Maintaining your ovens

Ovens are the heart of the bakery and also expensive pieces of equipment that require regular and professional services. A good maintenance schedule will help you achieve a high efficiency and prolong the life of the oven. Regular servicing will also ensure consistency on your bakes. We spoke with Vulcan Bakery’s Equipment Manager Dimitri Spanos to find out how you can best maintain your ovens.

It’s advised to have your ovens serviced by original supplier technicians every three months.

Daily cleaning and maintenance

• Before any cleaning or maintenance work is carried out, make sure the oven is switched off at the mains and is below 25°C for the safety of the personnel.
• Firstly clean the outside of the oven with a damp cloth and the inside of the oven using a soft brush to remove all the debris. Ensure that there are no foreign objects lying around and that the bolts are tightly secured.
• To clean the oven’s glass use a damp cloth but make sure that the oven is cold otherwise the glass will break. Check to see that the door handle is clean and that the oven opens and closes securely. Ensure that the door seal is not damaged and if your oven is fitted with a canopy, make sure to clean the filters as well as the inside of the canopy.

Monthly cleaning and maintenance

• Before any cleaning or maintenance work is carried out, make sure the oven is switched off at the mains and is below 25°C for the safety of the personnel.
• For your monthly cleaning of your oven, check all bearings and grease with the manufacturers’ product, if it’s needed.
• Make sure the louvres inside the oven are still tight and haven’t moved.
• You must also check your oven for any internal damage or scratched panels that might have occurred while baking.
• Lastly, make sure that the door hinges are working properly and that the oven ramp, if you have one, is securely positioned and level with the turntable platform.

Three month service

It’s advised to have your ovens serviced by original supplier technicians every three months. They will check loose or damaged wiring, bearings needing replacement, wear and tear, water piping for steam, motors, that the damper is working correctly, control panel, turntable positioning, elements, etc. These services are vital for the cost effectiveness and life span of the oven.