VENDING MACHINE MAINTENANCE: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.

As we mentioned in many of our previous posts,  the  maintenance and cleaning of vending machines, whether freestanding or table top,  are fundamental.

Let's find out together how maintenance is carried out and which parts we recommend you always have with you.

ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY MAINTENANCE

First of all we must consider two types of maintenance, the ordinary maintenance, recommended after a certain period of time, and the extraordinary maintenance that is carried out when a vending machine has technical issues.

Into machines’ manual instruction is indicated both what machines’ parts to change and how often.

Of course it depends on the vending machine model.

Regardless of whether it is a table top or a freestanding machine, the main 'mantra' always remains one: 'Good maintenance is the basis for good, long-lasting operation'.

The first 'enemy' of any vending machine is certainly limescale, so, depending on the hardness of the water in your area, it is strongly recommended to use specific filters to reduce it  in the water before it passes into the machine's components such as valves, boiler, which are very sensitive to the presence of limescale.

In fact, we have often received reports of malfunctions from customers who, unaware of the importance of the filter, decided not to install it; the consequence was boilers and valves completely clogged with limescale.

After the installation, on our advice, of specific filters, the problem no longer occurred.

The second enemy, and not least, is the poor cleaning of the main parts of the vending machines, such as: mixer cups, pipes, containers, espresso group, drawer and drip tray... (for more information please read our previous article).

Just as an example, sometimes neglecting to clean the coffee group, especially the grinders, can result in foreign bodies inside them not being noticed, which, if not removed, can cause the grinders and, therefore, the coffee machine to jam.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Routine maintenance is usually what our customers do before 'starting the season', i.e. before installing or reinstalling vending machines at their customers' premises.

What we recommend is a real check-up of the machine in which the parts that are no longer suitable for its proper functioning, which are usually those most subject to wear, are cleaned or replaced.

Here are some of the recommended actions: 

• replacement of group gaskets and boiler;

• coffee group and grinder overhaul;

• boiler overhaul;

• dispensing of the different selections to check for any problems 

• internal and external cleaning of the dispenser.

EXTRAORDINARY MAINTENANCE

Extraordinary maintenance occurs when the vending machine doesn’t work in a proper way..

In this case, the technicians must restore it quickly so that it does not risk creating discontent among users (e.g. hotel guests during breakfast).

Inside our vending machines, the main components such as, for example, the coffee group and the boiler, all have a connector that allows these parts to be replaced quickly and easily.

To give a concrete example: if the coffee group malfunctions for any reason before a service, the technician can bring in a new coffee group and replace it immediately.

In this way, the end customer has a working machine and the technician will  restore the functioning of the coffee group at this company. 

These are just a few simple examples that already show how customer-centric our company policy is by anticipating needs and producing a product in line with their expectations. 

Beyond the brand of vending machine you own, maintenance, as written at the beginning, is the basis for a long product life cycle.

In fact, some of our vending machines have been working for 15-20 years because the customer has really understood the importance of maintenance.

Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us! 

info@flymax.com