Kitchen Ventilation

Restaurant hood/vent cleaning not only addresses one area of concern relating to food safety, but also addresses another public safety concern ...fire.  A grease-laden hood or vent can serve as a major fire hazard since it not only establishes an ignition point for the fire, but also a way for the fire to spread through the building since vents either traverse through walls or ceilings.   NFPA 96 sets twice-yearly cleaning of exhausts for systems serving moderate-volume cooking; quarterly cleaning for high-volume operations such as 24-hour cooking, charbroiling or wok cooking.  Cleaning itself is accomplished by pressure washing, steam vapor or scraping.  Set up a  bi-annual cleaning and maintenance program with a professional service to keep your vent and duct system up to code.

Line Equipment Under the Hood

INSPECTION    Light burners and stove  check to see if working  properly.
 DISASSEMBLY   Remove stove top racks, burner knobs, burners and grease pans, containers and bottom faceplate.
 CLEANING TIPS   Let oven cool and apply oven cleaner. Soak burners, knobs. Scrape exterior, apply chemical, pressure wash and rinse and reassemble.

Ranges     

• Make sure pot sizes match element sizes.
• When gas elements are set on high, flame tips should just touch the bottom of pots, pans and kettles.
• Check gas burners periodically. If flames are yellow or uneven, clean the burner with a wire brush and make sure holes are unobstructed
• Regularly inspect safety controls and automatic lighters.
• Check thermostats for accuracy and recalibrate, if necessary.