Kitchen exhaust cleaning services help commercial kitchen owners meet NFPA 96 compliance. It is essential to hire the services of a professional kitchen exhaust cleaning company.
Many commercial kitchen owners do not know that the commercial kitchen’s exhaust system is one of the most critical components in their establishment. Fire could quickly spread throughout the entire commercial kitchen building if it were to break down.
The exhaust system helps evacuate smoke and heat from cooking appliances. It also draws away grease, moisture, steam, smoke, and odors from the commercial kitchen and sends it to a centralized exhaust system where it is processed.
All these functions are vital in maintaining good kitchen ventilation, preventing fires, and maintaining hygienic standards inside the kitchen.
Unfortunately, over time, your ducts can accumulate grease deposits that not only block airflow but also create fire hazards. The grease build-up could also attract rodents and insects.
Who is NFPA?
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international non-profit organization known for setting safety standards. NFPA 96 is a set of health and safety requirements that every commercial kitchen exhaust system should comply with.
The NFPA creates standards and codes to help the fire service, health organizations, property managers, architects, and engineers create safe environments.
NFPA 96
NFPA 96 establishes safety standards for equipment, appliances, and components in commercial kitchen exhaust systems. The standard requires all commercial kitchens to have an automatic fire suppression system. It also needs your commercial kitchen’s ventilation system to be up to date with no blockages or potential hazards.
NFPA code compliance is essential in any foodservice establishment because it ensures that your customers and staff are safe.
NFPA Cleaning Guidelines
According to NFPA 96, you should regularly clean the commercial kitchen’s ventilation system. Cleaning your commercial kitchen’s ventilation system is essential in maintaining good indoor air quality and preventing fires.
It only makes sense to contract professional kitchen exhaust cleaning companies to work on your establishment’s ducts. The last thing you want is rodents or insects to be drawn to your restaurant looking for food. In this case, the pests will only find grease deposits and clogged kitchen ventilation systems as a suitable source of nourishment.
In addition to that, after commercial cooking equipment is shut down, you should then clean the system at least once every four hours.
NFPA recommendations also say that an expert should inspect fire suppression systems at least once a month. The system’s automatic fire suppression agent fights fires within the ventilation ducts.
If your kitchen exhaust system has not been cleaned regularly, you will not enjoy complete protection from this equipment. This creates a potential hazard in your commercial establishment because it may lead to fire outbreaks.
Having a professional kitchen exhaust cleaning company clean your establishment’s ventilation system is an investment that will reap its rewards. Your commercial kitchen ventilation system will function adequately, and your restaurant’s indoor air quality will improve. Installing the correct type of commercial kitchen equipment also helps create a positive first impression, bringing more clients and customers.
It’s also essential to have a professional kitchen cleaning company regularly service your commercial cooking equipment. This includes having them clean the exterior of your cooking appliances, hood filters, ducts, and all the other major components in your commercial kitchen exhaust system.
Having trained professionals maintain your restaurant’s ventilation system means that you don’t have to worry about contamination or the risk of fire spreading to your personnel or cooking appliances.
How often should a commercial kitchen exhaust be cleaned?
The following guidelines were taken from NFPA 96:
Monthly – For systems serving solid fuel cooking operations. The fuels include wood, coal, oil, or other solid fuels.
Quarterly – High-volume cooking operations like 24-hour cooking, charbroiling, or work cooking.
Semi-Annually – Systems with moderate-volume cooking operations.
Annually – This cleaning and inspection are for systems serving low-volume operations. These include churches, day camps, seasonal businesses, or senior centers.
As you can see from the above, commercial kitchens should have their ventilation systems inspected and cleaned regularly.
How Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Services Deliver NFPA 96 Compliance
By working with a professional kitchen exhaust cleaning company, you can enjoy the following benefits:
1. Fire Prevention
You have your commercial kitchen’s ventilation system regularly inspected and cleaned means that you’re keeping a critical eye on fire prevention. This is an essential part of maintaining the safety standards in your establishment, both for food staff and customers.
2. Comply with Fire Codes
The NFPA 96 code is an enforceable standard for commercial kitchens. It requires that all commercial kitchen areas be inspected and attended to regularly. When you work with a professional, their staff will bring NFPA 96 compliance into your restaurant’s ventilation system, giving you peace of mind in knowing that your establishment is prepared for inspections at any time.
3. Save time
These professional kitchen cleaning companies will provide you with a service plan that will make it easy to keep your food establishment’s ventilation system safe and clean. This takes some of the stress out of compliance while also allowing you to focus on training your food staff.
4. Prevent damages
Another key benefit of working with a commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning service is that they help avoid costly damages to your cooking appliances. These companies hire professionals who know how to clean your restaurant’s ventilation system without damaging it.
5. They clean deep
A kitchen exhaust hood takes care of any smoke or fumes your cooking appliances produce. As this is a vital part of your restaurant’s ventilation system, the experts who do the cleaning will get inside of it to ensure that there isn’t build-up.
They have tools to ensure that your restaurant’s ventilation system is deep-cleaned. This means that you won’t have to worry about any of the following problems:
- Building up grease or oil around your cooking appliances.
- Accumulation of dirt from the filters being blocked from airflow.
- The need for extra cleaning after a new machine is installed before it’s turned on.
6. Ensure that your kitchen ventilation system is installed properly
When you work with a professional ventilation cleaning company, they will help you ensure that your commercial kitchen exhaust system is installed to NFPA 96 standards. This helps reduce the risk of fire damages to your restaurant and provides you with peace of mind knowing it’s done right.
Working with a commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning company like Bare Metal Standard will deliver these benefits and more to your restaurant. Contact them today to get started! ***
Reasons to Keep Your Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Clean
Here are some of the main reasons to keep your commercial kitchen’s exhaust system clean:
1. Prevent fires
One of the most apparent reasons to keep your kitchen exhaust system clean is to prevent fires. When grease builds up in the cooking hood, ventilation ducts, and fans, it can catch fire. If you are using commercial cooking appliances which produce heat over 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), you must clean the exhaust system at least twice a year or even more frequently.
2. Keep your kitchen safe and healthy
One of the reasons to keep your commercial kitchen exhaust system clean is to keep your employees and customers safe and healthy. When grease builds up in the ventilation system, it can get dispersed into the air and deposited on cooking appliances like grills and ovens, directly exposed to food products.
3. Increase energy efficiency and improve the cooking equipment life span
A clean commercial kitchen exhaust system is more efficient, especially if it’s a gas-fired or wood-burning cooking appliance. This means you will spend less time cleaning the equipment and have to change filters less often. A clean fan also reduces the strain on your forced air convection system.
4. Decrease utility costs
A clean restaurant kitchen exhaust hood is easier to keep clean, which means you will spend less time cleaning it and have to change filters less often. Cleaning the grease out of your cooking appliances regularly allows the ovens to function more efficiently, too, reducing your overall energy costs.
All these things equal lower utility costs, and a restaurant can’t afford higher than average energy bills.
5. Enhance airflow
When your ducts become clogged with grease, the airflow is restricted. This reduces the effectiveness of your ventilation system and may even cause fires. A clean design creates a smooth airflow which enables your exhaust system to work as it should.
Conclusion
Commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning services deliver NFPA 96 compliance and improve the efficiency of your entire exhaust system. When combined with other fire protection methods, a clean commercial kitchen exhaust system provides a higher level of safety for your business and customers.
When hiring a professional firm to clean your commercial kitchen exhaust system, make sure that they comply with NFPA standards and provide you with a written contract and warranty (usually one year for hood cleaning and two years for duct cleaning). A little prevention can go a long way.
