Summary
Who Is Responsible for What in a Commercial Dishroom
Rule: If responsibility is unclear, the operator is always the one cited during inspection—even if the failure belongs to a vendor.
CORE VENDOR ROLES
| Role |
Primary Function |
| Equipment Dealer / Installer (Aldevra) |
Dish machines, layout, coordination, commissioning |
| Plumber |
Water, drains, air gaps, grease interceptors |
| Electrician |
Power, disconnects, controls |
| Mechanical (HVAC) |
Hoods, exhaust, make-up air, air balance |
| Fire Suppression Contractor |
Hood fire systems |
| Water Treatment Provider |
Softener, RO, filters |
| Chemical Provider (Ecolab/Diversey) |
Detergents, sanitizer, pumps |
| General Contractor (GC/CM) |
Trade coordination, permits, scheduling |
| Owner / Facilities |
Logs, training, compliance |
RESPONSIBILITY BY SYSTEM
1. Dish Machine (Mechanical & Structural)
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Machine selection & sizing |
✅ Dealer (Aldevra) |
| NSF compliance verification |
✅ Dealer |
| Equipment delivery & setting |
✅ Dealer |
| Leveling & anchoring |
✅ Dealer |
| Conveyor alignment |
✅ Dealer |
| Curtain installation |
✅ Dealer |
| Mechanical repairs |
✅ Authorized Service Tech |
| Preventative maintenance |
✅ Owner + Service Tech |
2. Sanitization Control
| Task |
Heat (High-Temp) |
Chemical (Low-Temp) |
| Final rinse temp (180°F) |
✅ Booster Contractor + Dealer |
❌ Not applicable |
| Booster heater sizing |
✅ Dealer + Mechanical |
❌ Not applicable |
| Chemical ppm control |
❌ Not applicable |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Chemical pump calibration |
❌ |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Test strips supply |
❌ |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Temp/ppm daily logs |
✅ Owner |
✅ Owner |
Inspectors always cite the Owner—even if Ecolab failed.
3. Plumbing & Drainage
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Water supply sizing |
✅ Plumber |
| Drain pipe sizing |
✅ Plumber |
| Indirect drain + air gap |
✅ Plumber |
| Floor sinks |
✅ Plumber |
| Grease interceptor |
✅ Plumber |
| Pulper discharge |
✅ Plumber + Sewer Authority |
| Backflow preventers |
✅ Plumber |
| Sewer tie-in permits |
✅ GC |
4. Electrical & Power
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Voltage verification |
✅ Electrician |
| Circuit sizing |
✅ Electrician |
| Dedicated disconnect |
✅ Electrician |
| Emergency stops |
✅ Electrician |
| Booster electrical |
✅ Electrician |
| Chemical pump power |
✅ Electrician |
5. Booster Heaters (Heat Systems Only)
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Booster sizing |
✅ Dealer + Mechanical |
| Gas line sizing |
✅ Mechanical |
| Electric booster sizing |
✅ Electrician |
| Exhaust/venting |
✅ Mechanical |
| Temp rise verification |
✅ Dealer at Commissioning |
6. Water Treatment (Mandatory for Heat Systems)
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Hardness testing |
✅ Water Treatment Provider |
| Softener installation |
✅ Water Treatment Provider |
| RO installation |
✅ Water Treatment Provider |
| Filter replacement |
✅ Owner + Provider |
| Delime schedule |
✅ Owner |
If scale destroys a booster heater, the warranty is often denied without water treatment documentation.
7. Chemical Systems (Low-Temp Machines & Wash Chemistry)
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Chemical selection |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Detergent delivery |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Sanitizer delivery |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| SDS binder |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Calibration |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Injection tubing |
✅ Chemical Provider |
8. Ventilation & Condensation
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Type II hood |
✅ Mechanical |
| Exhaust airflow |
✅ Mechanical |
| Make-up air |
✅ Mechanical |
| Steam capture |
✅ Mechanical |
| Condensation drainage |
✅ Plumber |
9. Waste Systems (Scrap, Pulpers, Dehydrators)
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Scrap trough install |
✅ Plumber |
| Pulper install |
✅ Dealer + Plumber |
| Pulper discharge permit |
✅ GC |
| Dehydrator electrical |
✅ Electrician |
| Dehydrator venting |
✅ Mechanical |
| Waste hauling |
✅ Owner |
10. Commissioning & Turnover
| Task |
Responsible Party |
| Live wash testing |
✅ Dealer |
| Temp verification |
✅ Dealer |
| Chemical verification |
✅ Chemical Provider |
| Drain flow test |
✅ Plumber |
| Electrical load testing |
✅ Electrician |
| Water hardness log |
✅ Water Provider |
| Staff training |
✅ Dealer + Owner |
| Warranty registration |
✅ Dealer |
COMMON GAP FAILURES CAUSED BY MISALIGNED RESPONSIBILITY
- Ecolab says “temp issue” → Actually booster failure
- Plumber drains dishwasher directly to sewer → Code violation
- No one installs water softener → Booster fails in 6 months
- Electrician under-sizes circuit → Machine trips at peak
- Chemical provider doesn’t leave test strips → Inspection fail
- GC never schedules commissioning → Turnover chaos
- No one trains staff → Daily logs unreliable
ALDEVRA RESPONSIBILITY CONTROL RULE
Every subsystem must have one clearly assigned owner, one documented verification step, and one fallback contact. Anything else creates liability gaps that inspectors, insurers, and attorneys will exploit.
