Common Commercial Deep Fryer Faults and Fixes
Typical American diners love their share of deep fried foods, so if your commercial deep fryer isn’t functioning properly, patrons will head elsewhere to sink their teeth into hot and crispy fare. And what restaurant owner or kitchen manager wants that? In addition to regular fryer inspection and oil cleaning, you can reference your owner’s manual to troubleshoot and keep your deep fryer running efficiently.
This short commercial deep fryer troubleshooting guide will aid you in determining the right fixes for three most common fryer faults, plus keep your customers happy, full and coming back for more.
Fryer Fault: Pilot Light Won’t Stay Lit
A malfunctioning pilot light is one of the most common commercial kitchen woes and prohibits your fryer burners from heating up. The good news is there is also a fairly easy fix for the issue.
Fryer Fix: A broken thermopile is the likely cause here.
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Fryer Fault: Temperature Won’t Stay Controlled
Every kitchen manager knows that fryer oil must be at just the right temperature to cook fried food properly. So if fryer oil is too cool or too hot, your French fries will either come out soggy or burnt to a crisp.
Fryer Fix: Use the thermostat to check the fryer oil temperature. If it doesn’t stay set to the temperature you’d like, the thermostat may be out of calibration, its wires might be disconnected or it could need to be replaced entirely.
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Fryer Fault: Temperature TOO HIGH
Every kitchen manager knows that fryer oil must be at just the right temperature to cook fried food properly. So if fryer oil is too cool or too hot, your French fries will either come out soggy or burnt to a crisp.
Fryer Fix: Use the thermostat to check the fryer oil temperature. If it doesn’t stay set to the temperature you’d like, the thermostat may be out of calibration, its wires might be disconnected or it could need to be replaced entirely. If the temp is getting too high, but consistently too hot in comparison to what it is set at per the knob, the hi-limit switch may need to be replaced.
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Fryer Fault: Burners are Burning Out
If you turn your gas deep fryer burner knobs and notice that flames aren’t igniting all around, or at all, this is likely due to clogged burner orifices.
Fryer Fix: First, turn off the flame — you don’t want to fry your hands! Check to make sure the hoses are properly secured to the fryer. (If there is a leak in the hose or the connection, immediately turn off the gas and get replacement parts). If the connection is good to go, next try using a small wire brush to clean out lint and other debris from the burner orifices. Once they’re clean, relight the flame. If it still isn’t lighting properly, let us know.