Commercial Food Equipment Service

When a fryer goes down during the lunch rush or an oven fails before dinner service, every minute costs money. Samco FM has been keeping commercial kitchens in Southeast Michigan running since 1997. Our technicians work on the full range of kitchen equipment, and we dispatch fast because we know a broken piece of equipment is not just an inconvenience, it is a revenue problem.

We handle everything from a single piece of equipment at a small restaurant to full-facility service contracts covering dozens of locations. Our 25 W-2 technicians are employees, not subcontractors. That matters because they are trained to our standards, accountable to us, and familiar with your equipment.

Equipment We Repair and Service

Commercial kitchens run on a lot of moving parts. Our technicians are trained and experienced on the equipment that does the heaviest work.

Cooking Equipment

We service commercial ranges, convection ovens, combination ovens, deck ovens, conveyor ovens, and broilers. Gas and electric. We also repair commercial fryers, including open-pot, tube-fired, and pressure fryers. If your griddle is not holding temperature or your char-broiler burners are uneven, we can diagnose and fix it.

Holding and Warming Equipment

Steam tables, heated holding cabinets, and food warmers get heavy use and need regular attention. A steam table that is not holding the right temperature puts food safety at risk and puts you in a bad position during a health inspection. We repair and calibrate this equipment to spec.

Dishwashing and Warewashing

Commercial dishwashers, glasswashers, and pot washers are high-cycle machines that wear out fast. We service conveyor, door-type, and undercounter units. Common issues include heating element failures, pump problems, and wash arm clogs. We carry common parts and can usually get a machine back in service same day.

Ventilation and Hood Systems

Kitchen exhaust hoods, make-up air units, and exhaust fans are part of your fire suppression and health code compliance picture. We service hoods and ventilation systems to keep airflow correct and code-compliant. For full HVAC work, see our commercial HVAC services.

Ice Machines and Refrigeration

Walk-in coolers, reach-in refrigerators, prep table refrigeration, and commercial ice machines all fall under our refrigeration service. See our dedicated commercial refrigeration page for full details.

Other Kitchen Equipment

We also service commercial mixers, slicers, food processors, coffee equipment, and specialty cooking equipment. If it is in a commercial kitchen and it runs on gas or electricity, we can work on it.

Brands We Service

We work on most major commercial kitchen equipment brands. Below are the ones we see most often in Metro Detroit kitchens.

• Vulcan – ranges, fryers, griddles, ovens, and steamers
• Garland – ranges, broilers, and griddles
• Henny Penny – pressure fryers and holding equipment, common in fast food chains
• Pitco – open-pot and tube-fired fryers
• True – reach-in refrigerators and prep table refrigeration
• Hobart – commercial dishwashers, mixers, and slicers
• Manitowoc – ice machines and holding equipment
• Hoshizaki – ice machines and refrigeration units
• Hatco – food holding and warming equipment
• Alto-Shaam – cook-and-hold and combination ovens
• Middleby Marshall – conveyor ovens common in pizza and fast food operations
• Frymaster – fryers, including filtration systems
• Cleveland – steamers and kettles
• Blodgett – convection and deck ovens

Do not see your brand listed? Call us at (734) 838-6300. If we have not worked on your specific unit before, we will tell you that upfront before scheduling a service call.

Common Kitchen Equipment Problems

These are the calls we get most often from kitchens across Southeast Michigan.

Temperature Problems

An oven that runs 50 degrees hot or a fryer that cannot hold setpoint temperature will ruin product and create food safety issues. These problems usually come from faulty thermostats, failed heating elements, or gas valve issues. We calibrate and repair rather than replace when the part is serviceable.

Ignition and Burner Failures

Gas equipment ignition failures are one of the most common calls we get. Dirty or failed igniters, worn burner orifices, and gas valve problems all cause the same symptom: equipment that will not light or will not stay lit. These are typically same-day repairs.

Fryer Filtration Issues

Restaurants that fry high volume need working filtration to keep oil usable and reduce cost. Clogged filters, failed filter pumps, and worn seals are common. We service the filtration systems on most major fryer brands.

Dishwasher Not Sanitizing

A commercial dishwasher that is not reaching proper sanitizing temperature or chemical concentration levels is a health code violation. We test and repair wash and rinse temperatures, chemical dispensers, and heating systems to bring machines into compliance.

Hood Airflow Problems

A hood that is not pulling enough air will cause heat buildup, smoke, and grease accumulation on surfaces. Too much airflow and you are wasting conditioned air and money. We balance airflow on kitchen ventilation systems to meet code and improve working conditions.

Steam Table Temperature Loss

Steam tables that cannot hold 135 degrees put hot-held food into the danger zone. This is a common inspection failure point. We repair heating elements, thermostats, and water level controls to keep steam tables holding correctly.

Compliance and Safety

Michigan Food Law requires commercial kitchens to maintain equipment in safe, sanitary, and functional condition. Health department inspectors look at equipment temperature performance, ventilation, and overall condition during inspections. Equipment failures can result in citations, required corrections, or in serious cases, temporary closure.

Our technicians understand what inspectors look for. When we repair a piece of equipment, we document the work and make sure the unit is performing within the required range before we leave. We can provide service records if you need documentation for an inspection follow-up.

Ventilation codes in Michigan require kitchen exhaust systems to meet specific airflow rates based on the type and volume of cooking equipment. If your hood system has not been inspected and balanced recently, it may be out of compliance even if it looks like it is working. We test and adjust exhaust and make-up air to bring systems into balance.

For questions about health code requirements specific to your operation, consult the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) or your local health department. We can provide documentation of equipment repairs and calibrations to support your compliance records.

Preventive Maintenance for Kitchen Equipment

Most kitchen equipment failures are preventable. Burners that are not cleaned accumulate grease and carbon buildup that causes ignition problems. Fryer elements that are not descaled fail early. Dishwasher spray arms that are not cleaned cause poor wash performance long before they stop working entirely.

A preventive maintenance agreement with Samco FM includes scheduled inspections, cleaning, and adjustment of your kitchen equipment on a regular cycle. We track what we find on each visit and flag parts that are showing wear before they fail during service hours.

For multi-location operations, we coordinate maintenance schedules across all of your sites and provide consolidated reporting. Clients like KFC and Taco Bell franchisees use this approach to stay ahead of equipment failures rather than reacting to them after they happen.

Preventive maintenance also protects warranty coverage on newer equipment. Most manufacturers require documented maintenance to honor warranty claims. We provide written service records for every visit.

Who We Serve

We work with commercial kitchens of all types across Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties.

Restaurants and Food Service

Independent restaurants, fast food franchises, fast casual chains, and full-service dining. We have service agreements with national chains and single-location owners alike. Volume does not determine how fast we respond.

Healthcare and Institutional Food Service

Hospital kitchens, assisted living facilities, and nursing home food service operations have strict compliance requirements and no tolerance for equipment downtime. We work within the access and documentation requirements that these facilities require.

Schools and Universities

K-12 school cafeterias and university dining programs run high-volume service on a tight schedule. We understand the calendar constraints and work around school schedules when possible.

Corporate Cafeterias and Caterers

Corporate dining facilities and catering operations have their own service windows and compliance requirements. We service these facilities throughout the Metro Detroit area.

See our full service area coverage for the cities and counties we cover across Southeast Michigan.

Schedule Service or Get a Quote

If your kitchen equipment needs repair, call us at (734) 838-6300. We dispatch throughout the Metro Detroit area, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties. Emergency service is available when equipment goes down during operating hours.

All repair work comes with a 90-day parts and labor warranty. Our technicians are EPA 608 and NATE certified, and they are Samco FM employees, not subcontractors.

For non-emergency inquiries, use our contact form and we will follow up the same business day. For preventive maintenance agreements on multiple pieces of equipment or multiple locations, ask about our service contract options when you call.