Hot, hot and…Decisions and even…

Hot, hot and…Not so hot

So how hot does that final rinse really have to be? Of course we understand that public health standards require 180F. But we also know that occasionally that temperature can aggravate conditions like water with high total dissolved solids. There the rapid flash drying it allows can cause the solids in that high TDS water to accumulate on the surface as hazy scale.

If the final rinse temperature is lowered, that’ll allow more of the water to sheet off – and with it more of the solids that would otherwise end up as scale. The question is, can we lower that 180F and still deliver sanitary tableware?

The answer is yes – assuming we can also assure surface temperatures that are safely above 161F. As it turns out that’s the level required to achieve sanitized tableware. The 180F health standard is used because it assures achievement of a 161F surface temperature with a margin of safety. BTW that’s the reason our service kit really should include temperature tape to make certain we have done so – no matter the final rinse temp.

So if we need to lower that final rinse to 175F in order to overcome a high TDS problem we’re probably okay. But any lower and other steps need to be taken to assure reaching that critical 161F surface temperature – like increasing the wash and power rinse tank temperatures to “build in” more latent heat – thereby taking some of the burden off the final rinse.

Next up: Low temp sanitation challenges.

Decisions and even…Those hard ones

Every once in a while, we’re faced with a difficult choice about the price we’re willing (or able) to offer. The dilemma might be that the price we know it will take to gain that new account is well below what we’re charging a current customer of similar type and size.

Or that dilemma can come with a current account who’s opening their business for bid – and where we know we’re priced somewhat high, but necessarily so to offset their high service needs. But looking at that price alone we know it’s above what that competitor will almost certainly offer.

That first option has two risks. The first is if we go in high the chance of landing that new customer is slim. But if we get aggressive to win the business there’s a hidden risk. If that losing competitor later asks your “overcharged” customer if he’s getting the same deal you gave his account, that account’s now at risk (unless you can convince them your pricing is necessary to provide what they require).

So what to do? Well in truth there’s no easy answer. One option is to weigh the two accounts and decide if you win the new one and end up losing the current customer whether you’ll be ahead of the game or behind it. If the answer clearly falls in favor of your current account, you’ll likely be less aggressive. And if it’s the opposite you’ve got a tough decision to make.