Reynolds & Son are proud to provide the best extractor fan cleaning services for clients in the food manufacturing industry; we have over 15 years experience and a thorough understanding of working in a product-driven environment. Our professional extractor fan cleaning service will make sure that you meet and exceed insurance and legislation requirements.
Our team of experts are well equipped to clean the exterior and interior of the extraction canopies. They also remove the carbon coating and solidified cooking oil, giving special attention to the drip gullies, seams, rivets, removing and cleaning fan blades, extraction fans, motor casing and housing.
If required, we can remove and deep clean filters, trunk interiors, and filter housing to ensure all hygiene and fire risk safety standards are met.
A Fire Waiting to Happen
Extracted system fillers cannot reliably remove all vaporised grease, which condenses with debris onto the canopy plenum, fan, and duct surfaces. This accumulation only needs heat- which is readily available in every kitchen- to help trigger off a frightening process. A small flame or spark can cause spontaneous and aggressive combustion.
The grease deposited in the duct acts as the fuse, letting fire through the pipe and the building. Hot gases, fire, and smoke can break out at any penetration, joint, hole, or following heat-induced collapse of ductwork. Heat of up to 1200 degrees celsius travels through the metal to distort, ignite, and destroy nearby material, such as the duct supporting hangers, electrical systems, packing materials, and litter.
In that manner, fire can get to travel rapidly following the greased duct which may be hard and dangerous to the firefighters to access and curb.
Are You Willing To Take That Risk?
The insurance industry is fastening its attitude on the issue. This is hardly surprising since the Association of British Insurers has a record of losses associated with dirty kitchen extract fires from £25 million in 1997 to £65 million in 1998.
The Insurers’ Council of Loss Prevention is encouraging the households to carry out annual cleaning of the whole system by specialists. The exact frequency is supposed to be determined by the actual reasoned risk assessment. Failure to adhere to the terms issued could translate to the invalidation of the entire insurance policy, leaving property owners to take care of the loss at their own expense.
One of the purposes of kitchen ventilation is to trap grease, smoke and grime to avoid these substances getting into the rest of the kitchen, potentially contaminating any foodstuffs.
This calls for regular maintenance of the ventilation system to remove the excess grease which is dangerous and can cause a fire if neglected.
Apart from the danger of causing a fire, the layer of grease and dirt also causes health problems; accumulated grease and dirt becomes a breeding zone for harmful bacteria and bad odours.
To keep the ventilation clean and your home or restaurant safe from the danger of accumulated grease and dirt, it is important to regularly clean the kitchen ventilation. This is best done by an appropriate service provider.
Reynolds & Son is a specialist service provider that has over 15 years experience in offering comprehensive and thorough extraction system cleaning services. Our team is well equipped in skills and experience to clean all the elements of your ventilation to the high standards required to ensure a safe and healthy environment in your home or your business. Over the years we have worked with commercial kitchens throughout Northamptonshire, helping pubs, restaurants, cafes and other related businesses create a safe and compliant working environment.
Kitchen hoods are meant to give good ventilation in the kitchen, but when the grease piles up and is not properly cleaned, it can cause fire and accelerate it instead of containing it. In the case of fire, the grease in the ventilation system will act as fuel and in extreme cases, lower the effectiveness of fire extinguishers, making it difficult to contain the fire.
According to NFPA, grease build-up is one of the major causes of kitchen fires, particularly when they are improperly cleaned. The cleaning of ventilation should not only involve the hood but also the rooftop; grease vapour can solidifies on to the fan blades and housing, causing a buildup of grease that eventually buildup on the rooftop.
The grease that builds up at the rooftop not only become a fire fuel but can also lead to structural damage and even more dangerous, it becomes a health hazard when it runs down the drainage system.
HOW DO I CLEAN A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EXTRACTOR FAN?
Our typical technique of cleansing the extraction motor is to set up gain access to panels either side. We do this by removal of the extraction grille or via the extraction filter real estate in the canopy.
The fan blades, motor and casing will be cleaned to gain access. If access panels have not been fitted prior to our arrival. We will certainly install these wherever the system permits it. All job is undertaken in accordance with current guidelines. This will be certificated on completion, along with a detailed report.
All work requirements satisfy the Food Safety Acts and remain in conformity with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. We are qualified to understand threat assessments. We are also knowledgeable in fire protection. We offer both a photographic record and certification. These abide by HVCA requirements.
The requirement for specialist cleaning of air flow systems will depend on the degree of usage. This depends on the kinds and quantity of food and various other danger elements. This can include venerability of the system to fire up and influence constructing residents.
We embark on one of the dirtiest tasks in the cleaning sector. We give you peace of mind that the kitchen extract system has actually been cleaned and degreased. This is done to the highest requirements to guarantee it abides by TR19 Guidelines.
Kitchen essence cleaning is a compulsory requirement for your building insurance. This is in order to help lower the threat of fire and to comply with insurance coverage guidelines.
A risk analysis must be carried out at the very least yearly by the building’s owner or office supervisor. This is to include an inspection of the extraction system. This will remove all traces of grease and carbon that would be a feasible reason for fire as this deposit is highly flammable.
What are the main components of a kitchen extractor system?
Extractor hoods: An extractor hood is a device that hangs over the stovetop, which takes any steam and other gases from the room. Inside the extractor hood, a fan is used to remove things like grease, steam/smoke, and odours that are now airborne.
Hood filters: The hood filter is the first piece of machinery that is within the extractor hood. This filter is what captures any airborne particles in the air within the kitchen. Having cleaners regularly remove the dirt picked up is great for keeping them going for longer periods of time.
Extractor fans:Most extractor fans are commonly located within the hood but not always. The purpose of the extractor fan is to remove old and contaminated air from the kitchen, then push the air through the vents until it is outside.
Another purpose of the extractor fan is to reduce the room temperature to reduce fires’ risk. Having regular deep cleaning services done on your extractor fans will increase the lifespan of the fan quite a bit when it is being used constantly.
Exhaust ducts:The exhaust ducts, also known as grease ducts, take the grease, vapours, and any other airborne particles outside. The exhaust duct uses the fan to suck in the airborne particles and expel them into the outside through a metal duct. The vapours are usually expelled from the roof or side of the home.
Rooftop containment system:Grease has been known to severely damage rooftops while causing leaks, fire hazards, and more. Because the grease creates hazards for the safety of your house, you must have a rooftop containment system. Many rooftop containment systems contain grease runoffs and grease traps. Because of the runoffs and traps, they must be emptied regularly to ensure there are no overflows.
Dangers of grease build up in kitchen extractor fans
Many dangers can come from grease buildups within the kitchen, including:
Increased risk of fire: Due to grease being highly flammable, having a buildup within your kitchen exhaust system can be a strong health risk as it has an increased chance of setting on fire. If a fire like this occurs, you will need to think about the damage it will do to your home and the financial loss for the repairs and replacing items that were lost.
Increased risk of injury: Some grease bits can build up over time on the floor if they are not washed regularly. If this occurs, your chance of slipping and harming yourself increases. If someone owns a business (like a restaurant), your employees might be in danger of harming themselves, and you could get sued for damages.
Plumbing issues: When heated, grease turns into a liquid, but when grease cools down, it turns into a gel-like substance. When grease is put down the sink, it can cool off rather quickly and turn into this gel-like substance and harden. This hardened substance can create blockages in the pipes. Improper disposal of grease is one of the main causes of sewer overflows.
Environmental issues: If the rooftop containment systems are not cleaned regularly, the grease could cause environmental problems in the local area by blocking storm drains and create overflows which can damage wildlife. Dumping the grease in places that can affect the environment can end up in major fines.
Vermin infestation: With grease being built up over time, this can attract many types of pests into your home or restaurant. This will become a health hazard as well as costs some money to have them removed.
Why is it important to clean extraction hoods in a kitchen?
There are two main reasons why you should clean your extractor hoods regularly.
Firstly, cleaning your extractor hood will prevent the extractor from clogging up with grease and other substances. This clogging restricts the airflow, which means the fan could overheat and create a fire hazard on the extractor hood. As such, for fire safety, you should ensure that all extractor hoods are cleaned regularly. It is usually best to check the safety regulations for commercial kitchen extraction hoods to better understand.
Secondly, regularly cleaning out the extractor hood will extend the life significantly and reduce the likelihood of the hood overheating. Cleaning it will keep the extractor in high quality for as long as possible.
How often does a kitchen hood suppression system need to be inspected?
It is suggested that you have your hood suppression system should have regular maintenance and services done every few months, with six months being the latest between the checks. However, some hoods might need to be cleaned more often than others depending on how long it is used.
Recommendations for the maintenance of ventilation systems
A commercial kitchen ventilationssystem’s efficiency will reduce over time due to how much it is used. Frequent maintenance and repairs on the ventilation system will increase its efficiency for a longer period.
There are two minimum requirements for the general maintenance of a kitchen ventilation system. This includes:
Extract: The limit of surface contaminants include 6 grams per meters square. There are two main tests used to check these: Deposit Thickness Test (DTT) and Dust Vaccum Test (DVT).
Recirculation:The limit of surface contaminants include 1 gram per meters square. This test also includes DTT and DVT.
Where there is access to panels within the ducting the interior will be completely degreased to arm’s length. It should be cleaned this far and more where feasible. If not, access to panels will be set up at routine intervals. This enhances air movement assisting to maintain a comfortable functioning temperature level. This makes certain that the interior of the ducting is cleaned up as methodically and thoroughly as possible.
Why is Extractor Fan Cleaning Necessary?
A correctly maintained Extraction Fan has lots of advantages:
Safe and comfy temperature for work
Safe sound level – ideal level of communication
Prolonged lifespan
Lowered susceptibility to kitchen fires
Eco-Friendly business
To adhere to Insurance & Fire Regulations
Also one of the most effective extraction filters can not remove all traces of grease and dirt from the air. Gradually, a layer of grease and dust is deposited externally of air flow ducts, covers and extractor fans. Not only does this trigger an ecological carcinogen by offering a breeding place for germs and nasty odours.
It also minimises the performance of your extraction system and is a major fire threat. It is therefore vital to carry out the normal cleaning of your kitchen extraction and ventilation systems. Do this as advised by an appropriate danger assessment.
Grease gathers in locations that you can see and those you can not. Our group will completely cleanse your whole cover. We change filters where required and cleanse your extraction system via to the exterior air flow.
Business kitchen sanitation is essential for:
Customer confidence and repeat organisation
The threat of Fire
Environmental Health
Conformity with your Public Liability Insurance
Client complete satisfaction and well being
Hefty grease deposits pose a significant fire risk. Fires in ductwork could promptly spread throughout an entire building. Our professional group will thoroughly cleanse your extract system to national specifications.
The kitchen extraction system provides threats due to the potential for the build-up of grease. Collected grease within an extract system creates a surprise combustion. Under certain conditions, flame or extreme heat within the air duct could spark the grease causing the fire to spread rapidly via the duct.
Fire and warm within the air duct could fire up surrounding materials. This can ignite at different areas along the ductwork course. It can transfer fire in a manner which is difficult to anticipate. This is difficult to manage by designers, installers and ultimately fire fighters.
When taking on a full extraction system clean, both the exterior and interior of the cover hood is degreased extensively. Specific interest needs to be paid behind the filters which are cleaned up to arm’s length.
This is generally where the biggest grease build up materialises. It is so near the heat resource, it is essential it’s cleansed. The filters are eliminated, taken in an effective cleaning remedy, then, rinsed and changed.
The Insurance Industry is setting its perspective on the issue. This is hardly surprising. The Association of British Insurers has recorded losses related to unclean kitchen fires climbing from ₤ 25 million in 1997 to ₤ 65 million in 1998.
The Insurers’ Loss Prevention Council suggest that a minimum of annual cleaning of the whole system. This should be done by specialists. The precise frequency to be determined by a reasoned threat assessment.
Failure to abide by the regards to a plan might imply invalidation of the entire agreement. This leaves the insurance to carry a total loss.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that a fire risk evaluation must be carried out by law. This requires the building’s owner or office manager to entrust a responsible individual. They will recognise all sources of fire and get rid of, or at the very least minimise the danger to the building’s residents.
Routine kitchen extraction cleaning will certainly get rid of one of one of the most common causes of fire within the kitchen. We are progressively seeing proof that failing to clean your system can be harmful. If it is not cleaned by a specialist accredited kitchen extraction cleaning company it invalidates insurance coverage after fires.
Routine kitchen extraction cleaning is crucial. This is to guarantee the safety and security of the structure. It ensures that owners are not in danger from a fire brought on by grease build up in the extraction system.
Extraction system filters can never remove all vaporised grease. This, along with particles, condenses onto the cover plenum, air duct and fan surface areas.
This accumulation currently just requires warmth to activate off a frightening procedure. A stimulate or fire is not required for spontaneous combustion to happen.
The grease in the air duct acts as a fuse, carrying fire with the duct and the structure. Fire, smoke and hot gases may break out at any kind of infiltration, opening, joint or discharge point. These also follow the heat-induced collapse of ductwork.
Temperature levels as much as 1200 deg C transmit heat through the steel. This will distort, damage or fire up nearby materials. This includes duct hangers, packaging materials, electric systems and litter.
In this way the fire could spread out rapidly, complying with the air duct path which might be hard and harmful for fire fighters to gain access to.
What are the Fire risks?
Although the filters work very well, they cannot completely remove the grease and fat from the air. Over time, there will be a layer of grease that has formed on the ventilation ducts and extractor fans.
If a fire does occur within the ductwork, this cannot be easy to stop. Many types of ductwork are made to be inaccessible for the most part, and the fires can spread into other buildings from the ductwork if it is not put out as soon as possible.
If any fire does occur within the ductwork, this usually means the business that it has occurred within will have to shut down for a few days or more to ensure that the equipment is safe and repaired. This can cost a lot of money in some circumstances.
How Does Grease become a fire hazard?
For a vapour to ignite, the ignition source must be hotter than the oil or grease to reach the fire point. The fire point is the temperature that the vapour must reach for it to continue to burn after its original ignition. For the fire to be self-sustaining, the weather must be a little hotter than the flashpoint.
The flashpoint is when the flammable liquid is at its lowest temperature, where it can still form an ignition within the air. If a flareup from the grills reaches the grease stored in the ventilation system, it can easily set this on fire and take a while to burn out. The grease residue is usually combustible at a temperature around 370 °C.
Why kitchen extraction need cleaning and maintenance?
There are a few reasons why the kitchen extraction needs cleaning and maintenance services. Reducing the risk of fire is very important. By carrying out simple cleaning and maintenance on the extraction system, you remove a lot of the grease and remove many risks to a fire starting.
Reducing the build-up of grease and bacteria within the kitchen. Having a build-up of bacteria and grease within the extraction system can cause some health hazards and cause some people to become ill. Therefore removing these is very important.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all of your extractor systems must be included within your fire risk assessment and any actions that need to be taken to minimise potential fire risks. Not carrying out proper cleaning and maintenance on your extractor systems could violate the Environmental Health Regulations and invalidate your fire insurance policies.
How often should I clean?
Ductwork:If you want the best way to know when you should clean, you should measure the rate at which grease guilds up within the ductwork and use that as an indicator. If this is not possible, then there are some standard options for understanding when they should be cleaned.
A heavy use of the extractor system (12-16 hours per day). You should clean the extractor every three months.
Moderate use of the extractor system (6-12 hours per day). You should clean the extractor every six months.
Light use of the extractor system (2-6 hours per day). You should clean the extractor system every twelve months.
Extract hoods and filters: The extractor hoods and filter should really be cleaned out daily, or check the manufacturers recommendations for the best advice. Also, you should not be cooking without a filter in place.
Does the law require extractor and ventilation cleaning?
Due to the health risks involved with not cleaning the extractor and ventilation systems, many of the inspectors check your restaurant’s ventilation and extractor to see whether it meets the overall cleanliness that is needed. Many inspectors will fail you if the extractor hood looks dirty in any way.
We clean ventilation extraction systems. We supply expert duct cleaning services to your specific requirements.
You may have the most effective canopy filters for capturing grease particles. However, they will still need cleaning. It is inevitable that deposits of grease will begin accumulating within the kitchen extraction and canopy. If you do not embark on duct cleaning on a regular basis, in time the grease will come to be baked on and carbonised.
This is incredibly tough to remove. Thus it minimises the efficiency of the extraction system. This shortens the ducting and fan’s life and develops a serious fire hazard within the kitchen. Additionally, germs will develop in the fatty damp down payments. This is harmful to health and a source of food for roaches.
Our experts de-grease and de-carbonise the exterior and interior of covers. Removal of layers of carbon and solidified cooking oils. Special attention is provided to seams, rivets and anti drip gullies. We get rid of and cleaning grille extraction fans, cleaning fan blades, electric motor housing and housing. We remove and deep clean the filters, filter real estate and trunk insides, to ensure health and fire risk safety standards.
If normal cleaning is not undertaken, fats, oily down payments and coarse bits can gather in kitchen extract systems. This decreases air flow efficiency. It generates a warm greasy setting for bacteria and cockroaches to reproduce.
These areas, when properly preserved, can rapidly end up being a fire threat. They can be a major cause of the spread of fire in food manufacturing establishments.
Under certain scenarios flame or really heats could ignite the grease triggering fire to spread out quickly with the air duct. Therefore, it is of certain importance that grease remove systems are consistently checked and cleaned up as required. This is to guarantee they do not present a significant prospective fire threat at any time.
Grеаѕе buіlduр is one оf thе рrіmаrу саuѕеѕ оf a blocked hоuѕе drаіnѕ, ѕеwеr аnd ѕерtіс lіnеѕ. Sоmе оf іt соmеѕ frоm mеаt fаtѕ, such аѕ bасоn аnd hаmburgеr grеаѕе. But it аlѕо соmеѕ frоm fооdѕ ѕuсh аѕ сооkіng оіl, mауоnnаіѕе, butter, ѕаuсеѕ, and tаblе scraps.
As a rеѕtаurаnt оwnеr, уоu hаvе a lоt to manage. Frоm mаrkеtіng tо mеnu рlаnnіng to tаkіng саrе оf your еmрlоуееѕ. As a result, уоu mіght put grеаѕе mаnаgеmеnt оn the backburner. However, thіѕ іѕ a mіѕtаkе fоr ѕеvеrаl rеаѕоnѕ.
Thе fоllоwіng wіll tеасh you whу уоu ѕhоuldn’t allow grеаѕе to build uр. Dоіng ѕо can lead tо:
Increased Risk of Fire: Grease is hіghlу flаmmаblе. When іt buіldѕ uр in a restaurant, the rіѕk оf fіrе grеаtlу іnсrеаѕеѕ. If a fіrе іgnіtеѕ, уоu have tо соnѕіdеr the роѕѕіbіlіtу оf buіldіng dаmаgе and financial loss while mаkіng repairs. You may also experience thе trаgеdу оf lost lives. Yоur reputation соuld tаkе a bеаtіng, which соuld іmрасt уоur bottom lіnе fоr mоnthѕ, іf nоt years tо соmе.
Increased Risk of Injury: Grеаѕе ѕрlаttеrѕ can build uр on the flооr аnd increase thе risk of еmрlоуееѕ ѕlірріng аnd fаllіng. Emрlоуеrѕ аrе required to сrеаtе a ѕаfе wоrkіng еnvіrоnmеnt free frоm hаzаrdѕ thаt are likely tо саuѕе іnjurу оr death.
Plumbing Issues: Grеаѕе mау be a liquid whеn сооkіng wіth it, but whеn іt cools, grеаѕе hаrdеnѕ іntо a gеlаtіnоuѕ mеѕѕ. Thіѕ is the lаѕt thing уоu want gumming uр your plumbing. Plus, fаr mоrе thаn уоur business’s plumbing іѕ аffесtеd if еxсеѕѕіvе grеаѕе is dіѕроѕеd оf dоwn the drаіn. In fact, іt’ѕ thе рrіmаrу саuѕе оf ѕаnіtаrу sewer оvеrflоwѕ.
Environmental Concerns: You mау nоt thіnk оf grеаѕе аѕ аn environmental рrоblеm. But соnѕіdеr thіѕ scenario: Yоur ѕtаndаrd rооftор grеаѕе соllесtоr hоldѕ four quаrtѕ of grеаѕе. Yоu don’t know іt, but уоur kіtсhеn еxhаuѕt hооd ѕеndѕ a quart оf grеаѕе tо the соllесtоr every mоnth.
Do уоu only change оut thе absorbent grеаѕе pad еvеrу уеаr whеn thе fіrе inspector mаkеѕ hіѕ rоundѕ? Then уоu соuld be dumріng еіght quarts оf grease оntо thе roof every уеаr wіthоut knоwіng іt!
Whеn іt rаіnѕ, this grеаѕе flows оff the rооf іntо rain gutters and dоwn ѕtоrm drains. This then еntеrѕ ѕtrеаmѕ аnd rіvеrѕ, discolors the wаtеr аnd kіllѕ рlаntѕ and fish.
Unpleasant Odour: Frіеd fооd mау ѕmеll аnd taste appetising, but thе оdоr оf ѕеvеrаl-dауѕ-оld grease is far from appealing. Whеn thе gоаl оf your restaurant іѕ to еntісе patrons tо dine wіth you, an unрlеаѕаnt оdоr соmіng from the kіtсhеn іѕn’t lіkеlу tо help your cause.
Increased Vermin: Lіngеrіng grеаѕе аttrасtѕ drain flіеѕ, rаtѕ аnd оthеr vеrmіn tо уоur rеѕtаurаnt. Thіѕ іѕ a serious ѕаnіtаtіоn issue that соuld rеѕult іn citations and lоѕt business.
Grease рrоblеmѕ in rеѕtаurаntѕ can рut you оut оf buѕіnеѕѕ with оnе lawsuit. It will соѕt you lost revenues frоm сuѕtоmеrѕ nоt соmіng back after ѕееіng dirty flооrѕ аnd blасk grоut stains from grеаѕе!
Don’t let thіѕ happen tо уоur restaurant! Fіght bасk wіth good grеаѕе trар mаіntеnаnсе, regular grеаѕе еxhаuѕt сlеаnіngѕ, аnd hіgh quality flооr сlеаnеrѕ. We recommend you tаlk tо our grease removal experts now!
