Industrial Washers

Count crates used per production day and the hours available for washing, then size to finish with roughly a third in reserve for peaks and breakdowns. Remember drying and stacking after the washer set the true pace. Sellers can state realistic crates per hour achieved in service, which beats catalogue ratings.

Inspect wash pumps and jets for wear and blockage patterns, check conveyor chains and bearings on tunnel machines, and examine tank heating elements. Look at the state of curtains, filters and dosing equipment, which reveal how the machine was maintained. A washer run on properly dosed chemicals ages far better than one run on guesswork.

Tunnel washers recirculate wash water through filtration and cascade rinse water backwards through the machine, so consumption is lower than the spray volumes suggest. Even so, expect substantial hot water and heating loads during operation. Ask the seller for connected loads and per hour consumption from service so you can cost operation honestly.

Machines with a final sanitise stage apply hot water or chemical sanitiser after rinsing, achieving the microbial reduction that food contact returnables need. Verify the stage reaches its specified temperature or dose reliably, since this is what auditors will test. Retrofitting dosing to a rinse only machine is often possible, so ask about the configuration.

Tunnel machines usually transport whole or in two sections on standard trailers, then need positioning, levelling, and connection of water, drainage, power and ventilation. Agree loading responsibilities with the seller directly and involve your installer early on service routes. Financing on qualifying listings can absorb machine and relocation costs into one plan.