Routine Kitchen Extraction System Checks Pay Dividends

April 18, 2023

How likely are you to you forego the servicing of your car when it falls due? As there is genuine value in knowing that it’s safe to drive, unlikely right? What if missing it ends up leading to major damage, do you have the funds to buy a new one? Your commercial kitchen extraction equipment is no different – it’s a substantial investment, so it’s imperative not to ignore the regular maintenance that kitchen extraction systems require. This article covers five of the biggest reasons that routine maintenance checks are worth your time.

1- It’s good Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)

Inadequately maintained kitchen extraction equipment can increase the risk of violating health & safety regulations. Skipping the routine checks and maintenance of your kitchen exhaust system can be costly in the long-term. Keeping kitchen extraction systems free from grease accumulation ensures that high HVAC hygiene standards are maintained, which is important in food preparation areas and required by food safety standards and local council regulations.

Filter and duct cleaning helps owner/operators meet two regulatory responsibilities, namely food hygiene and fire safety.

2 – It reduces the risk of fire

Grease is often called the invisible enemy, as this bi-product of cooking builds up inside the hood, ducting, fan, and eventually the roof – areas that are mostly hidden from view. Yet just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean the hazard isn’t there. Grease and oil can build up quickly within a kitchen extraction system. Flash flame or high temperatures within the duct can ignite this residue, causing fire to spread rapidly and igniting flammable materials at various points along the ductwork path.

All commercial kitchen extraction systems need to be checked and/or cleaned routinely. Exactly how often though, will depend on a variety of factors, including:

– Menu
– Equipment; and
– Hours of operation

If you haven’t performed regular checks and cleans by a reputable contractor to Australian/UK/International standards, then insurance policies could potentially be voided.

3 – It helps to prolong the life of your equipment

Preventative maintenance, like duct cleaning and cleaning kitchen grease filters, will allow your kitchen exhaust system to run at peak efficiency for longer. The additional added life is not only saving on maintenance costs in the long-run, but also an added value to the life of your cafe or restaurant.

4 – It reduces the risk of breakdowns

Grease accumulation, especially on the fan, causes an unbalanced fan operation and excessive loading. Not only does this affect airflow, but it can also result in a fan’s premature failure. Shepherd Filters recently had a client that found out his kitchen extraction system had never been cleaned properly, resulting in its failure. After the fan was replaced, proper cleaning of the entire system was carried out and the loss of income due to his restaurant shutdown cost him over $30,000 which was not covered by insurance.

5 – It’s more energy efficient

Small changes can affect how hard your kitchen extraction system (and other kitchen equipment) has to work. A cleaner kitchen exhaust system, hood, rooftop fans, HVAC and other rooftop equipment results in a more efficient operation of the equipment, not to mention less maintenance! Not only is energy consumption important for your budget, but it’s also a contributing factor to climate change.

If this article has prompted you to review your routine (and preventative) maintenance schedule and should you be after an obligation-free assessment, then contact us for a chat!

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