You don’t have to own a restaurant to have a commercial kitchen. After all, hospitals, churches, hotels, schools and senior centers all have kitchens that can feed a large number of people. Regardless of how large or small the kitchen is, or what volume of food it churns out every month, people in the building could be in danger if something goes wrong.

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That’s where proper vent hood cleaning comes in. This important maintenance step is also important for keeping your building, and the people inside, safe. If you operate a low-volume commercial kitchen that is not a restaurant, then you may only need to clean your vent hood once or twice a year to comply with NFPA regulations. This isn’t a huge commitment, and taking the time to have it done each year is vitally important for many reasons:

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• Reduce the risk of fire: The purpose of a vent hood is to trap as much grease, smoke and grime as possible. That’s why it’s located directly above the cooking surface. Over time, the hood accumulates a sticky layer of grease. If heated to a high enough temperature, this grease could ignite. Grease fires are incredibly dangerous and burn very hot, so any step you can take to reduce this risk is worth taking.

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• Reduce dangerous particle emissions: The grimier a kitchen vent hood becomes, the less efficient it is at trapping grease, smoke and other grime. Particles not trapped in the vent hood are free to escape into the air inside the building. This causes a potential health risk to your kitchen staff and other people in the building.

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• Stay in compliance: If a local fire official makes a surprise visit to your commercial kitchen, he could fine you or shut down the establishment if he discovers the kitchen hood is not clean and well maintained. This isn’t something you ever want to deal with!

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• Keep insurance costs lower: Insurance companies require commercial kitchens to comply with all fire safety codes. If you’re found in violation of any codes, you could lose coverage or watch helplessly as your premiums skyrocket.

 

It takes longer for the grease and grime to build up in a low-volume commercial kitchen, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore it altogether. After enough time has passed, a neglected school kitchen vent hood or Type II steam hood could become just as filthy as one in a high-volume restaurant.

The fact is you could clean your kitchen hood yourself if you really wanted to, but it’s strongly recommended that you hire a professional for the job. Also, the NFPA requires a licensed person/company to perform the service as well. 

 

A fire protection and prevention expert can help:

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• Save time and effort: Hood cleaning is a difficult, messy and time-consuming task. Hiring an expert frees up time to run your establishment.

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• Get the job done right: Vent hoods are intricate, and if you don’t have experience cleaning them, you could overlook something important. Professionals get the job done efficiently and thoroughly.

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• Address necessary repairs: It’s possible your kitchen hood system isn’t working properly. Having a professional clean it serves as an opportunity to check for correct system operation and make any necessary repairs.

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• Address fire code issues: Fire codes change over the years. If you’re working in an old building that is no longer up to code, a hood cleaning professional can tell you what changes you need to make.

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To avoid fire safety concerns and compliance issues, seek vent hood cleaning services from KC Hood Masters, Inc. We provide this important maintenance task for all varieties of commercial kitchens, and we work with your schedule to make sure cleaning occurs when it’s convenient for you. 

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