Damper
A damper is valve or movable plate in the flue or other part of a stove, furnace, etc., used to check or regulate the draft of air.
Decal
A decal or transfer is a plastic, cloth, paper, or ceramic substrate that has printed on it a pattern or image that can be moved to another surface upon contact, usually adhered with an adhesive.
Decant
Decanting is the drawing off, or pouring of a liquid without disturbing the sediment or the lower liquid layers. A decanter is the vessel or container that holds the liquid, such as coffee or wine.
Deflector
A deflector is an object which diverts or redirects something else, especially a stream of fluid or particles such as in ice or coffee beans or a diaphragm in a stove by which the flame and gases are brought together to improve combustion.
Defrost
The defrost mechanism in a refrigerator heats the cooling element (evaporator coil) for a short period of time and melts the frost that has formed on it. The resulting water drains through a duct at the back of the unit. Defrosting is controlled by an electric or electronic timer: For every 6, 8, 10, 12 or 24 hours of compressor operation it turns on a defrost heater for 15 minutes to half an hour.
A defrost thermostat opens the heater circuit when the evaporator temperature rises above a preset temperature, 40°F (5°C) or more, thereby preventing excessive heating of the freezer compartment. The defrost timer is such that either the compressor or the defrost heater is on, but not both at the same time.
Defrost Sensor
The defrost sensor, also called a defrost bi-metal thermostat, shuts off the defrost heater if the heater gets hot enough to damage the evaporator. If the defrost sensor fails, the heating element doesn't turn on, and frost builds up on the evaporator resulting in warm temperatures in the refrigerator.
Defrost Timer
Auto-defrost, automatic defrost or self-defrosting is a technique which regularly defrosts the evaporator in a refrigerator or freezer. Equipment using this technique are often called frost free, frostless, or no-frost.
Descaling
Descaling is the process of removing the buildup of limescale; a hard, off-white, chalky substance that impairs the operation of various components in your equipment. In the presence of heat, over time thick layers of oxide are formed on metal, for example the boiler compartment of a coffee machine. Limescale is also a prevalent byproduct found on components within ice making equipment. A descaling agent or chemical descaler is a liquid chemical substance used to remove limescale from metal surfaces. Some equipment and components are equipped with a cathodic descaler which is a passive corrosion inhibitor and which itself should be regularly cleaned and periodically replaced.
Diaphragm
A diaphragm is a sheet of a semi-flexible material anchored at its periphery and most often round in shape. It serves either as a barrier between two chambers, moving slightly up into one chamber or down into the other depending on differences in pressure.
Dicer
Dicing is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into small blocks or dice. This may be done for aesthetic reasons or to create uniformly sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Dicing allows for distribution of flavor and texture throughout the dish, as well as a somewhat quicker cooking time. Dicing usually applies to vegetables prepared in this way but it can also apply to the preparation of meat or fish and fruit or even ice.
Diode
A diode is a two-terminalelectronic component that conducts current primarily in one direction (asymmetric conductance); it has low (ideally zero) resistance in one direction, and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other. A semiconductor diode, the most commonly used type today, is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material with a junction connected to two electrical terminals. Semiconductor diodes were the first semiconductor electronic devices. Most diodes are made of silicon, but other materials such as gallium arsenide and germanium are also used.
Disconnect
Quick disconnect fittings (abbreviated as “QDCs” or “QDs”) are used to provide fast and easy connection and disconnection of fluid lines. These fittings are also known as quick connects or quick release couplings. Typically quick disconnect fittings are operated by hand. They often are used to replace fitting connections which require tools to assemble and disassemble. There are a myriad of quick disconnect fittings types used in the foodservice industry.
A safety disconnect switch provides a means of quickly disconnecting mechanical or electronic systems from their primary power source safely. These switches operate both automatically, to protect against circuit faults, as well as manually in case an emergency, planned maintenance, or unscheduled service is required.
Discharge
In restaurant equipment, a discharge is an exit conduit provided for the extraction of gases, fluids and even solids. They may go from simple fabricated hot air channels, drip tubes, trays, or chutes to motorized fan or pump driven components. In electronically controlled foodservice equipment, a discharger is is a device or circuit that releases stored energy from a capacitor or other source.
Dispenser
Dispensers of different types and purposes are found everywhere in foodservice operations. The are use to provide products in controlled portions or servings and may be motorized or hand operated. Common dispensing applications are for:
- Cups, Straws, Napkins and Plasticware
- Ice and Beverages
- Condiments and Toppings
- Chemicals, Detergent & Soap
- any many others.
Display
A display is an electronic device for the visual presentation of data. In restaurant equipment displays are used to indicate time and temperature, transactional information, operational settings, menus and menu items, servings and more. Another type of "display" is one used to store and merchandise cooked food and bakery products, chilled beverages and other consumer facing offerings.
Diverter
A diverter is an object which deflects or redirects something else, especially a stream of fluid or particles such as in ice or coffee beans, or a diaphragm in a stove by which the flame and gases are brought together to improve combustion.
Door Assembly
A door is a hinged or otherwise movable panel that allows access to an enclosure, cabinet, bin, or other cavity or container. A door assembly comprises the components that work in tandem to allow the door to function properly. Doors may be hinged and swing open and closed, or they may slide within a frame.
Door Track
A bottom rolling system consists of two rollers (sometimes called a sheave) at the bottom of the door running on a track and two guides at the top running in a guide channel. As all the weight of the door is concentrated on the two bottom wheels, more force is needed to move the door than on a top hung system, where the door is hung at the top from two points, also requiring a track / stay roller at the bottom to prevent it from swinging sideways.
Doughhook
In commercial foodservice and baking, when using a mixer equipped with a dough hook, mechanized kneading is achieved. Dough hooks are helical (spiral) shaped implements that may vary is size according to the mixer and the application. The dough hook consists of a single hook which turns and folds the dough or batter in a mixing bowl.
Dowel
There are many types of pins used as fasteners. At its simplest, a dowel pin is just a solid cylinder of material, which is inserted through a hole. When a dowel pin is inserted through concentric holes in two or more components, it locates and holds them together.
Drafthood
A drafthood is a device used to facilitate the escape of combustion products from the combustion chamber of an appliance, to prevent a backdraft in the combustion chamber, and to neutralize the effect of stack action of the gas vent on the efficient operation of the appliance.
Drain
A drain is a channel, conduit, or pipe designed to carry away or channel superflous liquids for disposal or reclamation. A drain assembly is one or more components of a larger mechanism that facilitates as a drain. A drain assembly component may be a pipe, stopper, pan, basket, valve, filter, plug, hose etc.
Drawer Support
A support assembly for a drawer permits the drawer to be located in different positions. The drawer has a pair of laterally spaced side pieces supported on telescopically slidable guide rails. The guide rails have brackets selectively engageable in openings formed in sections attached to the side pieces for obtaining the different positions of the drawer.
Drier
A filter-drier in a refrigeration or air conditioning system has two essential functions: one, to absorb system contaminants, such as water, which can create acids, and two, to provide physical filtration. Appliance driers are usually installed in the liquid line, as close to the metering device as possible. If the metering device is a capillary tube, the outlet of the drier is typically sized to allow brazing the capillary tube into the drier. The screen in the drier is placed far enough away so that the capillary tube can be inserted into the drier without blocking the refrigerant flow into the capillary tube. The position of the drier should be as vertical as possible with the flow in the downward direction. This position will also allow the drier to act as a liquid seal for the capillary tube, to ensure pure liquid refrigerant flow through the capillary tube.
Drip Pan
A drip pan or drain pan is a container for catching material such as water or grease that drips from above (as from the burners of a gas range or condensation from an evaporator). It is usually a shallow rectangular metal or plastic pan used especially for baking and roasting, frying, and water containment and may be connected to a drain or drain pipe.
Drip Tray
A drip tray is an open reservoir, sometimes with a slotted cover, designed to catch drips, as under a beer tap, beverage dispenser, etc. A drip tray must be drained and cleaned periodically, or it may be engineered with an outbound drain.
Dropin
Drop-in replacement or just "Drop-in" is a term used to describe the ability to replace one hardware (or software) component with another one without any initial preparation or configuration changes being required, and resulting in no negative operational impact. Drop in components may also refer to items designed to fit exactly into an existing opening, such as in a countertop or refrigerated cabinet.
Duct
A duct is a pipe, tube or channel which carries air, gas, exhaust, or liquid from one place to another. Ducts are commonly used to exhaust heat and fumes out of and away from commercial ovens, cooktops, condensing units, and other restaurant equipment.
Dutchdoor
A dutch door is a door that is divided into two horizontally such that either part may be opened independently of the other.