Anytime you are cooking in your commercial kitchen, you can be sure that your rooftop fans are working hard. Because the fans are working so hard, they need to be properly cleaned and maintained to insure they continue to do their job properly.
Generally rooftop exhaust fans are awkward and heavy making them difficult to move, even more so in rainy or snowy conditions. When fans are removed from their curbing, there is a potential to cause damage to the roof. These are some of the reasons the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 96 code requires that all rooftop fans have hinge kits installed. The specific code, 8.1.1.1 states “ approved upblast fans with motors surrounded by the airstream shall be hinged.”
Hinge kits also make the task of cleaning the ductwork easier by allowing access to the duct by simply “opening” the fan on its hinge rather than removing the cumbersome fan from its curbing and placing on the roof. Oftentimes, fans that do not have hinge kits installed will not be removed as part of a routine hood cleaning. Neglecting this step in the hood cleaning process can leave the backside of the fan and ductwork with grease build up that will continue to accumulate causing increased risk for fire.
Because most owners don’t know what the fan on the roof of their facility looks like, they may not be aware if their fan has a hinge kit. Its up the hood cleaning contractor to make sure the owner knows what is necessary to keep their system up to code.
As part of Liberty SoftWash’s hood cleaning service, we will provide an evaluation of your entire hood system, and provide pictures of items of concern, like missing hinge kits, or necessary access panels. In most cases, these are things we can also install making Liberty SoftWash a great choice for your hood cleaning needs in York PA and surrounding areas. Call today to schedule your free estimate and kitchen hood system evaluation. 717-324-4208
