Purchasing a new commercial dishwasher is a big decision for any operation, but in K-12 schools where budgets are tight the stakes are even higher. A major capital expenditure is one that may only be considered when every other avenue has been explored. “In my experience I’ve found schools take good care of their machines. Keeping up with things like regular maintenance and adding water softeners to keep lime build up at bay are some of the things people will do to keep repair costs down and prolong the life of the machine,” said Todd Burlis, partner, Burlis-Lawson Group, Inc.
But the reality is, no matter how well you take care of your machine, eventually it will be time to purchase a new one. How will you know when it’s time to consider upgrading your commercial dishwasher? For K-12 schools there are a few basic considerations.
As machines age, parts within it may need to be serviced more frequently. Worn out lines can lead to leaking and water pressure issues, and other parts can wear out over time and stop working when you need them most. Anytime there’s a breakdown it means loss of productivity as well as the cost of repair. “Another factor to consider is parts are harder to get with older machines,” Burlis said. When the costs of repair and downtime start to add up, the cost of a new dishwasher makes more sense.
As the population changes, so do the needs of the kitchen. It’s time to consider purchasing a new dish machine when the number of meals served has increased to the point the old machine doesn’t have enough capacity to keep up. A change in the type of ware may also drive the need for a bigger machine. For example, if a school decides to use fewer disposable items in an effort to create less waste, you’ll be servicing more ware per meal.
When you purchase a new commercial dishwasher, you’ll find many other benefits in addition to low repair costs and low down time for service calls. Newer machines bring added efficiency in the use of water, energy and chemicals, which saves money and is better for the environment. Today’s dishwashers use about one-third of the water as machines built just 10 to 15 years ago, and new design elements such as Ventless Energy Recovery and Drain Water Energy Recovery help cut energy costs.
Newer machines also run faster and clean more effectively, with wash arms and power nozzles that provide better removal of tough food soils. You’ll get more loads per hour with less rewashing than your old dishmachine. You can even decrease the amount of time spent over the sink pre-soaking and pre-scrapping with NSF rated pot and pan washing cycles and technologies like Automatic Soil Removal.
The costs can really add up when running an older dishmachine and for all these reasons, it may be a smart idea to think about upgrading to a new Hobart commercial dishwasher sooner rather than later. All Hobart electric dishmachines are ENERGY STAR certified, a sign of real energy efficiency and money savings, and feature advanced technology to deliver unsurpassed cleaning while conserving water, chemicals, energy and labor. Every Hobart dish machine is backed by a nationwide network of service technicians that’s just a call away to make sure your dish machine is always at peak performance.
To learn more about the Hobart Commercial Dishwasher lineup, and to request a free total cost of operations audit to see what you could be saving, contact Hobart at 888-4HOBART