Commercial Kitchen Fire Prevention
We’ve all heard it, seen it, and hope that we never have to experience it. That’s the headline news of the local restaurant that went up in flames. Everything was a total loss, and they are probably facing a lawsuit. That’s why Seattle Hood Cleaning Pros want to make commercial kitchen fire prevention easier. You can also check our About Us page to know more about our company.
If you’ve been in the restaurant business for a while, the fact that grease build up is a fire hazard may not be any news to you. But to the newbies out there, here’s your sign! Grease build up is a major fire hazard!
How does the buildup of grease put your restaurant at risk for fire?
Let’s start by explaining the purpose of your kitchen exhaust system. The purpose is to filter out grease from smoke and to prevent such material from flooding into your dining areas. If you did much frying in your restaurant and failed to install a kitchen exhaust system, you’d have a smoke filled restaurant and probably no customers.
Now, when grease and smoke come in contact and it becomes hot enough, it will ignite. So your hood system, which filters out both, is constantly accumulating grease. The more grease that builds up, the easier ignition becomes. Not only does grease create blockages and imbalanced exhaust fans, but it also can become hot very quickly.
So let’s say you neglected your hood system for far too long. You start up the fryer and begin the night’s work. Oops, you burn a few fries. Some smoke is sucked up into the super-hot and greasy hood system. Bam. Ignition. You have yourself a fire before you can even begin to guess what could have happened.
A grease fire isn’t your typical fire
If you talk to any fire marshal who has ever dealt with a grease fire, they might tell you it was one of the more complicated fires they’ve dealt with. A grease fire spreads extremely fast. Why? Because when grease is hot, it becomes liquid. Liquid splashes everywhere and therefore ignites everything it touches. For that reason, water cannot be applied to a grease fire.
Sometimes, if the grease fire is small enough, baking soda can be applied. However, if you have a fire you should always call the fire department for help.
The best way to prevent a restaurant grease fire is by cleaning and maintaining your exhaust hood system. Period. Grease accumulation is the risk. If you minimize the amount of grease that builds up, you minimize your fire risks.
So how often should we clean and maintain the hood system?
The local board of health and your insurance company may require that you maintain and clean your hood system regularly. Check with your insurance company or the board of health for a recommended cleaning schedule.
Generally, a restaurant that does a lot of frying should have their kitchen cleaned about every 90 days.
The insurance company or board of health may also recommend that you have a professional do it for you. Having a professional do it has many benefits, but the greatest benefit is that we know what we’re doing. Seattle Hood Cleaning can properly take apart your hood system and determine any risk factors for you. We can also clean up-to-code and reach those unseen problem areas.
Things to watch out for:
- Rattling exhaust fan
A rattling exhaust fan is often caused by too much grease build up on the fan. Not only can it burn up the motor, but it can also be a sign that grease is getting out of hand.
- Grease build up throughout kitchen that cannot be scrubbed off
If the build-up has reached the point of not coming off with some elbow grease, it’s time for a professional hood cleaning.
- Any unusual sounds coming from your exhaust system
Never overlook a strange sound that’s coming from your hood system. Call us or visit our Contact page and we’ll come to check it out.
Call us today to get the best hood cleaning service in Seattle.
Another great thing about choosing Seattle Hood Cleaning Pros is that we offer commercial kitchen fire prevention resources, such as fire extinguishers. If you want to get with the program and prevent fires, impress inspectors, and just have an all-around sparkling kitchen, call us at 206-929-4133.