Have You Checked Your Ducts Lately?

Before	After

If You Even Suspect That Your Ducts Might Look Like the Before Photo – Don’t Take Chances – Contact Us Immediately For a Free Inspection and Estimate

Or have you been oblivious to the condition of your kitchen exhaust system? Maybe it’s time to take stock of where you stand:

• You have used the same cleaning company for years and have never inspected your fans or ducts to make sure they are not grease laden
• You have never requested before and after photos because you didn’t realize that most reputable companies now offer that service
• For years, you have passed fire inspections because of the sticker the hood, but has the inspector ever taken the time to check your ducts? Large workloads make this unlikely. Nevertheless, it is assumed that you understand the consequences related to a poorly maintained exhaust system. Ultimately, you are responsible for having grease thoroughly removed from your fans and ducts.
• You didn’t realize that should a fire occur, your insurance company can hold you liable for using a company that has not been certified.

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NFPA 96 is generally recognized as the governing standard when it comes to the inspection and maintenance of commercial kitchen exhaust systems. That policy states “exhaust systems should be cleaned to bare metal.”
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For the safety of the public and those employed by establishments with grease exhaust systems, there are guidelines regarding their maintenance. These guidelines are often disregarded for a number of reasons:

• Poor up keep by the kitchen staff
• Infrequent cleanings
• Hiring of negligent cleaning services
• Poor service accountability
• Restaurant owners who do not want to pay for thorough service

Statistics have shown that every year millions of dollars of direct property damage result from grease fires within U.S. commercial kitchens. Proper inspection and maintenance are essential in combating potential damage to any building housing a grease exhaust system as well as abutting properties. NFPA requires that the exhaust be inspected and cleaned by “properly trained, qualified and certified technicians.”

The bottom line is that you should be able to trust a contractor to perform the work they’ve been hired to do. Otherwise, they are not only jeopardizing lives but also their clients’ efforts to comply with laws put in place for safety purposes. Another noteworthy factor is that most insurance companies that insure restaurants require hood exhaust systems to be inspected and cleaned once a year or more depending on volume, type of cooking, and/or insurance requirements. If an establishment were to catch fire and the fire inspectors found proof that the system was never cleaned or appeared not to have been cleaned because the contractor’s have been irresponsible, most insurance companies would refuse to cover the loss. Can you afford to absorb those losses?

Improper maintenance of your exhaust system not only poses health risks, but greatly increases the chance of fire. A clean system performs more efficiently. Also, your kitchen will stay cooler and smoke free. Getting regular cleanings extends the life of the entire exhaust system. Dividends include a reduction in the need for costly repairs, new filters, and replacing belts, as well as, the prevention of leaky ducts, bad bearings and motor problems.

Because grease fires pose a major safety and property-loss threat in the United States, grease removal in kitchen exhaust systems is a prevalent topic. Curtailing the risk of proliferating grease fires is necessary in order to protect surrounding properties and the environment.

White Glove Restaurant Services understands the importance of complying with NFPA 96 standards. Our goal is to ascertain that those we are serving never need to worry about grease build up—in hoods, fans or ductwork. Public safety has to be first and foremost. That’s why there are laws in place to address what could become a heated nightmare. Remember, when ducts are not cleaned according to industry standards—bare metal with no accumulation—you are truly playing with fire. Here are some things that you should know and some should be used as a basis for choosing a contractor to clean your exhaust system:

• Cleaning a kitchen exhaust system should always include the fan (top and bottom), grease box, ductwork and any access panels all the way down to the hood
• Solely cleaning the hood is not fire prevention. That entails cleaning your complete exhaust system to bare metal which NFTA stipulates as the acceptable guideline
• If the fuel (grease) is not being completely removed from your ductwork, then there is still fuel to feed the fire
• The claim that areas are inaccessible is an excuse that many hood cleaning contractors will use to keep from having to clean a system properly
• If the area is visible, it is usually accessible to the grease ventilation system
• As grease and oil build up in a duct system–the exhaust gets hotter — which over time can result in a flash fire. Carbon monoxide and grease laden vapors are unhealthy and constitute a disaster waiting to happen
• Typically, if a flash fire occurs beyond the fire suppression system and gets to the roof, involvement of the local fire department becomes inevitable

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