Professional advice from the people who don't just sell the equipment, we maintain, service, and repair most makes of ovens, and after 20 +  years in the business know most of the problems and pitfalls.
Our main business is SERVICE and NOT sales, so we are in a position to offer unbiased advice about the whole range of catering equipment, not just microwave ovens!
Below we have listed most of the information that you may be of interest. . . Should you need any other questions answered Bett is only a 'phone call away and will be more than happy to talk to you. If you simply wish to book a service call then you can do it now, on-line, by using our form...

CLICK FOR A 'SERVICE CALL'  FORM

LISTED BELOW, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, ARE DETAILS OF:
OUR 'ON-SITE' SERVICES
OUR 'IN  SHOP' SERVICES
'FREQUENTLY ASKED' MICROWAVE QUESTIONS

	Our field service engineers are equipped to be in a position to resolve most service calls on the first visit, and carry an extensive stock of spares and consumables, designed to cover most common problems. Our spares stock list is constantly updated using information from our service calls database, thus ensuring that it keeps in step with current machines etc.
	We are approved service specialists for the following manufacturers . . . SHARP PANASONIC BROTHER SANYO SAMSUNG TOSHIBA LG ELECTRONICS
	The service district we cover is . . . The Preston / Blackpool  and Fylde Coast yellow pages area. And also Blackburn / Wigan / Southport.
	In the event of extended repair time, we offer a free machine loan service to cover the out of service period.
	Repairs and service carry a full 3 month guarantee in the case of commercial equipment, and 4 months for domestic work.

	A wide range of commercial and domestic new and reconditioned microwave ovens and catering equipment is always available for demonstration to callers at the centre,  please PHONE  or see our 'OFFERS' page for what we have available at the time.
	Bench repair and maintenance  work is carried out in our own fully equipped electronics workshop, using the very  latest 'state of the art' test and diagnostic instruments and tools.
	A TV  video& audio repair service is also available, but only for equipment that can be left and collected at the centre.
	You might be surprised by the very reasonable rates that we are able to offer new and reconditioned equipment for, the reason for this is because our main business is service and repair, and not sales!
	Service contracts are available for most equipment, tailored to your business's needs.
	Leasing terms are available for equipment costing over £500.
	The centre is open to callers 9.00am to 5.30pm Mon - Fri.  and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturdays.
	Car-parking is available to the front of the centre.

	Q. A.	Is it true that a domestic microwave can't be used for commercial catering? We do not recommend using domestic microwaves commercially for several reasons . . . Primarily the output of microwaves drops during extended use (and abuse) and in a domestic oven this is well within the machines expected life-span, however in the commercial situation where the equipment is often subject to almost continuous use, a year's domestic use can be achieved in a few days! Thus the power of the oven will rapidly fall. This will result in 'cold spots' within the food where harmful bacteria can develop. Neither is a  domestic machine designed to with-stand the day to day aggressive use of a commercial environment, and will soon 'fall apart', and require uneconomical servicing. Commercial ovens use high grade stainless steel in their construction, making them far easier to clean, and comply with food hygiene standards.
	Q. A.	Why do microwave ovens need to be serviced? If you are a commercial user there are several reasons...  - You need to be sure that your equipment is operating at peak efficiency, and is thus cost effective. - Prolonging the working life of your capital equipment must be one of your priorities. - You have a legal obligation towards health and safety, and a service contract shows you have regard for this duty. - Food Hygiene is VERY important in a commercial situation, don't be in a position where you might  be accused of neglecting your obligations! - Customers, and potential customers can be assured of your quality standards when they see regular service calls being made. If you are a domestic user, then perhaps not all of the commercial points apply, but you must owe it  your-self and family to keep your food equipment in top notch order. Why spend time and money keeping a nice clean house and kitchen, and then allow food residue to build-up in the out of sight corners of equipment that's in daily use?
	Q. A.	What sort of things are looked at during a normal service? Depending slightly on the type and model (our engineers carry service details of most equipment),  but below are the general areas covered on a typical microwave oven... - Checking and cleaning all ventilation. - Checking and cleaning wave-guide housings and covers. - Inspecting, checking operation, and adjusting door interlocks and switches (safety switches). - High voltage test for and foreseeable damage. - Cavity lamps, filters, and covers check for security. - All motors are inspected for bearing freedom and lubrication. - Mains electrical leads and plugs checked for overall safety. - Convection elements tested for shorts and inspected for signs of arcing. - Actual output in watts is tested, to ensure heating efficiency is maintained. - A special test for microwave leakage is performed to ensure user safety. - All tests are performed using regularly calibrated and certificated professional test equipment.
	Q. A.	Can you really damage a microwave oven by operating it empty? Yes! If the microwave power has nowhere to go, and nothing to do it simply gets re-absorbed back into the magnetron (the power source) and causes this to dissipate the heat rather than the food it was intended for, thus causing it to 'burn-out' or become damaged. This can happen in a matter of seconds!
	Q. A.	I often use the microwave oven to defrost a slice of bread, but only on low power, is this OK? Yes, but only for a short period of time, if the bread is allowed to dry-out there is then a risk of  arcing and possible damage.
	Q. A.	Why do some microwaves have a turntable and some don't, and what is it for? The Microwave energy enters the cavity (the cooking area) in a fixed pattern of 'rays' The turntable has the job of moving the food around within this pattern of 'rays' and thus creating more even cooking. In the ovens without a turntable the same object is accomplished by use of a motor or air driven rotating metal 'stirrer' which is placed in the path of the 'microwave rays' and disrupts the pattern to give a random distribution of the energy.
	Q. A.	Why are some items of kitchen-ware not suitable for microwave use? Depending on the materials used they can absorb the microwave energy and thus heat up, resulting in... - becoming excessively hot and dangerous in themselves. - preventing the energy from fully reaching the food, and thus effectively only part cooking. Glass or china absorb very little or no energy and allow cooking from all sides, however beware of china decorated with gilt or gold, as this can result in arcing damage!
	Q. A.	Does my microwave really heat from the inside out? It's not as simple as that! Different foods (or materials) absorb the energy in different amounts and at differing rates, for example pastry absorbs less than meat, so warming a meat pie will create a situation where the meat gets much hotter than the pastry, and thus appears to have heated from the inside out! This can also create a false impression that the meat is overheated, in actual fact,  because of the high absorption the energy can only penetrate approx 25cm into meat!

Q. A.

I can see light shining from gaps in the outer casing of my microwave, could it also then be leaking? microwaves? No, the microwave energy is designed to be confined inside the oven cavity. The rest of the oven is built outside of this cavity, including the lamps.

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Why am I instructed not to use metal in my microwave? Metal reflects the microwaves and so food in a metal container would have all the energy reflected away and thus prevent it from heating. Metal objects in or on the food (spoons for example) can act as an aerial and a high voltage can build-up between it and the cavity walls, so if the object was to come close to the walls damaging arcing could take place.

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Can the oven generate microwaves when the door is open? No, there are secure switches interlocked with the door that prevent any chance of this happening.

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Should there be a gap between the door and the frame? There can be a slight gap, this is normal, due to the electronic sealing incorporated in the design of modern ovens it is not necessary for the door to be a tight fit.

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There seems to be steam getting between door and the glass and/or white marks on the glass? These symptoms indicate that whilst there is no danger, a service call is needed.

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The wave-guide cover sparks during use, why? This is due to a build-up of  burnt food and dust building up on the cover carbonising the guide cover, a service call would resolve this problem.

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I keep hearing a 'thump' from inside the oven during cooking? Not a problem, this is simply the power being switched on and off  by the controller during cooking, it will occur on all power levels apart from full-power.

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Defrosting can sometimes take ages, is this a fault? Microwaves have no effect on ice itself! so depending on the ice content,  volume, and type of food, it  sometimes appears to be ineffective. Do not use defrosting as a measure of your microwaves efficiency!

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Condensation appears inside the oven, and even drips from the door, is this ok? As the cavity and door are usually cold then escaping steam during cooking will condensate here. The amount of steam produced will depend on the food, potatoes for example contain a lot of moisture. Condensation trapped in the door glass usually clears after  a few hours.

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