Deep Fryer Not Working? (Fix It Under 5 Minutes)
We all that work in the restaurant business know the feeling when a crucial appliance stops working and how badly that can affect the production of the day, especially if the problem is with a deep fryer. But don’t worry, you certainly aren’t the only one facing this problem and as we have faced it many times before, there are a couple of things that might go wrong.
When the deep fryer stops working, you should check that its power cord is plugged in and doesn’t have any tears. Also, check the specific fryer’s control panel, thermostat, and thermopile that they haven’t been damaged either. Usually, the problem gets found when following these steps.
If the problem gets found following the steps found above then there are certain things that need to be taken care of afterward. Let’s see the next steps and additional options you should try before giving up hope.
Contents
Broken Power Cord
If the problem is a visual tear or damage in the power cord then the best option is just to get a new one. Deep fryer power cords aren’t usually expensive and cost between $10-$25, there are some models that require older cords that are maybe harder to find which can lead to a more costing cord. You should try and find your cord here. Type your deep fryer’s model name in the search, and hopefully, it will pop up! If the problem was the cord, you should consider yourself lucky because the following problems aren’t as easy to be fixed.
Reset Button
This will sometimes solve the problem as well and you should definitely check if it would work for you.
Go to the deep fryers manual, see where to reset button is located. It usually is at the backside of the fryer and it’s a small one. Push the button with a needle or a tip of a pencil for a while and now the fryer should be reset. If that worked then the problem was probably caused by overheating which requires the fryer to be reset manually for safety reasons.
Problem With The Control Panel
The deep fryers control panel is the part where you adjust the temperatures and other adjustments what you want to do with it. The problem isn’t the worst kind if you can see that the control panel just isn’t turning on, the buttons aren’t taking commands or it functions as its own. Then you know that the problem is in the control panel and you can see instructions from the deep fryers manual, see the model number and contact the manufacturer about the next steps.
Broken Thermostat
The thermostat is the part that handles the oil temperature changes and if that is broken or accidentally and unnoticed pushed to a different position, you will quickly notice. Before trying some of the harder repairings you should definitely check the adjustments first.
If the thermostat isn’t working and you turn the deep fryer on, it won’t notice when the heat has gone up to the desired temperature and it keeps rising and rising. You can notice this when the food cooks too fast, burns the exterior but leaves the interior raw and in the worst case, it can result in a fire.
If the thermostat is broken it usually is a part of the bigger part assembly and requires replacing to the whole part. You can also check the manufacturer and manual once again to see if there is advice for this kind of situation.
Heating Element
If you turn the deep fryer on like any other day and it turns on and everything seems to be working but the oil just won’t heat up, the problem is usually in the heating element. No part lasts forever and the thermopile is like a light bulb, it will eventually pop. You can also see if the heating element is broken from the pilot light, or more specifically from the absence of it…
If this is the case you should be able to quite easily replace the thermopile and by looking in the fryers manual you can see where it is located and how to change it!
Unknown Malfunction
This is the trickiest and most frustrating part of a deep fryer malfunction. If you simply can’t see what the problem is and you have tried everything then you should contact the manufacturer and see what they have to say about it.
If they provide a helping answer then good, if not then you should call a repair person or get a new deep fryer. Remember to get insurance if considering a new one because these things just happen to machines.
Why Do Deep Fryer Parts Get Broken
First of all, we have to remember that they are parts, objects and like tv, radio, or your car they just won’t last forever. There are many different parts whose qualities vary a lot but in the end, the parts will get broken sooner or later.
Second, the parts can be bad and faulty which would be the manufacturer’s fault and if you notice it quickly you should contact them for a repairing service, a new part, or a whole new product. Unfortunately, the faulty parts can take a little bit of time before letting themselves know that they are poorly constructed and as in the restaurant business, problems tend to appear at the worst possible hour…
The third reason can be poor treatment and sloppy cleaning by the owners part especially when dealing with a deep fryer, it is really important that the oils are changed regularly and the interior of the deep fryer is washed and taken care of properly.
How To Clean/Boil Out A Deep Fryer
When boiling out a deep fryer it should really take seriously and not rushed. One time of neglecting won’t probably do much harm but imagine years of poor cleaning, that will most definitely have some not so wanted effect in the future. Let’s take a quick recap on deep fryer cleaning.
1. First, turn off the fryer and take the power cord off.
2. Let the dryer cool off completely. Don’t rush this step because it can really hurt you if the hot oil gets in contact with the skin.
3. Drain the used oil in a safe container and recycle it properly.
Most restaurants have their grease collected from time to time so if you aren’t familiar with that you should look into it. The best part is that it’s usually free or you could even get a little compensation from it.
4. Close the drain valve! It is easy to forget to close it and I personally have forgotten it multiple times and after pouring the fresh oil in, well let’s say there were some extra tasks for the day. After closing the valve wipe the interior clean
5. When it’s clean fill the tank with water and add Boil Out Cleaner. Read the instruction from the cleaner container and add it as much as the instructions say. Depending on the brand and formula the amount is always different so remember to read it carefully.
6. Turn the fryer on and let the water boil however don’t go crazy with it because it can be really dangerous. Heat it up for approximately 30minutes and after that turn off the fryer.
7. After the water is completely cooled then once again drain the excess water to a container, scrub the interior with Deep Fryer Brush and rinse the water thoroughly to get the cleaner rinsed off. After that close the valve again.
8. After the valve is closed, fill the fryer with fresh deep-frying oil and it is good to go once again.
Conclusion
In this post, you can find all the reasons that can cause a deep fryer to malfunction and not work. Also, we included some cleaning tips so your deep fryer will last much longer.
If you found this article helpful feel free to leave a comment so we know to produce more of this kind of content that might help you with further problems that face the restaurant world.
Here You’ll Find My Favorite Kitchen Equipment.
Thanks for reading this article! I hope that it brought you real value that you can benefit from in your personal life! Here is my top kitchen equipment that I seriously couldn’t live without, and I think they could ease your life as well as they do mine.
- Knife set: As a chef, I can’t stand dull, poor-quality knives without any design. My absolute favorite kitchen knife set is the Gangshan 3-Piece Knife Set. It comes with a handcrafted 8″ chef’s knife and a 3.5″ paring knife. What I love even more than these flawless knives is the walnut knife block which is incredible and unique.
- Skillet: In addition to knives and my unwillingness to bargain with its quality is the cookware. My favorite skillet is Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet. This particular skillet is 9″ in size, it is heavy, it gets very hot, which is what is required to get a good sear, and it is just beautiful, as are all Le Creuset products. Le Creuset doesn’t need an introduction as a brand, as it is one of the world’s rated brands.
- Food processor: I remember when I hadn’t a food processor at home. It wasn’t easy! But now, when I use my Ninja BN601 Food Processor, I can make anything super fast, which saves me many hours per week. This food processor has 1000 watts of power and four options, including chopping, slicing, dough, and purees. I also like the middle-sized 9cup (2.1l) bowl as it is big enough yet not too big to look unfitting in my kitchen.
- Tweezers: Dalstrong Professional Cooking Tweezers are like tongs but much more elegant, thin, and easy to use. They are great for virtually anything, but flipping, turning, and grabbing with them is easy and makes cooking much more fun! These Dalstrgon tongs are titanium coated and very durable. Also, I like the black color instead of the everyday steel.