Tag Archives: Restaurant equipment conversion

DIY & How-To's, Reviews

Beware of the Off-Brand Fryer: A Cheap Fryer Buyer’s Guide

Leave a comment

Alright people, listen up.  We have been getting a lot of requests for help converting some “off-brand” fryers out there, and I wanted to warn those of you who are thinking about buying one and converting them.   These “throw away” fryers are saturating the market due to their incredibly low prices, and big box food equipment site offerings, which give it a lot of visibility.

Is there anything wrong with an inexpensive piece of food service equipment?  ABSOLUTELY NOT.  But if it comes at the expense of no parts support, and little to no product support, then YES.  Here is a list of what we feel are acceptable good buy fryers at a great price, that have solid manufacturer support behind them when you need help.

Good Quality Fryers with Manufacturer Parts Support

1. logo-main

American Range makes a great entry level Fryer in their AF-35/40 or (AF-40).  It’s a two tube burner fryer with a 40lb. capacity.  You can buy this unit for around $799-$950 most places, depends on shipping costs (on our website too.  American Range AF-40 Deep Fryer)  They have great parts support, and you can buy this brand with confidence.

2. 

Pitco / Friolator is by far the leader in commercial frying equipment, and rightly so.  Their parts support, diagrams, and expert technical advice make it very easy to convert from NAT to LP, and the other way around.  You can find a decent 3 burner Pitco used for around $500.

3. 

Vulcan is another big name in the industry that has a great part support behind it.  Definitely a safe buy, whether it’s new or used.

4. 

Frymaster is a fryer giant in the industry,  they have superior part support as well for any issues that may arise.  And yes, they have conversion kits for their fryers, among other parts.

Words to the Wise

A good rule of thumb is if it’s not a well known brand, there probably won’t be good part support, which usually equals no ability to convert the fryer.

If you need help with your fryer, or would like to buy a good quality fryer at a great price, give us a call at Western Equipment Sales.  We would love to come along side and partner with you and your food service establishment.

Western Equipment Sales Contact Info

 

DIY & How-To's

How to Convert A Deep Fryer to Propane

6 Comments

American Range FryerConverting a deep fryer to propane, is a question we see a lot during this time of year, when everyone is thinking about mobilizing their restaurant equipment for fair season.  So we thought we would offer up some friendly advice.

Propane has more energy per cubic foot than Natural Gas, in fact it has about 2.44 times more energy per Cu. Ft.  Using a fryer that is set-up for Natural Gas with Propane gas is very dangerous and should not be attempted.  To better understand the significant difference between Propane and Natural Ga, please visit Propane 101.

Disclaimer: We highly recommend you consult a professional technician when attempting to convert any equipment over from natural gas to propane, or the other way around.  Contact your local restaurant licensed, qualified restaurant equipment technician.

There are three items that need to be changed when converting a fryer:

1) burner orifices.
2) gas valve regulator.
3) pilot orifice.

A few manufacturers like Frymaster and Pitco provide a “kit” with all of the required items.  Most manufactures require you to purchase all of the items separately.

For example:

If you have a popular Pitco Model 14 and you are converting from Natural Gas to LP then you would use kit B751008. (Note: If you have any letters after your 14 model, it may require different kit.  Please call us at 866-585-6978 to make sure you order the correct kit.)

If you have a common American Range model AF-45 and you are converting from Natural Gas to LP you would need to buy separate items: Valve Conversion (RSW), Burner Orifices (3 or 4), depending on your BTU’s) and a Pilot Orifice.

Changing the parts is not all that difficult.  Ensuring the proper gas pressure requires some special equipment and knowledge that most people do not have, so we do recommend consulting a restaurant equipment professional.

If you are planning on doing this type of conversion, feel free to give the sales guys over at Western Equipment Sales a call at 866-585-6978, and they can help you get the right parts for the job.