Your commercial fryer should work consistently to ensure proper cooking. If it’s shutting down randomly during operation, it will lead to unevenly cooked food. Usually, it means you should call in a commercial appliances repair expert for an inspection. Below are some causes of a commercial fryer turning off suddenly during operation.

Reasons For A Commercial Fryer Shutting Off Unexpectedly

Oil Overheating

There is a safety component called the high-limit thermostat that can be triggered if the oil in a commercial fryer overheats. When the high-limit thermostat detects the oil temperature to be higher than a set value, it shuts off power to the fryer immediately. So, the fryer turns off mid-cycle due to that.

There may be an indicator light on the fryer named high limit that may turn on or the digital error “HI” or ‘HL” is displayed. Another sign is low oil levels or smoke coming from the oil, which means the oil was overheating.

Once the high-limit switch is tripped, you can’t use the commercial fryer before resetting it. To reset it, you should turn off power to the unit and let it cool down. Then, open the panel and look for a red or black button. Look for a label “reset” or “high limit”. Simply press it and then restart the fryer.

However, if the high-limit thermostat keeps tripping, avoid resetting it frequently and contact an expert.

Low Oil Levels

Commercial fryers have a sensor that detects oil levels and trigger a power cut off if the oil level is less than the threshold. This is for the safety of the fryer because low oil levels can cause overheating or dry firing that can damage the unit and can also cause a fire.

So, if your commercial fryer is shutting off randomly during operation, check the oil level and make sure it’s above the minimum fill mark to keep it from triggering the sensor. A commercial fryer may have a float switch or a thermal sensor or both for detecting oil levels.

In addition to that, low oil levels can also trip the high-limit thermostat. As the heating elements are exposed due to low oil in the fryer, they heat up more quickly. The high-limit thermostat detects it as overheating and cuts power to the fryer.

So, even if your commercial fryer’s oil levels were low and it turned off, check for a tripped high-limit as well.

Not Filtering Or Changing The Oil Frequently

Using a commercial fryer without regularly filtering and changing the oil can create problems that will trigger it to shut down mid-cycle.

Filtering the oil removes food debris from it. If you don’t filter the oil daily or every few hours, the food particles and residue will coat the heating elements, which will work as insulation and overheat them. This will trigger the high-limit switch to cut power.

Similarly, even if you filter the oil regularly, you have to change the oil entirely every 1-5 days, depending on your business operation and usage frequency. As oil degrades, it foams and smokes more than usual. This not only impacts the fried food taste and quality, but also the fryer as well. The foaming and food residue can coat the heating elements and cause overheating, which will trigger the high-limit switch to turn off the unit.

So, to avoid commercial fryer shut downs, make sure the oil is filtered and changed regularly and also that oil levels are optimum. Similarly, make sure to maintain all of electric and gas appliances.

Gas Supply Issues

Gas commercial fryers require a steady gas pressure to operate without disruptions. If the gas supply is intermittent or very low, it may turn off unexpectedly. The fryer will either turn off due to the burners going out or due to the safety features detecting unstable gas supply to avoid leakage. In any case, the fryer will turn off without any notice.

So, start by checking the main gas valve. Make sure it’s open. If it’s partially open, open it fully. Now, check the gas line and connections. Look for any odors, leaks, kinks, or any other problems.

Moreover, refer to the user manual to know how much gas pressure the fryer requires and then use a manometer to check the gas pressure. Sometimes, when multiple gas appliances work together, a few may receive lower gas pressure, causing shut downs or even gas leakage if the safety sensors are bad. In fact, gas supply problems can affect other appliances as well like the food steamer, so check the gas supply before calling a commercial steamer repair Northern VA expert.

Thermostat Issues

A thermostat monitors the oil temperature and signals the fryer to turn on or off. If it’s faulty, it won’t detect the temperature properly. For instance, it may not turn off the fryer when it reaches the set temperature, so the fryer will keep working and overheat the oil. This will cause safety sensors, like the high-limit thermostat to finally cut power to the fryer.

Moreover, some commercial fryer thermostat problems can cause erratic behavior where the fryer will keep shutting down frequently.

Heating Element Issues

In electric fryers, the heating elements can fail. This can lead to the unit shutting down randomly or cooking unevenly. In this case, the heating element may not evenly heat due to problems, creating very hot spots that can trip the high-limit switch.

Moreover, an overheating heating element can also cause other problems, like damaging the nearby wiring, causing a short circuit, and tripping the circuit breaker.

If your electric deep fryer doesn’t reach the set temperature or cooks slowly and there is also a clicking noise and burning smell, it could a malfunctioning heating element. Inspecting and replacing heating elements is an experts’ job so call in a professional.

Electrical Supply Issues

Power supply issues can shut down an electric as well as a gas commercial fryer.

Electric Commercial Deep Fryers

They use power for frying and for digital sensors. If there is any voltage fluctuation, the safety sensors may trigger a shut down. A voltage surge can even damage components, leading to a shut down that won’t be fixed by a reset but with a repair or replacement of the faulty component.

Moreover, a tripped breaker or a blown fuse can also interrupt power and shut down the fryer mid-cycle. Similarly, any wiring issue will also do the same.

Gas Commercial Fryers

Although they don’t require electricity to fry the food, they have burners for that purpose, but they have many safety components, the control board, and there is also an individual ventilation system (hood) that runs on electricity. Many modern gas commercial fryers will turn off immediately in case of a power outage or voltage issues.

Some manual fryers don’t turn off in case of electrical problems or you can operate them without electricity, but you may have to monitor the temperatures manually. Plus, the ventilation may not work, which can create carbon monoxide buildup. So, operating a fryer in a closed kitchen without proper ventilation is not suggested.

Conclusion

A commercial deep fryer shutting down mid-cycle is a serious problem because the most likely issue could be overheating which is a hazard. Although many other problems can cause it too. So, consult a deep fryer repair Alexandria technician right away.