A restaurant’s kitchen hood is an important part of the operation. It not only provides a safe environment for employees and customers, but it also assists with the ventilation of the kitchen. If it is not properly maintained, it can become a fire hazard. For that reason, the National Fire Protection Association recommends that a commercial cooking establishment’s kitchen hood be cleaned on a regular basis.
Depending on the type of food being prepared, some facilities may only need to have their kitchen hood filters cleaned once or twice a week. On the other hand, more frequent cleanings are recommended if the facility is serving a lot of people and has a high volume of grease buildup. In fact, NFPA 96, a national standard for the industry, recommends that most commercial cooking establishments clean their hoods quarterly.
When it comes to a hood’s cleaning, the National Fire Protection Association recommends that you clean the interior of the hood, the plenum, and the exhaust fan. These are the parts of the hood that are likely to have the most built up residue. To get the optimum result, it is best to use a non-abrasive scrub pad to remove the built up grease and other debris. You should also make sure that you use warm water and a liquid degreaser to make the process as easy as possible.
The most common cause of fires in eating and drinking establishments is grease, which can be flammable. Grease accumulation on the roof of a restaurant can be a serious fire hazard and can cause costly repairs. Besides, grease is not something you want your restaurant to have to deal with on a regular basis.
There are many different hood cleaners available to restaurants and other food service industries. Restaurant owners can either hire one of these companies or perform the cleaning themselves. However, if the restaurant does not have a hood cleaning expert on staff, they should consider investing in a professional company to do the job.
Typically, a company will clean the hood using hot water power washing. This Hood Cleaning type of cleaning typically uses 1,500 to 2,000 psi of pressure to remove the buildup of grease. They then rinse it off with hot water. Usually, the process is repeated until all the metal is bare.
Cleaning the hood also involves cleaning the duct work. Contractors may use brushes to clean the plenum or the hood’s interior. Similarly, they may pressure wash the baffle filters. After that, they reinstall them.
Before a hood cleaning company arrives, it is important to remove any exhaust fans from the duct work. Alternatively, the company can install hinge kits that allow the hood cleaning team to gain access to the ductwork. This will help prevent damage to the fan base and other parts of the ductwork.
In addition to cleaning the hood and the duct work, a hood cleaning company can also provide a variety of other services for your restaurant. Some of these include power washing, vacuuming, scrubbing, and polishing.