BEFORE INSTALLING OUR HOOD FILTERS
Thank you for considering our hood filters to manage your kitchen exhaust grease in a safe, easy and eco-friendly way. Used correctly, these disposable hood filters will stop up to 98% of the airborne grease entering the kitchen exhaust. This reduces the costly cleaning of hood filters, canopies and ducts but most importantly, the risk of fire.
To get the best results from our hood filters for your business, there are some boxes that will need to be ticked first. The team at Shepherd Filters will be at your disposition to educate and help you the entire time. Things that need to be covered are:
STEP 1
Is Shepherd Filters the Right Fit for Your Business?
Based on the details you share with us; we will be able to determine if Shepherd Filters is the right solution for your business. We’ll cover the Four S’s to determine whether Shepherd Filters is your best option in managing kitchen grease. If we’re not the best fit for you, we will tell you. We know time is precious and that you appreciate transparency & honesty – we do too!
We will still point you in the right direction though! The team at Shepherd Filters may know of some helpful resources for you or we may be able to refer you to another respected business.
Contact us here to arrange a mutually convenient time to chat and if possible, we may even be able to arrange a physical site inspection:
Step 2
Plan Your Next Routine Kitchen Exhaust Clean
To ensure your kitchen exhaust stays clean, we need to start that way. Therefore, every new Shepherd Filters installation is timed to coincide with your next routine hood cleaning date. Installing Shepherd Filters over a grease-laden exhaust system* will minimize any further grease build-up BUT:
1. It will not stop “old” grease already in the system from putting you at an increased risk of fire
2. It will cause unnecessary load and airflow problems, which may cause premature equipment failure and increase your energy bills; and
3. You will not enjoy the full benefits of having Shepherd Filters protecting your hood
It cannot be stressed enough that the full benefits of Shepherd Filters will not be achieved on a dirty kitchen exhaust system. Installing our hood filters over a grease-laden and contaminated kitchen exhaust system:
- Is a fire risk
- Does not meet insurance requirements; and
- Does not meet the laws and standards detailed in the Food Safety Act
If your kitchen exhaust system has grease build-up, the extraction fan will continue to draw this hazardous substance further into your system and eventually, onto the roof:
Aside from affecting the structural integrity of the roof, a dirty kitchen exhaust system is a potentially devastating fire hazard waiting to happen. Therefore, Shepherd Filters are installed immediately after your next routine duct clean, which must incorporate the entire system (hood/canopy, ducting and fans). Customers can then clearly see the amazing benefits of having Shepherd Filters, 365 days a year and beyond:
Step 3
Purchase Your Installation Pack
Traditional metal filters are not designed to hold Shepherd Filters in place, so we’ve designed a state-of-the-art baffle frame that makes the filters easy to use and highly effective. We will help you to determine the size and quantities needed using our Filter Measuring Guide.
Your Installation pack will also include:
Easy to use, our products come with the peace of mind that they have been airflow tested, UL1046 flame barrier certified, and are HACCP food safety approved.
Step 4
Physically Inspect the Hood Post-Clean
Prior to turning on any of your cooking equipment, remove all current metal hood filters and visually inspect inside the hood/canopy, ducting, and fan (where possible) for evidence of grease. Do not rely on photos in reports.
[NOTE] Back walls are easy to see, so don’t forget to look up, behind, left and right after a clean (use a phone camera if easier):
If you feel your kitchen exhaust system clean was not carried out properly, then contact us.
Step 5
Install and Follow-up
During the first month, we will be in contact regularly to answer any questions, assist with training and to develop a filter change frequency tailored to YOUR business. Each business is unique, so knowing how the filters are working in your kitchen will help determine a good baseline as to when you’ll need to change them. From there, the Shepherd Filters team will touch base every three to six months to ensure you are seeing the benefits both visually and financially!