Buying a Used Commercial Glasswasher: What to Check Before You Pay

A glasswasher is one of those machines you don't think about until it stops. Then the bar grinds to a halt, staff are washing pint glasses by hand, and you're paying whatever the nearest supplier asks for a new one.

A good used glasswasher costs a fraction of new and will run for years. A bad one will cost you the price of a new element within a month. The difference is almost always in a few checks that take ten minutes.

This is what to look at, from someone who has spent 25 years installing and fixing commercial kitchen and bar equipment.

Glasswasher or Dishwasher: Make Sure It's the Right Machine

From the outside they look the same. Inside, they're built for different jobs.

• A glasswasher runs short cycles at gentler temperatures, so glasses come back to the bar quickly without cracking or clouding.
• A dishwasher runs hotter and harder to shift grease and food from plates, pans and cutlery.

A dishwasher will wash glasses, but slowly. A glasswasher won't cope with greasy plates. If you need both jobs done, you usually need both machines.

Check the Water Softener First

Scale is the number one killer of glasswashers, especially anywhere with hard water.

• Does it have a built-in softener? Look for a salt cap inside the machine. If it hasn't, ask whether it ran with an external softener.
• Ask when salt was last added. A softener that's never been topped up does nothing.
• Look at the element and wash arms. White crust on the heating element or blocked holes in the wash arms means years of scale. Not always fatal, but it tells you how the machine was looked after.

Check How It Drains

This catches people out more than anything else.

• Gravity drain: the waste has to run downhill to your drain. Fine if your drain is lower than the machine's outlet.
• Drain pump: pumps the waste up and out. You need one if your drain sits higher than the outlet, which is common under bar counters.

If the machine has no drain pump and your drain is high, budget for a pump or a stand before you buy.

Check the Power Supply

Read the data plate on the back or side before you do anything else.

• Some smaller machines run on a normal 13 amp plug.
• Many commercial machines need a hard-wired supply, either single phase at a higher rating or three phase.

A machine that needs a supply your site hasn't got is not a bargain. Ask your electrician before you buy, not after.

Ask for a Test Run

A working machine should be shown working. When you view it, ask the seller to run a full cycle and watch for:

• Water filling and heating up to temperature within a reasonable time
• Wash arms turning freely with no scraping sounds
• The detergent and rinse aid pumps drawing from their bottles
• Leaks from the door seal, the base or the hoses
• Glasses coming out clean, hot and drying quickly, not streaky or cloudy

If it can't be run, the price should reflect that.

Check the Parts That Wear

• Door seal: cracked or flattened seals leak.
• Filters: should be in place and clean. Missing filters mean debris in the pump.
• Racks: check you're getting them, and that they fit your glasses. Common basket sizes are 400mm, 450mm and 500mm, and tall glasses need the bigger machines.
• Chemical pipes: brittle or cracked pipes are cheap to replace, but budget for them.

Collection

Under-counter glasswashers are manageable for two people and a van. Drain it fully before it moves, tape the door shut and keep it upright. If it's coming by pallet, our guide on how to send catering equipment on a pallet covers the wrapping.

Your Used Glasswasher Checklist

• Right machine for the job: glasswasher, not dishwasher
• Softener fitted, or an external one used, and salt topped up
• Element and wash arms free of heavy scale
• Drain type suits your site
• Power supply on the data plate matches yours
• Full test cycle seen, no leaks
• Door seal, filters, racks and chemical pipes checked

Get those right and a used glasswasher is one of the best-value buys in any bar. BUY • SELL • SAVE.

Got a Glasswasher to Sell?

Buyers are searching CaterBids for glasswashers right now. Your first listing is free, one per account, then from £5 for 30 days. No commission and no final value fee. Photograph the data plate and CaterBot fills in the specs for you. List your equipment on CaterBids.