Those who rely on a commercial washer system understand the importance of the life of a washer. It’s just not practical nor cost effective to have to replace a commercial washer every two years or so. There can be significant downtime between the time a washer crashes and a new one is installed, especially if you consider all the research involved in choosing an even better, longer-lasting commercial washer system.

When a washer isn’t working properly, a company can potentially experience a serious loss in revenue and or customer satisfaction, depending on the industry. Because of this, it is extremely important to extend the life of each washer to keep it running as long as possible for the highest rates of both net income and return on investment.

First and foremost, if a business is going to require the use of a commercial washer – especially if it’s going to play a paramount role in the company – a high quality one should be purchased and professionally installed right from the start. Something from a more well-known and reputable brand will obviously be most likely to fit a company’s long-term needs. Brands we tend to work with and recommend include Maytag, Speed Queen, Wascomat, Milnor, Dexter, Unimac and quite a few others. In some cases, new business owners may feel lost when it comes to choosing the best fit, which is why, above all else, we advise they take their time to do their due diligence in determining the company’s needs and learning more about the laundry industry as a whole.

From there, proper maintenance should keep the appliance in top working order. You can’t rely simply on the fact that the machine is running as an indicator that everything is functioning properly – commercial washers tend to take quite the beating after all. Although most commercial washers will still run for a long while even after you start hearing noises or notice their spinning has become a bit irregular, sometimes though, those “symptoms” serve as an immediate warning sign, as the washer could even break down in the middle of a cycle. That being the case, the instant a washer starts behaving erratically, a professional technician should be called in to address the issue immediately – the cost spent on bringing in a repairperson to remedy the situation or replacing a laundry part will be exponentially less than needing to purchase an entire new washer or even system.

Besides choosing a high-quality washer and giving it routine check-ups, there are further actions business owners can take to extend the life of their commercial washers. First, make sure any replacement parts that are installed are from the original equipment manufacturer, even if the individual pieces cost more dollars than off-brand ones, remember you’re paying for quality. Additionally, staff should be trained properly on the use of the machines, load limits should always be respected and cycles should be allowed to run to completion since a large part of a washer’s cycle is to remove most of the water and detergent, both of which can be corrosive to the machine over time.

If you find the whole process of finding the perfect washer to be overwhelming, Wash IQ can help you design a laundry system that best fits your needs, including workload and budget.