A thorough cleaning of an entire commercial kitchen exhaust system at regular intervals is critical to reduce the risk of a dangerous and damaging fire. It is required by the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 96 standard, which in turn is the standard adopted by the Illinois Fire Marshall. Cleanings are required whenever the system is found to be contaminated, and inspections are required:
- Annually for low-volume operations
- Semiannually for medium-volume operations
- Quarterly for high-volume operations
- Monthly for systems that burn solid fuel
But there are things you can, and should, do between cleanings that don’t require a visit from your friendly kitchen exhaust cleaner:
- Empty the drip tray and the grease receptacle under the filters regularly.
- Make sure that your grease filters are properly positioned at all times when cooking
- Clean up grease accumulations anytime you see them in the kitchen, especially at an outlet or on or around wiring.
- Put a baffle between a deep fat fryer and a cooking surface.
We wish you the best in 2021 after a very challenging year, and encourage you to stay fire-safe as well as COVID-safe.