What is a Planned Preventive Maintenance visit (PMV)?

A Planned Preventive Maintenance visit — commonly called a PMV — is a scheduled inspection and service carried out by a qualified engineer on your commercial equipment, at a pre-agreed frequency. The purpose is to identify and address wear, faults and developing issues before they cause an unexpected breakdown. A PMV typically covers mechanical and electrical inspection, cleaning and lubrication, minor repairs and adjustments, performance testing and a written report. At GMSE, PMVs are carried out by specialist commercial food equipment engineers, not generalist maintenance technicians.

How often should commercial catering equipment be serviced?

For equipment in regular daily commercial use, a service every 6 to 12 months is the standard recommendation — and a requirement to maintain most manufacturer warranties. Higher-usage equipment in production environments may benefit from more frequent visits.

Does a planned maintenance contract protect my warranty?

Yes. Equipment purchased from GMSE requires regular servicing at 6–12 month intervals to keep the warranty valid. A planned maintenance contract ensures your equipment is serviced on schedule, with a documented service record to demonstrate compliance.

What types of equipment do you cover on maintenance contracts?

We cover the full range of commercial catering and food processing equipment — including vacuum packers, commercial dishwashers and glasswashers, meat mincers, sausage fillers, mixers, commercial ovens, refrigeration, slicers, bandsaws and gas appliances.

Can you service equipment not purchased from GMSE?

Yes. We provide planned preventive maintenance for commercial food equipment regardless of where it was purchased. Our engineers are experienced with all major makes and models across our equipment categories.

How do I arrange a planned maintenance programme with GMSE?

Contact our team by phone or use our online booking form. We will discuss your equipment, site and operational requirements, and put together a maintenance programme suited to your needs. For multi-site operations or larger equipment estates, we can arrange a site visit before finalising the programme.

Planned Preventive Maintenance for Commercial Food Equipment

Unplanned equipment breakdowns in a commercial kitchen or food processing environment are not just inconvenient. They are expensive. Every hour of unplanned downtime costs your operation in lost production, wasted product and emergency repair costs that are almost always higher than they would have been with preventive action. A planned preventive maintenance programme from GMSE is the most cost-effective way to keep your equipment running reliably, extend its service life and avoid the disruption of unexpected failures.

GMSE provides planned preventive maintenance visits - PMVs - for commercial catering and food processing equipment across England. Our accredited engineers carry out structured, scheduled inspections and service visits tailored to your equipment, your operation and your usage patterns. We cover the full range of commercial food equipment. from vacuum packers and meat mincers to commercial ovens, dishwashers and refrigeration, and we work with businesses ranging from independent butchers and restaurants through to multi-site food production operations.

Every PMV is carried out by engineers who work on commercial food equipment every day. That means the engineer visiting your site already understands the machines they are inspecting: common failure points, wear indicators, service history patterns and the operational demands placed on equipment in your type of environment. It is a fundamentally different level of service to a generalist maintenance provider.

To discuss a planned maintenance programme for your operation, contact our team or use our online booking form.

What's Included in a GMSE Planned Maintenance Visit

Every PMV is structured around your equipment and its specific service requirements. Here is what a standard visit covers.

Step 1: Pre-visit equipment review

Before attending site, we review your equipment list and service history to ensure the visit is focused on the right machines and that any commonly needed parts are carried on the day. This reduces the chance of a return visit for parts that could have been anticipated in advance.
Step 2: Full mechanical and electrical inspection

Each machine is inspected systematically: covering mechanical condition, electrical components, safety systems, seals and gaskets, drive mechanisms and any wear indicators specific to that equipment type. We document what we find, not just what we fix.
Step 3: Cleaning and lubrication

Where applicable, we clean and lubricate components as part of the visit - particularly on machines where grease build-up, contamination or lack of lubrication are common causes of premature failure. This is carried out in line with food safety hygiene requirements.
Step 4: Minor repairs and adjustments

Any minor faults or adjustments identified during the inspection are dealt with on the day where possible. Our engineers carry a comprehensive range of parts and consumables, ensuring the majority of minor issues can be resolved during the PMV itself rather than requiring a follow-up visit.
Step 5: Performance testing

Each machine is tested under working conditions before we sign off. For a vacuum packer, that means checking vacuum performance. For a dishwasher, wash and rinse temperatures and cycle performance. For a mincer, throughput and motor performance. We verify the machine is performing correctly, not just that it looks serviceable.
Step 6: Written report and recommendations

At the end of every visit, a written report is provided covering all machines inspected, work carried out, any observations noted, and recommended actions. This gives you a record for warranty and compliance purposes, and a clear picture of your equipment's current condition.

Equipment We Maintain

GMSE provides planned preventive maintenance for the full range of commercial catering and food processing equipment. We are not a generalist facilities management company — we are specialist commercial food equipment engineers, which means our PMV visits are carried out by engineers who know your specific equipment type in detail.

Equipment we regularly service on planned maintenance programmes includes:

Vacuum packers - all makes and models
Commercial dishwashers and glasswashers
Meat mincers and sausage fillers
Meat mixers and mixer grinders
Commercial ovens and combi ovens

Refrigeration and cold storage equipment
Commercial slicers and bandsaws
Bowl cutters and food processors
Water boilers and catering equipment
Gas appliances (Gas Safe registered engineers)

If your equipment is not listed, contact our team - we are likely able to support it.

Why Choose GMSE for Planned Preventive Maintenance?

Specialist Engineers, Not Generalists

Our engineers work on commercial food equipment every day: servicing, repairing and refurbishing it in butcheries, food processors, restaurants and catering operations across England. A PMV from GMSE is carried out by someone who already knows your equipment inside out. That is not something a generalist facilities management company can offer.
Fully Stocked Vans for First-Visit Resolution

Our engineers travel in fully stocked vans carrying a comprehensive range of parts and consumables. Minor faults found during a PMV are resolved on the day wherever possible - not flagged and left for a follow-up visit that costs you more time and more money.
Protects Your Warranty

Regular servicing at 6–12 month intervals is required to keep your GMSE warranty valid. A planned maintenance contract with GMSE ensures your equipment stays within its warranty terms, with a documented service record to demonstrate compliance if needed.
Flexible Contracts to Suit Your Operation

Whether you have a single machine or a full production facility, we can structure a planned maintenance programme around your equipment, your site and your budget. Single-machine visits, multi-machine contracts and multi-site agreements are all available. Contact our team to discuss what works for your operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Planned Preventive Maintenance visit - commonly called a PMV - is a scheduled inspection and service carried out by a qualified engineer on your commercial equipment at a pre-agreed frequency. The purpose is to identify and address wear, faults and developing issues before they cause an unexpected breakdown. A PMV typically covers mechanical and electrical inspection, cleaning and lubrication, minor repairs and adjustments, performance testing and a written report. At GMSE, PMVs are carried out by specialist commercial food equipment engineers, not generalist maintenance technicians.
For equipment in regular daily commercial use, a service every 6 to 12 months is the standard recommendation - and a requirement to maintain most manufacturer warranties. Higher-usage equipment in production environments may benefit from more frequent visits. Our team will advise on the appropriate service frequency for your specific equipment and usage patterns when you discuss a maintenance programme with us.
Yes. Equipment purchased from GMSE requires regular servicing at 6–12 month intervals to keep the warranty valid. A planned maintenance contract ensures your equipment is serviced on schedule, with a documented service record to demonstrate compliance. Without regular documented servicing, a warranty claim may be affected if a fault develops that could have been prevented with routine maintenance.
We cover the full range of commercial catering and food processing equipment: including vacuum packers, commercial dishwashers and glasswashers, meat mincers, sausage fillers, mixers, commercial ovens, refrigeration, slicers, bandsaws and gas appliances. If you have equipment not listed here, contact our team and we will confirm whether we can support it.
Yes. We provide planned preventive maintenance for commercial food equipment regardless of where it was purchased. Our engineers are experienced with all major makes and models across our equipment categories. If you have existing equipment that needs bringing onto a maintenance programme, contact our team to discuss your requirements.
Contact our team by phone or use our online booking form. We will discuss your equipment, site and operational requirements, and put together a maintenance programme suited to your needs. For multi-site operations or larger equipment estates, we can arrange a site visit before finalising the programme.