42
Guide to Warewashing & Janitorial Equipment
What is a Wash
Curtain?
A wash curtain is a flexible plastic or rubber “curtain” inside a conveyor dishmachine
between different sections of the unit — typically between the pre-wash, wash, rinse,
and sanitization zones. The wash curtain acts as an internal divider that helps contain
water spray and temperature within specific chambers, preventing heat, steam, and
water from migrating to adjacent sections of the machine.
Think of a wash curtain as a set of overlapping flaps — usually made of heavy-duty
vinyl or polypropylene — that the dish racks pass through as they move down the
conveyor. These curtains serve several vital purposes:
Thermal separation: maintain the high water temperatures needed in the final rinse
zone without adecting earlier stages.
Water containment: help prevent water from splashing or backflowing into the clean
zone or spilling outside the machine.
Energy efficiency: isolating temperature zones, curtains help reduce heat loss and allow
machines operate more ediciently.
Sanitation compliance: ensuring each zone maintains its correct temperature and flow
characteristics, wash curtains support NSF and provincial food safety standards.
Wash curtains are consumable components —they degrade due to heat, chemical
exposure, and mechanical wear. Operators will need to inspect and replace them as
needed to maintain optimal performance of their dishmachine.
Despite their power and performance, conveyor dishwashers do require thoughtful planning
and infrastructure. They are not a plug and play dishmachine. Proper dishroom layout,
electrical service, drainage, and ventilation are all essential to installation and long-term
functionality of an conveyor dishmachine. Equipment selection should always be aligned with
staffing levels, available space, and meal volume of the establishment. Your local RED Dealer
can help with the planning and design of your dishroom for best practices and optimization.
For foodservice operators processing more than 400 meals per day, conveyor dishwashers
provide the scalability and throughput that smaller machines simply can’t offer. When
correctly specified and installed, they become a workhorse asset — delivering consistency,
speed, and energy savings in the most demanding environments.
42
Guide to Warewashing & Janitorial Equipment