Welcome to our Ask the Pro series, where our Product Managers answer frequently asked questions about our equipment. This edition features Power Soak’s Bob McNamara. There are also Ask the Pro articles on Avtec, Groen and Randell.
The questions are:
– When installing the Power Soak, what should I do when wash water is not rotating wares?
– How hot should the water be in a Power Soak?
– How long should I leave items in the Power Soak?
– Can I wash melamine dinnerware (high pressure resin) in a Power Soak?
– Can knives be put in the Power Soak utensil basket?
– Can the Advanced Wash Inserts be washed in a dish machine?
– What kind of detergent should be used in the Power Soak?
– Can produce be washed in the Power Soak?
When installing the Power Soak, what should I do when wash water is not rotating wares?
Bob McNamara: If your wash water is not rotating wares in the wave action, it means that the phases on the motor are incorrect and that the motor is running backwards. It’s a 50/50 shot for the electrician when they hook it up. They need to change two of the legs of the electricity coming in. Either in the electrical control panel or at the breaker box, they’re going to reverse two of the legs of the power coming in.
How hot should the water be in a Power Soak?
BM: The water should be 115°F – between 110°F and 118°F, really – but 115°F. Anything above 123°F when you go to start the unit is going to put it into lockout. That’s to protect the employee from burning their hands. If that does happen, there’s a way to reset the control panel that’s in the manual. You need to drain it out and then go through the process of resetting the control panel.
How long should I leave items in the Power Soak?
BM: They’re usually in there 10-15 minutes washing. The Power Soak, when you start it up, will run for four hours, meaning that it will run from 8 in the morning till noon time. If you started it at 8 in the morning and shut it off from 10-11, it will still only run until noon. So it has four hours of continuous washing time, but items are only in there 10-15 minutes.
Can I wash melamine dinnerware (high pressure resin) in a Power Soak?
BM: Melamine is not to be washed in the Power Soak. It’s going to chip and break as it is rotating around.
Can knives be put in the Power Soak Utensil Basket?
BM: No knives or sharp items are to go in the Power Soak at all. The Utensil Basket is made for spatulas, tongs, whisks, things of that nature. They could also be dropped into the wash tank, but they do a better rotation in the Utensil Basket.
Can the Advanced Wash Inserts (A.W.I.) be washed in a dish machine?
BM: Absolutely. When the A.W.I. is taken out and cleaned, it can be run through the dish machine.
What kind of detergent should be used in the Power Soak?
BM: All detergent companies or most major manufacturers have a low-sudsing detergent made for an agitating pot/pan sink. Standard manual washing pot/pan detergent should not be used, as it suds up too much and will overflow the Power Soak. So a low-sudsing detergent that is made for an agitating pot/pan sink.
Can produce be washed in the Power Soak?
BM: No. It is not to be used to wash produce. NSF does not allow produce to be washed in the same sink as pots and pans would be washed in.
