Your coin store equipment is an investment that is key to the success of your business. To keep your laundry operation working to its fullest potential, with a minimum of service issues and downtime, a certain degree of knowledge of service issues and preventative maintenance will go a long way. Below are some issues that you should be familiar with to keep your equipment operating at its peak efficiency. Even if you don’t perform your own service, you should at least be familiar with these tips so that you can arrange to have a qualified service company take of care of them for you.
- Coin Jams (All Equipment)
If you’ve been in the business for even a short time, you have probably experienced the infamous jammed coin in the coin acceptor area. In most cases, this jam is caused by a bent or deformed coin which was inserted. To remedy this situation, you will most likely have to remove the coin acceptor and then “split” the acceptor to get access to the jammed coin. It’s generally a very easy process that most people can master after a short period of time.
- Lint Screens (Dryers)
All dryers have a lint screen to capture the lint associated with drying clothing products. Lint captured in the lint screen is lint which you can easily dispose of and doing so will maintain proper airflow (and better efficiency) in the dryer. Most lint screens are designed to be cleaned by the customers but you should keep a close eye on them to make sure that they are being cleaned properly. Optimally, the lint screen should be cleaned after each load but at a minimum after every third or fourth load. You should also inspect lint screens or drawers for damage and replace if torn.
- Wiping Gaskets (Front-Load Washers)
On front-load washers, there is a gasket system around the inner tub. To maintain this gasket’s ability to keep a water-tight seal, it should be routinely be cleared of any debris and cleaned with a damp cloth. If possible, the doors of the washers should be left open after each cycle to allow for better ventilation and drying of washer interior.
- Cleaning Soap Dispenser (Washers)
Washers work best with liquid detergents and chemicals and educating your customers of this fact can help to keep the soap dispenser areas cleaner. Inevitably, you will find some customers who insist on using powdered soap and chemicals which tend to clog in the soap dispenser and can make quite a mess of this area. Routine cleaning of the dispensers will help your washers look clean and run better. Many dispensers have trays which can be easily removed from the machines for cleaning. Using hot water can help to loosen hardened powdered soap in these areas.
- Programming (All Equipment)
I would encourage laundry owners to become familiar with the computer controls and programming that is present on modern-day equipment. In addition to being able to make modifications to the pricing, cycle operations, and water usage, familiarization with the extra computer features can help you to run your business more effectively. You may benefit from instituting such controls as cycle-based pricing, time of day pricing and optional cycle enhancements. You could also tweak the settings to decrease water usage or solve minor customer annoyances. For those not comfortable with it, I understand that programming your computer-controlled washers and dryers may be a bit overwhelming. In this case, you should at least read the manuals for your equipment so that you can know what features exist.
- Lint Cleaning (Dryers)
Modern dryers are designed to expel as much lint through the venting system as possible to keep it away from the cabinet and internal areas of the dryers. In normal practice, however, lint accumulates in several areas of the dryer cabinet and inside the venting system, causing decreased airflow (and therefore decreased efficiency) and, in extreme cases, a fire hazard. A program and/or schedule should be established for periodic inspection, cleaning, and removal of lint from various areas of the dryer, as well as throughout the ductwork system. Special care should be taken to ensure that lint is not accumulating in the gas valve area, around the motor casing, in the coin acceptor area (especially the optic switch) or in the holes on the back panels. Twice yearly, the entire cabinet and exhaust duct work system should be thoroughly cleaned. Specific instructions on lint cleaning recommendations can be found in the manufacturer’s installation manual.
- Water Hose Filters (Washers)
The hoses that provide the water supply to your washers likely have small strainers in them to help to filter out sediment and debris before it gets into the washer. Over time, these small strainers can become blocked and prevent proper water flow into the washers. It’s a good idea to periodically check these strainers to ensure that they are clean and clear. Turn off your water supply valves and then carefully remove supply hoses to get access to these strainers. When putting the hoses back on, screw the fittings carefully onto the supply, being careful not to strip the threads and create a water leak.
- Card Reader Cleaning (All Appropriate Equipment)
If you have a card reader system in your store, don’t forget to clean these readers regularly so that they continue to read cards properly. With sticky detergent and other chemicals present in your laundry, laundry cards can easily become dirty and that grime can easily be transferred into your card reader. Whether it’s a magnetic stripe or smart card system, the cards used come in direct contact with the head on the reader. There are many cleaning cards specifically designed to clean the readers and they should be used routinely to prevent annoying card reader issues.
- Clothing Stuck (Mostly Washers)
Washing machines have two tubs in their design, an outer tub (it’s inside the machine and ultimately contains the water) and an inner tub (where the clothing is placed). Since the inner tub must spin within the outer tub, a small amount of space between the tubs is required. Although it doesn’t happen frequently, small clothing items can get caught in between these tubs and jam the machine. Tell-tale signs of this problem are a failed spin and the inner tub not spinning manually. Removing the item varies by equipment type and your manufacturer or distributor can provide simple tips for removing these items.
- Belts and Hoses (All Equipment)
Most laundry equipment is designed with belts and pulley systems to turn the drums. The belts which are used in this system should be periodically checked to make sure that they are still working properly. Look at the surface of the belts that come in contact with the pulley. If this surface is smooth and shiny, it may indicate that the machine has been excessively overloaded. If the belts are cracked or worn, they may break soon. In either case, the belts are relatively inexpensive and should be replaced. Also, look at the rubber and plastic hoses in the washers to make sure that they are not worn or cracked.
Being familiar with the equipment that you have and understanding potential problems before they happen can help you to stay on top of issues, instead of being buried under them. In the same way you wouldn’t run your car forever without getting an oil change, it makes little sense to ignore preventative maintenance. A small amount of knowledge about your laundry equipment can really help you to keep your equipment running smoothly and efficiently and save you some money on service calls!
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