Commercial Dishwashers in Restaurants

[Ennis-TX]

Commercial Dishwashers, I got one used on sale for $20 and fixed it up for my own business, and saved over $3k vs a new one. I cleaned it up and ran 20-30 cycles, these things run quick cycles.  I got a low temp sanitize version that uses chemical sanitation (bleach solution) vs the high temp ones. Anyway, after cleaning it out and cycling it many times I got curious and nima tested the drain water....it still has gluten in the drain water.
Two thoughts came of this
1. Restaurants use these after hand washing to final clean and sanitize their dishes loading whole dish racks. Think about this....what are the chances your dishes you get your food served on, flatware, and cups might have a residue from this? Bigger concern what about nicked flatware, pots, or pans?
2. How the frack do I de gluten this thing, Is there a enzyme wash I can use? I mean some company has to have developed something for deglutening machines likes this....how else do these large companies get by with the shared equipment?
 

[kareng]

What was in the water besides - water?  Was there bleach?  These sensors are not the most accurate and are not really supposed to be used with certain chemicals

 

[Ennis-TX]

Test was taken from end of rinse with the detergent and bleach pumps turned off (auto puts them in with pumps from 5 gallon containers, and I turned them off to rinse the unit out). Fact is the sensor did not misread it, and I manually double checked the test strip. IE if there are 3 stripes then you have gluten, the bottom stripe on the strip was red so the protein was still present.

[dfixit]

Can you run an extra rinse cycle? Does it have a filter, strainer that needs cleaning?

[Ennis-TX]

2 hours ago, dfixit said:

Can you run an extra rinse cycle? Does it have a filter, strainer that needs cleaning?

I pulled out the metal mesh strainer and power washed it and hit it it with a blow torch (I think it was 500F destroys gluten?).

I am running a bunch of cycles....I am about ready to just use sodium hydroxide (we just call it caustic in the shop) in it. I know it can destroy blood and break down proteins, we have a bunch of it at the family machine shop for the old part vats. Would destroy any gluten proteins theoretically but the stuff is pretty potent and I am concerned might damage the machine. But then again it is essentially the same stuff as drain cleaner so maybe a quick cycle with it and rinse could do good.