all the nooks and crannies you may have missed before. Be sure to move equipment and store pieces around to get those ‘hard to reach’, or more likely ‘easy to miss’ places. Fully clean and disassemble your equipment in its entirety. It may seem simple but you’d be surprised how many people give it just a once over and ruin expensive items going into the following season. While cleaning all of the equipment, remove all wearable parts and start fresh with new ones for next year. Wearable parts, as the term suggests, are those that can wear out or get worn down. These parts are critical to your machine(s) working properly, and should be checked regularly. Trying to stretch the times between replacements of wearable parts is dangerous. It can lead to bigger, more expensive problems, including expensive repairs, loss of product, and/or business downtime. This can easily be avoided. Check out our cleaning series tutorials today!
While you’re ordering the replacement wearable parts, you mind as well order a few extra of each. You should always keep backup wearable parts in stock at your establishment. Not a lot, there’s no need to house a small warehouse of parts. But, you should be able to make change outs during the season when necessary, so you’re not waiting on a delivery to continue business as usual. If you are unsure of what you need for your specific equipment, just call Sentry and someone will be happy to assist you. They’ll help educate you on what parts are needed and why. This way you’ll have what you need when you need it. Sentry can ship parts out directly.
Once the establishment has been fully cleaned, and is ready for its winter’s slumber, be sure to leave all leave all doors for refrigeration cracked. This goes for any other sealed areas of equipment. You want to make sure air can flow throughout your equipment parts so no mold can form. A quick trick is a bar mop over the top of the door, near the hinge, to prevent inadvertent closings.
Be Proactive
Take notes, and start preparing for next year now. As you go through your store make a list for 2017’s pre-season while it’s fresh in your mind. This includes pretty much anything and everything that will help you stay ahead of the game for any changes you need to implement for next year. A prime example is equipment servicing. If you know your equipment will need to be service in the spring, let your supplier know now, so you’re already on their schedule for next season. Late winter and early spring are the busiest times for your equipment supply/repair company - anything you can do to be proactive is helpful for all involved. If you know your timeline already, schedule months ahead for opening service calls, so you’re on their timeline….
So, are you ready to shut down your equipment and store? Simply call or email us today to schedule your full winterization. At that time you can discuss the number of pieces you have, the cost and process, and setup a time for one of our trained Sentry professionals to come to your store location.
If you are unsure or need advice with any of the other steps in the shut-down process, we’d be glad to help with that too. The sooner you get cleaning, the sooner you can take that well deserved break! Grab your smartphone and call us 800.853.8026, or email us at service@sentryequipment.net. We here to help you, and look forward to it!
Sentry Equipment 800.853.8026