Fire at taco bell

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Methods of Kitchen Exhaust System Cleaning

Kitchen exhaust cleaning is required by law for virtually every commercial cooking establishment in the United States. Restaurants, hospitals, hotels, employee cafeterias and other food-service locations have a "hood" and ductwork over the stove to exhaust smoke, steam, and fumes out of the building. These exhaust gases leave a residue on the inside of the ductwork. This is usually a grease residue of some sort, depending on the type of cooking. Char broilers commonly leave heavy black grease. Chinese cooking normally deposits a sticky or rubbery residue. When a charcoal or wood-burning stove is in use soot and ash residue builds up in the ductwork. Dishwashers leave heavy lint deposits.

When the buildup of grease becomes heavy, a fire hazard exists. Approximately one of three restaurant fires is caused by grease. A common scenario of how a kitchen exhaust fire starts is this:

A flame flares up on the stove.

The fire contacts the filters above the stove on the kitchen hood. The filters ignite.

Since the exhaust fan is on, drawing air into the hood, through the filters, and up the duct, the flame on the filters is pulled into the duct.

If significant grease residue exists on the duct interior, this can act as a fuel and the fire spreads up the duct, perhaps all the way into the fan. We have seen fire climb up a ten-story duct to the fan on the roof and burn up the fan.

Modern duct construction is designed to hopefully withstand such duct fires. The duct seams are welded to prevent grease or fire from leaking out and the shafts around the duct are made of fire- resistive materials. However, older buildings are still at risk, and even in modern ones the fire may leak out or could come out onto the roof via the fan.

When an exhaust system is cleaned regularly, however, the chances of a duct fire are extremely remote.

METHODS OF CLEANING

There are two primary methods of cleaning kitchen exhaust System

ductwork: Scraping.

Pressure washing or steam cleaning.

This is the more economical method and is extremely effective when done thoroughly. We know of no duct fires that have occurred because of using this method (unless it was done poorly). Scraping of duct systems complies with the Uniform Fire Code that is the governing fire code. The cleaning method for kitchen exhaust systems is scraping then pressure washing.

The alternative to scraping is pressure washing or steam cleaning. This is a more costly and time-consuming technique, since it requires considerable prep work to control wastewater and more expensive equipment is involved. However, this method will clean ductwork down to "bare metal," which is the recommendation of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as spelled out in NFPA Standard 96.

We frequently do pressure washing of kitchen exhausts as well as scraping. This is done for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the ductwork may be inaccessible for scraping or the client simply wants to take the extra precautionary step of having it cleaned to "bare metal."

HOW OFTEN SHOULD A KITCHEN EXHAUST BE CLEANED?

The most common cleaning frequency is every 3 months. This can vary, however. The kitchen exhaust systems that need cleaning most often are those over wood-burning or charcoal-burning stoves. These should be cleaned every month at least, and in some cases as often as every 2 weeks.

Below are various types of cooking establishments and their most commonly recommended cleaning frequencies.

Wood-burning or charcoal-burning stoves, charbroilers, 24-hour restaurants, and some hamburger places: 30 DAYS.
Many hamburger restaurants and fast-food locations: 60 DAYS.
Average restaurant, employee cafeteria, and hotel or hospital kitchen: 90 DAYS.
Pizza places, convalescent hospital, small snack bar, oven hood: 180 DAYS.
Hoods over non-grease-creating appliances, such as steam kettles, dishwashers, soup vats, etc. ONE YEAR.
Kitchen exhaust cleaning is a standard part of the routine maintenance of any cooking establishment. All kitchen managers and restaurant owners should be aware of its role in fire prevention and ensure it is done on a regular basis.

Kitchen exhaust system design

A properly designed kitchen exhaust system

Posted on September 26, 2013

INTRODUCTION

The science of commercial kitchen ventilation includes both exhausting air as well as providing replacement air within the cooking area. Whether a restaurant is a small free-standing site or a large institutional kitchen, managing and balancing airflow is a complex issue. It is a challenge to properly ventilate commercial kitchens, as they require moving large volumes of air through ductwork and equipment placement in very restricted spaces.

Overall design, construction, installation coordination, and maintenance are required to get optimum performance and an energy-efficient air balance from the system.

provides the information and drawings to illustrate the elements of construction and installation of commercial kitchen ventilation systems. The information is intended to encourage standardization in installations and to call attention to the appropriate segregation of responsibilities of those involved with food service design and installation.

DESCRIPTION

A TYPICAL SYSTEM

A typical kitchen ventilation system includes an exhaust hood or canopy, ductwork, fan system, and a means of providing adequate make-up air. The entire system must constitute a fire-safe assembly within the building.

Exhaust hoods and canopies capture heat and contaminates in the air by means of filters, extraction baffles (cartridges), and water mist systems. There are many style variations of hoods with canopy styles—a large box with and open bottom—being the most common. Styles selection is based on the type of oven and the expected contaminates to be removed. While there are several styles of hoods, all fall within two major categories:

• Type I hoods carry a listing label and are manufactured and installed according to the manufacturer’s and listing agencies’ requirements. They are designed to handle grease and include a number of integrated components within the hood.
• Type II hoods are used in the collection of steam, vapor, heat, and odors—but not grease. The two sub-classifications of Type II hoods are condensate and heat/fume.

Backshelf hood over cookline

Exhaust ductwork provides the means to transfer contaminated air, cooking heat, and grease vapors from the hood to the fan.

• Ducts accumulate combustible grease and should be constructed from 16- steel or 18-gage stainless steel as per code requirements.
• The ducts must me securely supported by non-combustible duct bracing and supports designed to carry the gravity and seismic loads as per code requirements, no fasteners should penetrate the duct.
• The duct is often run inside a shaft enclosure and that enclosure is typically constructed of gypsum board, plaster, concrete, or ceramic tiles and must be an approved continuous fire-rated enclosure.

Hood and ceiling enclosures

Exhaust fans move the heat and contaminated air out of the building. All exhaust fan components must be accessible or have removable access panels for cleaning and inspection and must be designed to contain and drain any excess grease. There are three major types of exhaust fans:

• Up-blast fans are typically aluminum centrifugals that are designed for roof mounting directly on top of the exhaust stack.
• Utility fans are normally roof-mounted with the inlet and outlet 90 degrees from each other and are typically used where high-static pressure losses exist.
• Inline fans are typically located in the interior duct and are used where exterior fan mounting is impractical.

Up-blast fan assembly

In order for the exhaust system to work properly, make-up air is required to replace air equal to the amount removed. Make-up air can be provided via an independent system or in combination with the building’s HVAC system.

KITCHEN VENTILATION CONCEPTS

To better understand why a kitchen ventilation system needs to be designed and constructed in a very specific manner, the principles behind air movement must be understood. Buildings are required to adhere to indoor air quality regulations and, depending upon the jurisdiction, sometimes exhaust air quality regulations. The food service industry must meet higher air quality regulations than standard building exhausts due to the type of contaminated air produced by cooking food.

Exhaust Air

Exhaust air is the starting point in restaurant kitchen ventilation design. Exhaust air is the air that is contaminated by smoke and grease-laden vapor (aerosols) created by the cooking source. This air must be removed from the building in a manner that complies with local codes and ordinances.

Replacement Air

Make-up or, supply air must be provided in approximately equal amounts to replace the kitchen air being exhausted. Typically, outside air is supplied through a designed make-up air system. Most health codes require that an amount of fresh outside air be included in any replacement air calculation to assist in indoor air quality requirements.

THE KITCHEN VENTILATION TEAM

The safety and design requirements of both commercial kitchen exhaust and make-up air systems require that a group of key players have sufficient knowledge of the subject to coordinate the entire process from design to operation. The following overview provides a brief description of each team member with a vested interest in the process and suggests criteria necessary to design and install a comprehensive and balanced system that offers efficient operating costs, climatic controls, and satisfies building and fire regulations.

Owner/Facility Manager

An owner/facility manager needs to understand the interdependence of each piece of the kitchen system to recognize the value of having a complete and properly integrated system that will provide a productive and comfortable work environment that is also cost-effective.

Architect

The architect is responsible for the commercial restaurant’s design including fire-resistive walls, floor-to-ceiling assemblies, roof-ceiling assemblies, and the protection of openings as well as the horizontal and vertical smoke barriers. In consideration for fire protection, the architects first must determine the overall function of the structure and the type of occupancy of its spaces. The architect is also responsible to design appropriate spaces within the building that are required to be separated by fire-resistive assemblies with protected openings, as set forth in the local building code. The architect will communicate and cooperate with the authority having jurisdiction at the building site and comply with any special conditions of fire protection design required by that authority.

Contractors

Contractors must have access to and be able to use manuals and design procedures in order to fully comply with design objectives and specifications established by the kitchen ventilation system designer.

Code Officials

Local code authorities must be capable of judging adequacy and comparability in the installation of commercial kitchen ventilation systems and its components and assemblies. The most critical aspects of a code official’s job are fire and safety issues. However, understanding the “standards of practice” that quality contractors strive to achieve is also important.

Engineer/System Designer

The engineer or system designer is responsible for knowing where ducts, pipes, and other conduits pass through required fire-rated separations or smoke barriers. Duct penetrations must be shown on the mechanical plans and designed with an appropriate protection method. Use of standard symbols is highly recommended. International Mechanical Code (IMC) and the National Fire Protection Association Standard # 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations (NFPA #96), NFPA 17A and 90A, all state that the designer must show on the plans the location and mounting details of all automatic fire doors, dampers, access panels, and other fire protection means incorporated into both the exhaust and supply systems.

To coordinate all requirements, designers must possess all necessary information on barrier locations, occupancy assignments, protection planning, rating, and identification of compartments and structural components. Drawings must show fire and smoke dampers and heat stops. The engineer/designer should specify the hourly rating and type of damper and requirements for access doors. Specific framing requirements of openings should be provided in the architectural and structural drawings submitted for building permits. Thickness and type of fire resistive material may vary by jurisdiction. There should be coordination in advance with local authorities to verify the acceptance of the methods and equipment proposed for use.

RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS

Local codes are generally adopted from either the International Mechanical Code (IMC) or the National Fire Protection Association Standard # 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations (NFPA #96) or a combination of the two with particular local issues of concern included. In many major cities, local codes are written and published by local building officials; however, such codes are frequently based on one of the national codes previously mentioned.

Certain government agencies such as the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have specific standards or codes that must be accommodated in construction performed for these agencies.

In some instances, the insurance companies that underwrite the building have recommendations or standards from the American Insurance Association (AIA).

Planners and designers need to identify and consult the local authority having jurisdiction and local governing codes prior to designing a kitchen ventilation system. Consideration must be given to both the building and fire codes.

Posted in A proper designed Kitchen exhaust hood | Tagged commerical hood cleaning, grease duct cleaning, hood and duct cleaning, instructions for hood cleaning, kitchen exhaust cleaning., kitchen hood cleaning, Kitchen hood cleaning business, Restaurant hood cleaning, Restaurant kitcen hood duct cleaning, what kitchen hood cleaning company

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Why is SEO so Important
SEO (search engine optimization) is important because it places your website high in the Google rankings without costs.  It is the process of building websites so they easily be found by search engines.  SEO is important to you because it does not cost you when people visit your website or on a month to month basis.  It is also important to you because people visit SEO optimized websites.

Getting listed high in the Google rankings is like owning a money tree.


Websites Based on Google SEO
Eds Exhaust has based its SEO optimization on Google simply because Google is the search engine of choice world wide.  In 2009 here is the monthly search breakdown:
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    *Microsoft           4.1 billion
It is estimated that Google controls 70% of the world’s search market.

Why Can’t My Website be Found on Google?
We cannot address every search engine, so we have chosen to concentrate on Google.  Some say you must be in the top forty to be found on Google (that means the 4th page of the SEO search result).  Wow.  The top 40 (forty) of 8,350,000,000 (8.35 billion) web pages. The top 40 thing may be true, but I believe you have to do better.  Only someone with great perseverance is going to search that far.  And in the land of fast food, I think deep searches are highly improbable. 

Some say you have to be in the top 20.  Since there are 10 listings on each page, that means you must be on the second page of the SEO search result.  This is a little more plausible, but I have heard different…and I believe different.  In and SEO conference given by a large internet company, they said that if you are not in the top 10 SEO search results of Google (Google’s first page) then you may as well be in Siberia.
They went on to say for every step up on the first page their research showed a 7% increase in traffic.  Based on this, my conclusion was obvious.  I want to design websites and pages so that they will come up as high on Google as possible…preferably high up on the first page of Google.
Are You are Interested in a Website Developed by Eds Exhaust with Google SEO?
Promote you new hood cleaning business with a website that works for you 24 hours a day / 7 days per week.  When potential customers search for your services…you need to be there.
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Kitchen-hood-cleaning-training

You are trained live in the field on the roof at night in real world situations.  Our personalized training teaches you a unique method of cleaning restaurant's hood and duct systems, which will allow you to run your business as a 1 person highly profitable business.  You are also taught about sales and marketing and how to get and keep your new restaurant hood and duct cleaning jobs.  If you can't get the jobs and keep them, then it doesn't help if you can clean the hoods.   If you learn from the competition you will be just like all the other Hood and Duct cleaning companies that exist and will have no competitive edge with your bidding.  With our system, there are no payroll taxes, or the hassle of hiring/ firing people to clean your restaurants.  Because it is just you running your business there will be no expenses related to renting office space, office equipment, computers, phone lines, property taxes etc.  You will run your business from your home usually, which will allow you to significantly increase your profit margin.  In short you will get the best training and start your business making a profit from the start.Contact (631-775-6999)
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Restaurant-kitchen-hood-Cleaning-Cost

• In many regions of the country, restaurants are required by health board regulations to have their kitchen exhaust hoods cleaned on a regular basis to prevent bacteria growth and potential grease fires. This creates more than ample opportunity for entrepreneurs to start an exhaust hood cleaning service. There is specialized equipment available for cleaning restaurant exhaust hoods and filters. However, this equipment can be costly, and to reduce start up costs you can always resort to the good old 'strong arm' method until the business is established and the equipment can be purchased from profits. Cleaning rates vary depending on the size, style, and access to the exhaust hood, but averaged out on an hourly basis there should be no problem maintaining $75 to $150 per hour for providing the cleaning service. 
• Contact me at (631) 775-6999
• Eddie Hogan
• www.Edsexhaust.com