Fire prevention is something every restaurant owner takes seriously, and your kitchen exhaust system plays a critical role in keeping everyone safe. But did you know that kitchens are required to maintain a routine cleaning schedule? Cleaning commercial kitchen hoods removes grease buildup that can easily lead to kitchen fires. Read on to learn more about keeping your kitchen hood exhaust system clean and safe.
How Does Scheduled Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning Prevent Fires?
Commercial kitchen hood cleaning lays the groundwork for safety in restaurants and foodservice facilities everywhere. Every time you cook a meal in a professional kitchen, heat, smoke, and grease are produced. Heat rises, smoke goes up the exhaust hood, and grease follows suit. Exhaust systems are designed to collect grease that would otherwise drip down onto your equipment or floor.
Despite your best efforts to clean your kitchen daily, grease still collects in places you never think of looking. Inside your commercial kitchen exhaust hood and ductwork is a grease fire hazard growing each day you miss your scheduled cleaning.
Kitchen fires can spread rapidly, injuring workers and diners. Fires usually occur due to excess grease buildup hiding inside your kitchen hood.
That’s why it’s so important to have your commercial kitchen hood cleaned routinely by qualified technicians. I’ll show you how often you should schedule kitchen hood cleaning services and explain why it’s required by fire codes.
Why is Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning Important?
Scheduled cleaning and maintenance are vital for any commercial kitchen hood system. All restaurant owners want to keep their kitchens clean and sanitary, but hidden grease poses a massive threat to fire safety.
What is Included in Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning?
Commercial kitchen hood cleaning should include the entire exhaust system. Certified technicians remove grease from your vent hood, filters, grease cups, ductwork, exhaust fans, and more.
Kitchen hood cleaning begins with covering your cooking equipment and countertops to protect them from spills. Commercial cleaners apply degreasers and use tools to scrape large grease deposits off the hood, filters, and inside of ductwork. Stubborn grease is typically washed away with hot, pressurized water. Finally, technicians will wipe down and polish the system before testing it for safety.
You shouldn’t be able to see grease buildup or residue in your system with the naked eye. Routine cleaning by professional teams is the only way to keep your kitchen fire ready.
Preventing Kitchen Fires with Commercial Hood Cleaning
You may think that if your kitchen looks clean there isn’t a fire hazard present. However, that could not be further from the truth. Grease fires are responsible for many restaurant losses each year.
When grease is allowed to build up inside your kitchen exhaust hood and ductwork, you’re inviting disaster. A fire that starts on your stovetop can quickly spread to the grease trapped inside your kitchen hood.
If you’ve never had your kitchen exhaust system cleaned professionally, now is the time to do so. Fire can spread beyond your kitchen in seconds if you don’t have your system cleaned routinely.
Grease Buildup Is a Kitchen Fire Hazard
When grease accumulates inside your kitchen exhaust hood and ductwork, you don’t see it. Every time you cook on a grill, fryer, or sauté pan grease particles are produced.
You’re probably thinking of the type of grease that ends up on your equipment or floor. However, there are invisible grease particles that become airborne when you cook. Your kitchen hood is designed to suck grease and smoke up and out of your kitchen.
As grease filled air moves through the ductwork it cools and sticks to the metal surfaces. Over time, a sticky residue builds up on the inside of your ductwork system and exhaust fans.
Commercial kitchen hood cleaning will remove grease from every inch of your system, including areas you don’t think about. That hidden grease needs to be professionally cleaned away before it leads to disaster.
How Kitchen Fires Start
Kitchen fires can happen in an instant. One moment you’re cooking on a stove or grill and the next you could have a grease fire. Sparks and flames from a burn can spread to your kitchen hood if grease is allowed to accumulate.
Since grease particles are flammable, any fire that spreads to your kitchen exhaust system can cause huge problems. Your fire suppression system may activate, but grease fires typically spread fast and can’t always be contained.
A fire that reaches your kitchen hood will spread inside your ductwork, up through your ceiling, and into walls. It’s almost unimaginable how quickly a grease fire can spread once your kitchen hood is involved. Restaurants and cooking facilities lose tens of thousands to millions of dollars due to kitchen fires every year.
Don’t become another statistic. Regular cleaning is essential to prevent fires in restaurants.
Why Kitchen Hood Cleaning is Necessary
You may be thinking that kitchen hood cleaning is just to keep your kitchen looking pristine. I’m here to tell you that fire code compliance and customer safety should be your top priorities.
Grease Buildup Can Cause Your Restaurant to Fail an Inspection
Fire departments, health departments, and insurance companies all want to see that you’re taking kitchen fires seriously. Part of that is ensuring your commercial kitchen hood is cleaned routinely by qualified technicians.
Most authorities use the NFPA 96 as a standard for cleaning. This code calls for commercial kitchens to have their exhaust systems cleaned at least annually. Local fire departments and insurance companies can have even stricter guidelines.
If you want to pass your next fire or health inspection without any issues, document your commercial kitchen hood cleaning services. Commercial kitchen hood cleaning companies provide before and after reports, photos, and service documentation that can help you during inspections.
Customers and employees can tell when you don’t care about fire safety. A clean kitchen reflects the fact that you care about everyone who walks through your doors. Protect your business by sticking to a cleaning schedule and providing a safe environment.
Find a Professional Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning Company
Did you know that when you hire commercial kitchen hood cleaning services you also get professional Fire Protection Services? Brazas Fire serves the Albuquerque and New Mexico’s kitchen hood cleaning needs. We can also help you select and install the right kitchen hood fire protection equipment and the specific type of fire extinguishers for kitchen fires to protect your restaurant or commercial kitchen.
Whether you need help choosing, installing, inspecting, or maintaining your fire suppression system, we are here for you. The right equipment can mean peace of mind that your kitchen will be protected from fire damage.
Commercial Kitchen Hood Cleaning Services You Can Trust
Avoid costly fines and failed inspections by hiring Brazas Fire today. We offer comprehensive fire protection services and professional commercial kitchen hood cleaning to our clients. When you meet with us we will also help you establish a regular kitchen hood cleaning schedule so your stays fire safe year round.
Our team of experts offer equipment, service, and installation of fire suppression systems. From fire extinguishers to complete hood suppression systems, we do it all.
Regularly cleaning your kitchen exhaust helps prevent grease buildup that could lead to fire damage. Give Brazas Fire a call at 505-889-8999 or fill out a free estimate form today!