Every year we do an educational push on replacement parts. We do this because if you have a soft-serve or batch equipment, they all wearable have parts that need to be changed on a regular basis. This video will be a brush up on why to replace them, how to replace them and when to replace them.
Let's get started with the most simple ones first: Blades. Blades are for both batch machines and soft-serve machines and are the lifeblood of your equipment. Blades control your overrun and provides yield which help control costs and produce profits. Blades should be inspected every year, and depending on volume, should be changed every season.
Mix Transfer Hoses: Next to the blades the hoses are the most important replacement part you see. These hoses attach to the mix transfer system and are key components on your machine. They help you draw product from the bottom of the machine to the top. The hoses affect the mixture of air and mix going into the freezing cylinder and can put undo stress on your motors and compressors if not changed out. What's more, hoses can potentially burst, causing a very messy situation for you to deal with. Hoses should be inspected every month and replaced every 2 months at the minimum. If you're a very high volume store, it's probably best to change them every month.
Peto Rings help you seal the machine as they prevent leaking in the head. These are best to change once a year.
Plunger Orings should be changed every 6 weeks. Replacing these ensures your handles will not jam when you pull up and down on them. If not replaced they can cause leaking which means loss of product and profit for you.
Shaft seals sit in the back of the machine and prevent product from leaking back into the cylinder. If there ever is a problem with these you'll notice product coming out of the front of the machine. Product that gets into the machine can cause damage to other parts of the machine as well as making your operation unsanitary. These shaft seals need to be replaced every season.
Duck Bill valves go into pressurized machines and they allow you to pull up mix without it going back into the reservoir. These need to be replaced every season.
Star nozzles are the plastic caps that go on the bottom of your head. After a year of use they start to wear, or don't sit right or begin to falloff. So, it's best to replace these every year.
Door gaskets are an often overlooked part but are important for pressurized equipment and seals the refrigeration of the machine and maintains integrity of the liquid product in the cabinet. Door gaskets can get moldy and unsanitary if not replaced and will cause you to lose refrigeration on the door.
Two more important parts that are good to always have on hand is Petra Gel and sanitizing solution. Petra Gel helps you keep the parts lubricated while in the machine and is food safe.
Sentry Equipment offers a full line of replacement parts that you can easily order through us. If you're not sure you can talk to one of our representatives who can help educate you on the parts you might need. We don't oversell you, just sell you the right parts to maintain your equipment. The better your equipment works, the better for you, the better for your customers.