As much as we sometimes wish it were true, we can’t remember everything. When thinking about the longevity of a machine, oftentimes what pops into our minds are steps we can take to maintain its factory-new condition. One of the most efficient and successful ways of prolonging the life of a vending machine is to regularly check it.

Detailed business recordkeeping can be a lifesaver. If you write something down, you don’t have to actively try to remember it. When it comes to repairs and maintenance, writing down even the most minute details can save you from headaches later.

You should keep detailed notes when:

• You complete any self-repairs
• An Independent Repairman or Service works on the machine
• An Operator Provided Technician services the machine

Basically, your vending business recordkeeping should keep track of any service done to the machine, no matter who is completing it. But detailed notes don’t always mean you list who, where, and when. There are several things you should always keep track of beyond these items.

What You Should Always Write Down:

• Who serviced the machine
• When they serviced the machine
• Where the machine is located
• Every step they took to ‘fix’ the machine
  • And what each action was supposed to fix
• Parts they replaced and where they got them
• Vending Machine serial number, manufacturer, and model number

While writing so much information down can be tedious, the lack of panicked searching and stress later is well worth the work you do in the present.

There are many reasons to keep track of everything with vending business recordkeeping so diligently:

• Helps you keep track of reoccurring maintenance checks
• Assists with finding parts in the future
• Gives you a sense of a machine’s history

Should something not be resolved the first time around, you then know exactly what has already been tried

Of the reasons listed above, one is more unassuming than the others: Knowing the history of a machine. It probably isn’t the first thing to cross your mind, but it can be quite beneficial to use business recordkeeping to be able to see if a machine has a history of issues, especially if you have purchased a used machine. We recommend asking the previous machine’s owner about the machine’s history prior to purchasing. It can help you identify machines near or at the end of their lifetime, and in the end, can help you make the decision of purchasing a new vending machine for sale over continuing to service a machine past-its-prime.

For more information on the upkeep of your machine, click HERE or contact Vending.com at 1-800-548-1982.

It is something that is mentioned in every manual and set-up guide, yet it is consistently overlooked. Every vending machine should be leveled right away. It is an easy step that is skipped, most often because it is deemed ‘unimportant.’ This could not be further from the truth.

Vending machines can be very sensitive. They literally, in their most basic parts, are refrigerated boxes. What happens, however, when the box does not seal all the way? When it is jostled every day because it is unsteady, the longevity of the box drastically declines.

One of the most important reasons that you need to level your vending machine is to protect the door. Given enough time while unlevel, the door of a vending machine will, eventually, not close anymore. They are built to align with precise locking mechanisms and intricate wiring. The vending machine being unlevel puts more pressure on the door than originally intended. The long-term effect could be permanent damage to the hinges, seals, and locking mechanisms of the door.

Even within a few weeks of being unlevel, the door might become harder to open. The probability of the door getting stuck increases exponentially when a machine remains unleveled. If you have a refrigerated vending machine and its door does not close all the way, you risk damaging other components of the machine as well, such as the refrigeration units. The doors are designed to seal all the cold air in, so the hot air can be pumped out. This process does not work properly if the seal is broken.

All the above consequences can be avoided by leveling your machine during the setup process. All it would take is 5-10 extra minutes of set-up, and in the end, that 5-10 minutes could save you the need to buy a completely new machine!

For more information on the upkeep of your machine, click HERE or contact Vending.com at 1-800-548-1982.