Cleaning and maintenance of the exhaust system of a commercial kitchen is vital for the benefit of the customers and workers. Failure to perform regular exchange of filters, exhaust cleaning, and professional canopy results into the buildup of grease. A greased kitchen exhaust system is likely to fail, and even worse, cause extreme fire hazards. You do not want to risk your restaurant business, right?
Benefits of Maintaining a Clean Kitchen Exhaust System
The main importance of cleaning the kitchen exhaust pipes, fans, ducts, filters, and other appurtenances is to maintain a clean working environment. It also ensures your business complies with the health codes set by local health and fire service departments. Cleaning minimizes product contamination and risks of fire. Did you know that your insurance company cannot cover risks resulting from negligence?
Kitchen hood cleaning enhances the effectiveness of the exhaust system, failure to which the system breaks down. An ineffective system definitely translates into a poorly ventilated kitchen. How will your workers survive with all the heat and smoke being produced? These are the reasons why the question is not ‘if you need it’ but ‘can your kitchen stay without it?’
Reasons Why You cannot do Without Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning
Cooking produces effluents such as grease, moisture, contaminated air, and smoke. These components could result in potential grease fires. In case a high flame flares up, gets into contact with the exhaust filters, or is drawn in by the exhaust fan, the accumulated grease acts as a source of fuel, spreading the fire into the entire exhaust system. The end results are unthinkable.
The Cleaning Process
The intervals of cleaning depend on how frequent your kitchen is used and what type of food is cooked. Ideally, the intervals of cleaning depend on the amount of grease produced. When offering our services, we adhere to the cleaning guidelines listed in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Exhaust systems in charcoal-burning stoves require more frequent cleaning than electrical.
During kitchen exhaust system cleaning, the following steps are followed:
- Access the system’s performance and cover vulnerable surfaces with plastic sheets.
- Check the interior surface of the ductwork
- Clean the plenum walls, fire suppression equipment, and filter frames.
- Remove filters and replace them.
- Clean the louvers and dampers; sometimes, you may need to move the dampers for complete cleaning and return them to their original positions afterwards.
- Use hot water- high pressure washing to clean the fans, drip pans, and the entire fan housing.
Most service providers are accessible online and will provide a portal for each client. This is an effective way of documenting your paperwork for reference during insurance claims or health checks by the local municipal or national health boards. The portals are always accessible for scheduling services, referring to the paperwork or the photos taken before and after cleaning. Hood cleaning services should meet the standards set by all regularities and take responsibility of any penalties charged after their services.
Commercial kitchen exhaust systems are designed to expel cooking vapor and steam while generating a continuous flow of clean air. Frequent cleaning makes the systems more effective and consequently, ensuring the safety of your workers, customers, and the food.