Dishwashers - Advice on Purchase and Maintenance

Source: John Nelson, managing director of Nelson Dish & Glasswashing.

1 There are several important features on machines that help to promote the highest standards of hygiene. Double filters effectively trap all debris before it has a chance to contaminate the load or cause damage to the machine, while independent top-and-bottom wash-and-rinse arms ensure total coverage of the stacked items.

2 Energy efficiency is now even more critical than ever in view of the Climate Change Levy. Look for dishwashers designed for maximum energy efficiency, helping both to reduce energy consumption and to create a more comfortable working environment. Look for machines with special features, such as a shallow, sloping wash tank which greatly reduces water consumption and, therefore, energy and chemicals. Also look for a double-skinned and insulated construction to keep the heat in the machine throughout the cycle and allow rapid heat recovery, which will help make further energy savings.

3 Customers are asked to use the detergent and rinse aid formulated specifically for their machines. The various formulations available can vary significantly in content and an inappropriate dose of a wrongly-balanced detergent can, and frequently will, cause problems.

4 Every supplier attempts to be competitive on price, but good-quality machines use more expensive component parts and have more features, so can never be at the bottom of the price ladder. You shouldn't buy on price alone, but should pinpoint features that are important to your operation. Obtain two or three quotes from companies able to provide appropriate machines and then make your decision. There is little point paying for a feature that you don't need, but, similarly, there is no point in buying a cheap machine that does not suit your purposes.

5 Look at what financial packages are on offer. There are many available that suit individual customers' requirements. For example, Nelson Dish & Glasswashing offer a six or 12-month interest-free credit deal.

6 Nobody should ever be tempted to use a domestic machine in place of a commercial one. In a commercial environment, very different conditions apply. The machine might need to be used many times a day so, with commercial machines, the cycles are very short - just two or three minutes. Careful stacking is usually overtaken by urgent loading and staff often place heavily soiled items in, which will cause problems with domestic machines. And if you require a service engineer are you prepared to wait two or three days, as you would with a domestic machine? A lot more is expected of a commercial dishwasher and if you correctly specify what you want, it will provide it. As the dishwasher is a vital piece of equipment in any busy catering establishment, reliability and prompt servicing are vital.

7 If you are prepared to look after your machine, it should last a significant number of years, so the first point is to establish not simply what your requirements are now, but what they are likely to be in the future. The second most important consideration is siting, as - regardless of the fact that you might like a very large model - there may be nowhere to site it. Ideally, therefore, the dishwasher should be considered at the same time as the rest of the kitchen. Take the advice of professionals. Ask two or three companies to give you a quote. Nelson always gives customers a free site survey as a matter of policy, as it is vital to establish that the best machine has been specified.

8 Although you could, theoretically, use a dishwasher for glasses, it is not good practice. Dishwasher programmes are intense and are not suitable for both glassware and crockery. The chemical dosing will be different and the cycles more abrasive as dishes are generally dirtier and more robust than glasses. Of course, the basket shapes differ as well. There is no reason why pans should not be run through, though they should be separated from any crockery and the longest cycle should be selected.

9 Finally, you should choose a company with a strong after-sales service.

For more information call 0208 993 6198 or visit www.nelsonwash.com