The Frymaster is a well-known and often used culinary tool in the restaurant industry. When your Frymaster is not working efficiently, there are some troubleshooting steps you can follow to diagnose and rectify the problem. The typical malfunctions that a Frymaster can experience usually involve the pilot, the burner, temperature-control issues, oil filtration or leaking oil.
Pilot Problems
Check your gas supply. Make sure that the main gas supply valve is open. If it is turned on but you are not able to light the Frymaster, your pilot orifice may be clogged, or there may be air in the gas lines.
Clean around the pilot orifice with a steel brush to dislodge any debris that may be clogging the unit and preventing the flame from lighting.
Check to see if the flexible gas hose is properly connected and that the fryer is plugged in.
Look to see if the drain valve is fully closed, if you have a filtration system. The valve handle must be closed to allow power to reach the gas valve as it interacts with a microswitch. An open valve handle -- even just slightly open -- will not allow it to work.
Burner Malfunctioning
Turn burner knob and ignite flame. If the flames are only on one side or are not lit all around as it should, your burner orifices may be clogged. Turn flame off and clean the orifices with a wire brush and relight.
Watch for flame fluctuations. This may be caused by fluctuations of gas pressure or air pressure in the kitchen atmosphere.
Listen to the flame from the burner. If it is excessively noisy, your gas pressure may be too high, or the gas valve may be blocked. Turn the pressure down and check to see if the gas valve is blocked, and remove any debris with a wire brush.
Temperature Control Issues
Check oil temperature with thermostat or tip of a pyrometer probe. If the temperature does not stay around the set point, your thermostat may be out of calibration, the knob or flexible shaft on the thermostat shaft is loose, the thermostat wire is disconnected from the unit or is broken, or the thermostat is defective.
Check the wire to make sure it is connected and not broken. If it is disconnected or loose, connect it. If it is broken, you will have to replace the thermostat.
Tighten the knob or thermostat shaft if it is loose. Replace the thermostat if these solutions did not rectify the temperature-control issues.
Oil Filtration Issues
Listen to determine if the pump is running. If the pump is running but the oil is not being circulated through the filter, look at the filter paper and its size. Look at the bottom of the filter pan to make sure the O-rings are in place. If the O-rings are gone or are worn, the pump sucks in air and doesn’t allow the filter to work properly.
Allow the motor to cool down for at least 15 minutes if the pump isn’t working. Find the red reset switch on the pump motor nearest the operator and push it to restart the motor. If the motor restarts and the pump starts pumping, observe its effectiveness. If it starts but does not pump, the pump may be blocked due to the wrong-sized filter or improper installation allowing food particles to get through.
Disconnect power to the filtration system, remove input plumbing from the pump, and use a screwdriver to manually turn the pump gears backwards to release lodged particles, or turn them forward to get the softer objects moving through the pump.
Use an auger or drain snake to dislodge food particles that have gotten through and clogged the suction tube.