As a restaurant owner, it’s crucial to maintain and care for every piece of equipment that keeps your business running smoothly. One of the most important pieces of equipment to maintain and keep clean in a restaurant is the kitchen range hood and exhaust. This is the area that should never be overlooked to any degree. A dirty range hood and extractor can not only contaminate food, reduce cooking quality, and lead to health department fines, but can also be a potential hazard.

Grease fires, explosions, and smoke damage are some of the common hazards associated with range hoods and careless exhausts. And unfortunately, commercial kitchen fires are more common than you think. According to the NFPA, more than 11,000 kitchen fires are reported each year.

Regular cleaning and maintenance of commercial kitchen equipment is a must to reduce these statistics. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you in your restaurant, learn how to care for your hood and exhaust equipment, and what to do when your commercial kitchen equipment is too damaged to clean.

Recommended Maintenance

Range hoods and extractor fans are not the only part of the system that requires regular care and attention. Along with the hood and extractor fan, kitchen vents and ductwork require the same maintenance. Additionally, components such as fryers, grease traps, ranges, ovens, and open grills should be cleaned and inspected regularly. This will help improve kitchen airflow, remain fire code compliant, ensure a safe work environment, and reduce fire hazards. All this and more will keep local fire marshals, health inspectors and insurance companies away!

Fire Codes and Standards

These areas and systems must be cleaned and inspected every three to six months by a certified company. In fact, the NFPA Fire Code requires that all commercial kitchens be inspected by a qualified company. Be sure to engage a professional inspection service that maintains the proper technologies, training, and knowledge to responsibly and reliably detect any dangerous issues or complications with your hood and exhaust setup.

Damaged or defective appliances

When routine cleaning isn’t enough to restore your commercial kitchen appliances, you’re ready to make some replacements. While this will be a large initial investment, you can rest easy knowing that your used, broken, or faulty appliances can be sold to a local scrap buyer or recycling center for cash on the spot. Appliances, whether operational or not, retain nominal amounts of metal, such as iron, steel, copper, and aluminum. This means they can be sold for cash at a local junkyard, regardless of their condition, and you can get some money back to buy your new appliances.