When it comes to making a marketing pitch for the AutoFry, there’s a lot that can be said about our ventless deep fryer. But the one thing that stands out to me most, is the longevity of our equipment. How many pieces of equipment do you know of that have 20+ year lifespans?!

Indeed, AutoFry has been known to outlive businesses in many cases! And I’m not just talking about the rare one or two machines that survive the long haul. On the contrary, with proper machine maintenance, AutoFry can be expected to live a long and fruitful life. So how do you make sure your AutoFry has a long equipment life? It all starts with timely filter changes. So today, we’re devoting a whole blog to filter changes and encouraging regular maintenance schedules to drive a longer lifespan for your machine.

“Wait, there’s a filter in my AutoFry?!”

Believe it or not, some customers are so excited to get their ventless deep fryer going that they completely ignore their representative when they explain the regular filter change schedule. And we get it, adding a ventless fryer like AutoFry to a business is an exhilarating time. You’re figuring out new menu items, deciding on what oil to use, breezing through the manual and it’s easy to glaze over the maintenance section.

But now is the time to pay attention: There’s not just one, but two filters that need to be changed at regular intervals to keep AutoFry running in peak condition. A charcoal filter and a mesh filter work together to allow AutoFry to remain ventless. Without them running in good working order, you run the risk of machine malfunction.

“Ok, so there’s two filters. How often do I have to change them?”

Well, the short answer is on average the charcoal filter should be changed every three months and the mesh filter changed every six months. The long answer is that it will all depend on how much you’re frying and how often.

If you’re frying 16 hours a day and constantly running your machine, you’re going to need more frequent changes. If you’re running only for a few hours on the weekend, then you may be able to get away with less frequent changes.

If you’re unsure on frequency of filter changes, your best bet is to call our helpful service agents and ask them for a recommendation. You can reach them 8am-8pm EST, 7 days a week at 800-348-2976.

What happens if I don’t change my filters?

If you’re not changing your filters regularly, you can almost guarantee a machine breakdown in your future. Consider this: one of the elements that makes AutoFry ventless, is the symbiotic relationship between the exhaust fan and the filter system.

Dirty, grease laden air is drawn through the filter system, by the exhaust fan, and expelled from the top of the unit as clean air. Much like what an external hood system would do in a kitchen. If the filter systems are not changed frequently enough, they become overloaded with the grease they’re designed to capture. The more grease they trap, the harder the fan has to work to draw the air through the filter and out the top of the machine.  If you continue to neglect your filter changes, soon your fan will stop working.

“Ok, I get the importance of changing filters now, but I have a hard time remembering when to change them…”

It’s easy to forget a maintenance item that only has to be performed four times a year, which is why we created our filter reminder program. It’s an email subscription service where we remind you quarterly to change your filter. As an added bonus you’ll receive $10 off your filter purchase and some additional discounts along the way. Sign up for our filter change reminder program here.

Please note that when you elect to receive these emails, you are ONLY subscribed to our filter reminder program. No need to worry about receiving too many emails from us.

"Alright, let’s wrap this thing up!"

Well you’ve read this far, you can officially consider yourself prepared for a long equipment life with your AutoFry. Just make sure you stay on top of your filter changes and you’ll be in good shape to have a ventless fryer that works for you for the long haul.

If you’re interested in learning about other maintenance processes like daily and weekly cleaning procedures, I encourage you to visit our blog on total maintenance schedules, found here.

Happy FRYday!