What does this commercial laundry equipment annual checklist cover?

15 items across 5 sections, covering before the service, drive and bearings, heat source, exhaust and connections, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The laundry-equipment service tech on the annual service visit.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, with panels off to reach the belts, bearings and the parts of the exhaust the quarterly round can't.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

8 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 10 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a commercial laundry equipment annual inspection?

Glazed, cracked drive belt left on until it snaps mid-shift, when a quick annual check would have caught it. Gas dryer burner running dirty or sooting, or a steam coil trap stuck, so cycles drag and gas is wasted. Exhaust cleaned only at the dryer while the concealed run and rooftop cap stay packed with lint from every machine on the line.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Commercial laundry equipment annual maintenance checklist

The annual laundry equipment service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Before the service

Service window agreed and machines taken out of use
Laundry lead or the owner agreed which machines come out and for how long, users told through signs, loads pulled and out-of-service tags hung before panels come off.
No photo
Every energy source locked and tagged at each machine
Power, gas, steam and water isolated where fitted. Powered checks (amps, burner, elements, safeties): people clear, panels on, locks off by whoever hung them, re-locked before hands go back in.

Drive and bearings

Belts, pulleys and bearings inspected
Belts free of glazing and cracks, tension correct, drum and motor bearings quiet with no play or heat.
Drum, seals and suspension checked
Drum turning true, shock absorbers or suspension springs intact, door and drum seals not leaking or shredding.
Drive motor current read against the nameplate
Amps read in wash, extract or tumble under the site's energized-work procedure and PPE, within the nameplate and against last year's reading.

Heat source

Gas or steam heat serviced where fitted
Gas burner clean with a steady flame and no sooting, or steam coil, trap and valve holding and heating, per the instructions.
No photo
Gas connector and shutoff leak-checked on gas dryers
On gas dryers, manual shutoff operating, connector not kinked or chafed, joints leak-checked with solution or a detector, no gas odor at the burner.
No photo
Heating elements read on electric dryers
On electric dryers, each element's resistance or current read against its rating, terminals not scorched, no element sagging off its supports.
No photo

Exhaust and connections

Full exhaust run and termination cleaned
Concealed duct, any shared manifold and the rooftop or wall cap cleared end to end, back-draft flap free. Lint here is a fire hazard.
Water, drain and electrical connections gone over
Hoses and valves resealed as needed, drain clear, terminals and cord tight with no scorching at the block.
Blower wheel and internal ducting cleared of lint
With panels off, blower wheel, housing and internal transition cleaned, a deeper pass than the quarterly vacuum, no lint caked on the wheel or near the heat.

Safeties and return to service

Door interlock proven on every washer and dryer
No machine starts with the door open; washers keep the door locked until the drum stops, dryers stop drum and heat when the door opens, none bypassed, jumpered or taped.
No photo
Dryer high-limit and airflow switch trip tested
High-limit and airflow or sail switch proven to cut the heat by the manufacturer's test procedure, reset as described, none jumpered or bypassed.
No photo
Guards refitted, locks removed and a full cycle run
Guards and panels fastened, locks removed by whoever hung them, each machine run through a complete cycle with no leaks, noise or fault code.
Annual readings logged as the machine's baseline
Motor amps, heat readings, belt condition and safety test results entered against each machine so next year's service compares against them.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Glazed, cracked drive belt left on until it snaps mid-shift, when a quick annual check would have caught it.
Gas dryer burner running dirty or sooting, or a steam coil trap stuck, so cycles drag and gas is wasted.
Exhaust cleaned only at the dryer while the concealed run and rooftop cap stay packed with lint from every machine on the line.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this commercial laundry equipment annual checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering before the service, drive and bearings, heat source, exhaust and connections, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The laundry-equipment service tech on the annual service visit.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, with panels off to reach the belts, bearings and the parts of the exhaust the quarterly round can't.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 8 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 10 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a commercial laundry equipment annual inspection?: Glazed, cracked drive belt left on until it snaps mid-shift, when a quick annual check would have caught it. Gas dryer burner running dirty or sooting, or a steam coil trap stuck, so cycles drag and gas is wasted. Exhaust cleaned only at the dryer while the concealed run and rooftop cap stay packed with lint from every machine on the line.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

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Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.