Used Restaurant Equipment Vancouver: Buyer’s Checklist

Buying used restaurant equipment in Vancouver can stretch a startup budget a long way, but only if you check the right things before you commit. This is a practical checklist for buying used restaurant equipment in Vancouver and the rest of BC, covering the inspection, the BC gas and electrical rules, and the paperwork that people tend to forget. To see what is available right now, browse our used restaurant equipment category.

Everything below applies whether you buy from us or from anyone else. We sell new and certified pre-owned equipment from our Burnaby showroom, and our technicians see the same used-equipment problems over and over. This list is built from those problems.

Step 1: Decide What Used Makes Sense For

Used equipment is a good fit where the technology is simple, the build is heavy and the wear is predictable. Stainless steel tables, shelving, sinks, ranges, griddles, charbroilers, deck ovens and reach-in refrigeration all have long working lives. Equipment with many electronics, boilers or precision parts (combi ovens, espresso machines, ice machines) can still be a good buy, but the inspection needs to be more careful and service history matters more.

Decide your must-haves before you shop: the footprint, the fuel (electric, natural gas or propane), the voltage and phase, and the output you need at peak service. A smaller used unit that fits your kitchen is better than a larger one you have to modify.

Step 2: Check the Condition Before You Pay

• Cabinet and frame: look for rust, dents, cracked welds, peeling finishes, loose legs and damaged casters. Surface wear is normal. Holes, rot or sagging frames are not.
• Doors, gaskets and hinges: a door that does not close squarely wastes energy and ruins temperature control.
• Smell and cleanliness: burnt or musty smells can point to electrical problems or old spills in hard-to-clean places.
• Controls and displays: every knob, switch, light and display should work. Missing parts for a model that has been discontinued can be hard to replace.
• Data plate: find the model and serial number plate. It tells you the voltage, phase, amperage, gas type and input, and the certification marks.

Step 3: Watch It Run

Never buy a used unit that cannot be powered up. Ask to see it run for long enough to reach working temperature.

• Ovens, ranges and fryers: heat-up time should be reasonable, burners should light cleanly, and the thermostat should hold the temperature you set. Check the safety shut-offs and high-limit controls.
• Refrigerators and freezers: the unit should pull down to temperature and hold it. Listen to the compressor and fans for grinding or constant running.
• Dishwashers: look for leaks, check that the wash and rinse arms spin freely, and confirm the pumps and door switch work. Commercial dishwashers also have to reach the temperatures your health authority expects, so ask for the final-rinse reading.
• Food prep equipment: motors should run smoothly, blades should be sharp and guards and safety interlocks should work.

Step 4: Confirm BC Gas and Electrical Compliance

This is the part most buyers miss, and in BC it can stop an installation. Technical Safety BC regulates gas and electrical equipment, and two rules matter when you buy used.

• Gas appliances need a recognized certification mark. Under BC’s Gas Safety Regulation, an appliance generally cannot be installed unless it carries a certification mark from a Standards Council of Canada accredited agency or an approval mark under the Safety Standards Act. An appliance without one may need to be field approved by an accredited inspection body before it can be installed. Look at the data plate for the mark and ask your gas fitter before you buy.
• Electrical equipment needs an accredited mark or approval label too. The label normally shows CSA or cUL, or a similar accredited agency mark. Technical Safety BC publishes the list of accepted marks, so confirm any unfamiliar label with them or with your electrician.
• Installation is regulated work. Gas hook-ups must be done by a licensed gas fitter working under a permit, and commercial gas appliances need approval from a gas safety officer before they are put into use. In some municipalities, including Vancouver and Burnaby, the city issues the permit instead of Technical Safety BC. Your contractor will know which applies.

Used equipment that comes from outside Canada, or older units from before current standards, is where certification problems usually appear. Ask for a clear photo of the data plate before you go any further.

Step 5: Match the Equipment to Your Utilities

Before delivery day, confirm that the unit matches what your kitchen provides:

• Voltage, phase and breaker size (120 V, 208 V, 240 V, single or three phase).
• Gas type, either natural gas or propane, and whether the unit can be converted. Conversion on a gas appliance is regulated work for a licensed gas fitter.
• Water supply, drain connection and the requirements of the BC Plumbing Code. Ask your plumber how to drain ice machines, sinks and dishwashers.
• Ventilation: cooking equipment that makes grease or heat needs the right exhaust and hood setup. Check that your hood is sized for what you plan to install.
• Doorways, hallways, elevators and floor loading. Measure everything on the delivery path.

Step 6: Think About Your Health Authority

If you are opening a new food business or altering an existing one, your regional health authority (Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health and others) must approve your plans before construction begins, and your equipment list is part of that. Health authority guidance may also suggest commercial-grade, certified equipment. Show the authority your plans and your intended equipment early, so you do not buy something that has to be replaced. For sinks and refrigeration, follow your health authority’s requirements.

Step 7: Get the Paperwork and the Plan for Service

• Written description: brand, model, serial number, age if known and the condition you were told about.
• Service history: ask what repairs and replaced parts the unit has had.
• Parts and service: pick brands that have parts available in Canada and a local technician who can work on them.
• Terms in writing: any coverage, return or inspection terms should be spelled out before you pay.
• Total cost: include transport, installation, permits and any parts needed to bring the unit up to your kitchen’s standards.

Why Buy Certified Pre-Owned

When we sell our own used stock, we call it certified pre-owned. That means each unit has been through our checks before it reaches the showroom floor: we inspect the overall condition, components, seals and controls, clean and recondition it in our repair shop, replace worn parts and test it so that it heats, cools or washes as it should. Browse current listings in used commercial refrigeration, or look at examples such as this certified pre-owned True mega top prep table or this EFI three-door refrigerated prep table.

Our used stock changes often. If you are looking for a specific unit, call us and ask our team what is coming in. For other categories that often have used options, see commercial fryers, commercial ovens and reach-in refrigeration. For a wider look at the market, our guide to used kitchen equipment for restaurants in Canada covers buying across the country.

Selling or Financing Used Equipment

If you are closing, renovating or upgrading, send us clear photos, the brand and model, the condition and how long the equipment has been in use. We review quality equipment when it fits our inventory. If you want to spread the cost of a purchase, read our guides to restaurant equipment financing and equipment leasing in Canada.

Used Equipment Inspection Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to look at used equipment in Vancouver? Browse our used restaurant equipment category, visit the Burnaby showroom or call (604) 566-9747 to request a quote. Pricing, availability, delivery and installation are confirmed at the time of purchase.