By Zack Devin
Fires are a concern in any kitchen, but they pose an even greater threat in restaurants. The commercial kitchen exhaust hoods that line the ceiling of most restaurant kitchens take care of ventilating the cooking fumes and smoke from pots and pans into the outside air, preventing fires caused by grease buildup on stovetops or ovens.
Clean kitchen exhaust hoods are important because they remove harmful bacteria like E-coli and salmonella from the air as well as prevent these toxic gases from being released into your dining room where customers eat. NFPA 96 requires kitchen hoods to be cleaned every six months, but this is often overlooked.
Benefits of Cleaning Kitchen Hoods
Clean kitchen exhaust hoods also cut down on the amount of odors that are released into your dining space and reduce carbon monoxide (CO) levels in restaurants. CO poisoning can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness or confusion–an uncomfortable situation for customers to say the least!
Some commercial kitchen exhaust hood cleaning companies recommend an annual service by a professional engineer to make sure all working parts are functioning properly; however most restaurant owners only clean their cooking equipment monthly after hours when it’s less busy with traffic coming through.
NFPA 96 Requirements
The National Fire Protection Agency estimates there were nearly 14 million reported fires last year alone- many of which could have been prevented with regular kitchen hood cleaning. NFPA 96 recommends, for fire protection and safety, commercial kitchen exhaust hoods should be cleaned at least once a year.
As with any commercial food service, it is essential that the kitchen exhaust system not only works in providing adequate ventilation but also to maintain an area free from potentially hazardous smoke or gas buildup. The use of fire sprinkler systems can help protect your restaurant and its employees by reducing potential risks such as cooking fires and accidental CO poisoning. Read more about how restaurants can minimize risk of potential fires with clean kitchen exhaust hoods for increased sanitation and safety!
The exhaust system is the most important part of a restaurant kitchen because it removes smoke, grease and other contaminants from the air before they can be released into the atmosphere. This exhaust system can get clogged with grease and other debris, and this can lead to a gas buildup that could potentially cause an explosion or fire.
A kitchen exhaust system not only works in providing adequate ventilation but also to maintain an area free from potentially hazardous smoke or gas buildup. The use of fire sprinkler systems can help protect your restaurant and its employees by reducing potential risks such as cooking fires and accidental CO poisoning. Read more about how restaurants can minimize risk of potential fires with clean kitchen exhaust hoods for increased sanitation and safety!
Routinely cleaning the kitchen exhaust system will significantly reduce the chances of it clogging up due to grease build-up, which presents significant dangers if left unchecked; these include HVAC failure, carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings, fires, sanitation issues and overall cleanliness.
A clogged kitchen exhaust system can also lead to HVAC failure; this is because the amount of grease that builds up will eventually block some or all air coming out. This, in turn, makes it difficult for a commercial kitchen’s heat and smells to escape the building.
If left unchecked, there are many potential dangers that could arise from a clogged kitchen exhaust system—carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings due to inadequate ventilation being one of them. It is important for restaurants with clogs on their hood systems to get theirs serviced immediately
Cleaning the kitchen exhaust is an important step in preventing potential fires
Fire prevention is the main reason why kitchen hood cleaning is important. The kitchen exhaust hood is the system that removes heat, smoke and cooking smells from commercial kitchens to keep them safe for employees. NFPA 96 is focused on fire prevention requiring kitchen exhausts to have a high-efficiency filter that removes at least 99.97% of the airborne particles from cooking smoke and has an automatic cleaning feature
The kitchen exhaust is one of the most important fire prevention systems in commercial kitchens because it protects against carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be deadly when inhaled
Regular inspection by a professional should help ensure these filters are clean and working effectively.
The kitchen exhaust system should be cleaned at least once a year, but more often if it’s been used heavily
The amount of use an exhaust system is going to get is dependent on the size of your commercial kitchen. It’s recommended that a professional check it at least once a year, but more often if it was used heavily such as during holidays or other high-volume times it will require more frequent cleanings.
It’s important for restaurants to keep their kitchen exhaust hoods clean because they are one of the most common sources of fires in kitchens causing $250 million dollars worth of damage per year. These kitchen fires and property damage is easily prevented with regular cleanings of kitchen exhaust hoods.
Kitchen Exhaust Hood Cleaning
The commercial kitchen’s ventilation system is one of the most important and dangerous systems in your restaurant. This article discusses how to maintain it for increased safety, efficiency, and sanitation. Kitchen exhaust hood cleaning should be done at least once a year or more often if you’ve been using your exhaust system heavily such as during holidays or other high-volume times when fire prevention becomes even more important. It’s recommended that you have a professional check it at least once a year but more often if it was used heavily such as during holidays or other high-volume times like this will require regular maintenance which includes keeping the kitchen exhaust hoods clean because they are responsible for
A dirty filter can allow particles like smoke to escape into the atmosphere which then interacts with all sorts of things like curtains and furniture before being inhaled by people who could have serious respiratory problems from this type exposure
A clean exhaust system will also reduce odors that may come from cooking food or cleaning chemicals
A clean exhaust or kitchen hood is also important for sanitizing a cooking area and reducing odors in the kitchen.
In general, there are two types of kitchen exhaust hoods: the commercial-grade which is installed in a non-residential setting and the residential one that typically hangs above stove tops
It’s important to clean both regularly as part of maintenance. A dirty filter can allow particles like smoke to escape into the atmosphere which then interacts with all sorts of things like curtains and furniture before being inhaled by people who could have serious respiratory problems from this type exposure
A clean exhaust system will also reduce odors that may come from cooking food or cleaning chemicals.
