Truck stock

[Muchoextremo]

I always go own and have to return. I want to carry more hot side parts for example thermostat for griddled, fryers and ovens. Any good recommendations for truck stock would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[EjBreeze]

I would stay with common items that have been used for years unless you are working on a specific chain. No surerer way to loose money than to stock items that will never get sold. And make sure you take the time out to return any wrong orders. Those will add up also. I have a warehouse full from new Cleveland 20 year old steamer handles to costly microprocessors. I should open up a vintage commercial cookware parts site

[ECtofix]

I always go own and have to return. I want to carry more hot side parts for example thermostat for griddled, fryers and ovens. Any good recommendations for truck stock would be greatly appreciated thanks.

I take it you're wanting to stock generic parts that fulfill repairs to multiple brands. There are very few parts out there that will do that. Cooking equipment isn't like HVAC/R where (for example) a certain Ranco tstat can serve as a fix for multiple brands.

Cooking equipment is more like auto parts – meaning that the only sure way to have the right part is to use OEM-identified parts. Sure, there ARE some generic parts out there, but not much. The only generic stuff I ever carried were things like:
An assortment of contactors (with 24v, 120v & 240v coils)

• Toggle and rocker switches
• Infinite controls (120v, 208v & 240v)
• Sundry items like aluminum tubing of various diameters and flexible stainless tubing of various diameters and lengths
• Brass compression fittings (including the uncommon 1/8", 3/16" and 7/16")
• High-temperature wire (MG preferably) and high-temp wire terminals
• Flame proving thermocouples, thermopiles and powerpiles of various lengths
• Line gas pressure regulators (rated 1/2psi max) for 1/2", 3/4" and 1" pipe
• Assortment of black pipe fittings and nipples
• A variety of gascock type burner valves might get you out of a jam, but even THEY vary greatly in physical characteristics
• Same goes for pilot safety valves
• Other stuff I can’t think of right now…

For anything else in a fryer, oven, griddle…or whatever…and you’re pretty much stuck with parts specific to that make & model.

• Nothing in a Pitco fryer can be used in a Frymaster or Henny Penny fryer.
• A solid-state temp control board with a thermistor or RTD probe in a Blodgett oven won’t work in a Vulcan or Garland oven.
• A thermostat in a Garland griddle won't work in a Southbend griddle since it works differently, mounts differently and is plumbed to the gas manifold differently.

There are so many variations in cooking equipment designs that you’d simply want to stock some OEM parts for your regular customer’s equipment. Even that is a crap-shoot since you can’t ever forecast what will break and what parts you’ll need to fix it.

I’ll add one more thing:
While it’s not uncommon to substitute items in refrigeration equipment (e.g., thermostats, pressure switches, fan motors), that’s NOT a practice to use when it comes to hot side equipment. You ALWAYS want to keep cooking equipment in the same component configuration as it had left the factory. Otherwise, if you go swapping in components that conflict with the original design (even something as simple as using a RobertShaw combination valve in place of an original Honeywell), you’re going to be severely altering that equipment’s design and you may be held liable if that equipment catastrophically fails (like…causes a fire).

As much as we all strive to be the hero by getting a customer up and running again, you’ll want to draw a line on how far you’re willing to go to get their cooking equipment going.

[Olivero]

Ectofix is right on the money, as always.

[ga-hvac-tech]

I take it you're wanting to stock generic parts that fulfill repairs to multiple brands. There are very few parts out there that will do that. Cooking equipment isn't like HVAC/R where (for example) a certain Ranco tstat can serve as a fix for multiple brands.


I’ll add one more thing:
While it’s not uncommon to substitute items in refrigeration equipment (e.g., thermostats, pressure switches, fan motors), that’s NOT a practice to use when it comes to hot side equipment. You ALWAYS want to keep cooking equipment in the same component configuration as it had left the factory. Otherwise, if you go swapping in components that conflict with the original design (even something as simple as using a RobertShaw combination valve in place of an original Honeywell), you’re going to be severely altering that equipment’s design and you may be held liable if that equipment catastrophically fails (like…causes a fire).

As much as we all strive to be the hero by getting a customer up and running again, you’ll want to draw a line on how far you’re willing to go to get their cooking equipment going.

Insurance companies are getting good at inspecting claims... and of course, they have staff lawyers.

Better, IMO, to stick with OEM on things when you can!

[smeq]

I agree with Ecto--stay with oem. One big difference between the cold side and the hot side, there is usually a plan b on the hot side--a way of getting by until tomorrow. It wouldn't fly with a freezer full of product having to wait till tomorrow--but there is usually a different way to get around a warmer or a slicer being down for a day, and any part at all for hot side is 24 hours away.

[SandShark]

I take it you're wanting to stock generic parts that fulfill repairs to multiple brands. There are very few parts out there that will do that. Cooking equipment isn't like HVAC/R where (for example) a certain Ranco tstat can serve as a fix for multiple brands.

Cooking equipment is more like auto parts – meaning that the only sure way to have the right part is to use OEM-identified parts. Sure, there ARE some generic parts out there, but not much. The only generic stuff I ever carried were things like:
An assortment of contactors (with 24v, 120v & 240v coils)

• Toggle and rocker switches
• Infinite controls (120v, 208v & 240v)
• Sundry items like aluminum tubing of various diameters and flexible stainless tubing of various diameters and lengths
• Brass compression fittings (including the uncommon 1/8", 3/16" and 7/16")
• High-temperature wire (MG preferably) and high-temp wire terminals
• Flame proving thermocouples, thermopiles and powerpiles of various lengths
• Line gas pressure regulators (rated 1/2psi max) for 1/2", 3/4" and 1" pipe
• Assortment of black pipe fittings and nipples
• A variety of gascock type burner valves might get you out of a jam, but even THEY vary greatly in physical characteristics
• Same goes for pilot safety valves
• Other stuff I can’t think of right now…

For anything else in a fryer, oven, griddle…or whatever…and you’re pretty much stuck with parts specific to that make & model.

• Nothing in a Pitco fryer can be used in a Frymaster or Henny Penny fryer.
• A solid-state temp control board with a thermistor or RTD probe in a Blodgett oven won’t work in a Vulcan or Garland oven.
• A thermostat in a Garland griddle won't work in a Southbend griddle since it works differently, mounts differently and is plumbed to the gas manifold differently.

There are so many variations in cooking equipment designs that you’d simply want to stock some OEM parts for your regular customer’s equipment. Even that is a crap-shoot since you can’t ever forecast what will break and what parts you’ll need to fix it.

I’ll add one more thing:
While it’s not uncommon to substitute items in refrigeration equipment (e.g., thermostats, pressure switches, fan motors), that’s NOT a practice to use when it comes to hot side equipment. You ALWAYS want to keep cooking equipment in the same component configuration as it had left the factory. Otherwise, if you go swapping in components that conflict with the original design (even something as simple as using a RobertShaw combination valve in place of an original Honeywell), you’re going to be severely altering that equipment’s design and you may be held liable if that equipment catastrophically fails (like…causes a fire).

As much as we all strive to be the hero by getting a customer up and running again, you’ll want to draw a line on how far you’re willing to go to get their cooking equipment going.

This! ^^^

[Dan7791]

Yep, spot on.