If you own a commercial cooking establishment, you have a kitchen exhaust system. This carries away the stale odors and prevents moisture, grease and other undesirable particulates from discoloring or negatively affecting the walls and surrounding surfaces. They are carried up into the hood and wafted away by the connected horizontal and vertical ducts. Overtime, the build-up requires you call in a company specializing in kitchen exhaust cleaning. In Iowa, there are several reasons for ensuring this practice is part of the routine maintenance required by any restaurant or other cooking establishment.
Why a Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Is Necessary?
Kitchen exhaust cleaning in Iowa is also known as hood cleaning. The procedure is to thoroughly clean the entire system. The company will thoroughly scour clean more than the obvious surfaces. They will scrub the various parts of the exhaust system including:
* The Hoods
* The Filters
* The Fans
* The Vents
* The Horizontal Duct Work
* The Vertical Ductwork
The reasons for undergoing this thorough process are varied. The owner must clean the system because of his or her insurance requirements. It is also required under the law. The municipal health board or department demands this procedure be done. Yet, the most important reason to make sure a thorough kitchen exhaust cleaning occurs with regularity is simple: To avoid a fire.
If you do not clean the hood, it begins to accumulate grease, oily sludge and dirt. This simply sits there. Together with bacteria, it hides there waiting for something to happen. If left too long, the hood becomes both a fire and health hazard.
The Frequency of Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning
When it comes to kitchen exhaust cleaning, it is important to understand how frequent the job is required. Because of the varied pieces of equipment and the amounts and type of cooking performed, the intervals between cleaning will vary. In Iowa, as is valid for many other states, the regulations governing kitchen exhaust cleaning provide specific time frames for different types of cooking, hoods and usage. The times allotted between cleaning periods can be anywhere from a month to a year.
It is up to the owner to talk to the local fire authorities about what time frame he or she is allowed. The owner should also have a copy of the regulations – NFPA-96 published in print and available online that govern the prevention of fires that may result from restaurant cooking equipment including hoods and other aspects of kitchen exhaust systems.
Avoiding Kitchen Fires
As a professional restaurant owner, you have the power to reduce the potential fire risks to patrons and staff alike. This is more than a legal obligation. It is a moral one as well. Kitchen exhaust cleaning in Iowa is considered one of the most effective methods of preventing a kitchen fire. Make sure you talk to the local fire chief and arrange for a professional to clean the kitchen exhaust system as part of your regular maintenance schedule.
When it comes time to hiring the right company to handle your kitchen exhaust cleaning in Iowa, be sure to get in touch first with the professionals at the Getz Fire Equipment Company. As a leader in the fields of fire protection and safety industries, we take great pride in our quality services to the community. As a full service fire protection company we a rather to provide you with the protection, training and services you will need to reduce the potential of fire destroying your business. Get in touch with us online at Getzfire.com.
