Don't Panic! What to Do When Your Commercial Laundry Equipment Breaks Down

Published: March 12, 2019

Written by: Martin Ray Laundry Systems

 

If you have high-quality commercial laundry equipment, you shouldn’t have too many maintenance issues. However, if you do, it can be a frustrating and overwhelming experience. We’ve had our fair share of calls from frustrated laundry equipment investors and business owners trying to fix their machines. Of course, broken down machines mean your business is losing money, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to get those machines back up and running as quickly as possible. Below we’ll break down (excuse the pun) how to prevent some typical maintenance issues and what to do when your commercial laundry equipment isn’t working.

Preventing laundry equipment maintenance issues:

1. Have a professional install your equipment. We see a lot of mistakes and issues happen during the installation process. Allowing a professional to install your equipment will reduce the risk of damaging the machine, electrical or plumbing mishaps, and maintenance issues down the road.
2. Complete routine maintenance and inspections. Routine maintenance tasks and inspections are crucial to keeping your commercial laundry equipment operating efficiently. Follow all ongoing maintenance instructions in your owner’s manuals and guides and check out our basic maintenance tips for commercial laundry equipment. Alerts, reminders, calendars, and checklists are great for keeping these tasks top of mind.
3. Go through service training. Many laundry equipment distributors, like Martin-Ray, will offer basic service training to customers to help them better understand and maintain their commercial-grade equipment. Take advantage of it. Contact our team to learn about our service training options.

When a laundry equipment maintenance issue occurs:

1. Stay calm. It can be easy to get overwhelmed when something isn’t working correctly. However, anxiety, frustration, and anger can often reduce your ability to think clearly and lead to more problems. Most maintenance issues aren’t going to be life or death emergency situations, so take a few deep breaths and step away to clear your head if you need to.
2. Turn off the water. If there’s a major plumbing issue, start by turning off the water. This will help you avoid any further leaking or water damage.
3. Unplug the machine. When doing any maintenance work, it’s common sense to unplug the machine and disconnect from electrical outlets to avoid shock and fire risks.
4. Consult your manual. Oftentimes, the answer to your problem is right in your owner’s manual or equipment guide, but many forget to look there when they’re frustrated or in panic mode.
5. Beware of online forums and advice. If you’re like many of our customers, you probably hit up Google when you need an answer to a problem. While the internet is a great resource, take everything you read with a grain of salt. You never know who is actually posting and if their information is reliable. Your best bet is to consult a professional (see #6).
6. Consult a laundry equipment expert. When in doubt, contact a commercial laundry professional. This is especially true when it comes to anything regarding the complex and technical electrical components of your machines.
7. Document everything. Smartphones are great because they make taking notes, videos, and photographs really easy. These visuals can help get the service tech up to and on the same page even before they come by your business. Photographs and video may also come in handy in case there are any insurance or legal issues to worry about down the road.

There you have it. Hopefully, you don’t have any issues with your commercial laundry equipment, but if you do, it pays to be prepared. As a leading commercial laundry distributor, one of the things we do here at Martin-Ray is offer service and maintenance support when your laundry equipment isn’t working like it’s supposed to. We’re here for you every step of the way. We have a wide selection of replacement parts from top brands like Milnor, and Chicago Dryer, as well as trained laundry experts that are ready to answer your questions and fix your machines.