Kitchen exhaust cleaning is a critical aspect of any commercial cooking operation. If not performed properly, your restaurant could suffer massive losses. Moreover, an unclean kitchen hood can increase the risk of a fire – which is a hazard that can be deadly. It is important to schedule regular inspections and cleanings of your restaurant’s kitchen exhaust system. This will help ensure your health, safety and business are protected.
A commercial kitchen exhaust system is designed to remove grease and smoke from your cooking process. However, over time, this can accumulate, leaving a dangerous hazard. Cooking equipment, fans, ductwork and other parts of your restaurant’s exhaust system are susceptible to clogging with hazardous buildups. These accumulated grease, odors and heat can cause a fire to develop. Grease-borne conflagrations can be deadly, and can cause millions of dollars in property damage.
Cleaning your exhaust system is crucial to maintaining the health of your restaurant and avoiding fines and insurance claims from the fire department. Regular inspections and maintenance can also help to reduce your insurance rates.
The International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association is a nonprofit organization that promotes kitchen exhaust cleaning. They provide quality safety necessities for all types of commercial cooking operations. With more than 500 members across the world, a reputable company can clean your kitchen exhaust system and ensure your restaurant meets the necessary standards.
When choosing a contractor, make sure they are certified. Those with Hood Cleaning a certification have a higher standard of testing and inspection. Also, keep in mind that some companies only do bare metal cleaning, which can help to reduce the fire hazard in your restaurant.
NFPA-96, the Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, provides minimum standards for the cleaning of commercial cooking equipment. Keeping your kitchen’s hoods, vents, ductwork and fans clean is important to ensuring your kitchen is safe for both your customers and employees.
Your restaurant’s kitchen hood and ductwork should be inspected and cleaned at intervals that match your usage. The frequency of these inspections and cleanings depends on the type of food you serve and how much grease is accumulating in the hoods. Typically, commercial kitchens that have charcoal burning stoves will require monthly cleanings, while businesses that cook solid fuels such as wood will need to be inspected and cleaned every three months.
A qualified, professional company can clean your kitchen exhaust system to bare metal standards, removing any debris and residue that has built up over time. In addition, they can apply a fire-safe finish to the ducts and filters to help prevent future rust and corrosion.
Cleaning your kitchen exhaust is not an easy task, but the benefits are well worth it. An improperly maintained exhaust system can lead to a fire, which is a hazard that can put the lives of your employees and your business in danger. Additionally, an accumulated buildup of grease can lead to a fire that will ignite at high temperatures, causing your restaurant to shut down and possibly cause millions of dollars in damages.