A restaurant hood system is the first line of defense in preventing restaurant kitchen fires and ensuring a safe workspace. When you purchase a system and invest in restaurant hood system maintenance in Delaware, you control heat, smoke, grease vapors and odors that can result in worker’s compensation claims. Below is a look at how they work and the options for choosing your hood system.
How hood systems work
The hood system has four parts: the vent hood, make-up air unit, baffle filter and exhaust fan. All these components work together to ensure air movement and avoid grease traps that lead to fires.
The primary component is the vent hood. It is located over cooking equipment and removes excess steam, water vapor, grease, smoke and flue gas from the kitchen. The hood requires a hood filter, which is usually made from stainless steel or aluminum.
Make-up air units bring in clean air to circulate through the restaurant kitchen, and that makes up for the grease-laden air that often threatens the work environment. It is installed outside and keeps air circulated for better air quality.
The baffle filter is inside the hood. It is a series of vertical filters that capture grease and drain it into a container. At the end of a busy evening, you merely remove the container to empty and clean it for the next night.
Finally, the exhaust fan adds another layer of air circulation. Also installed outside, it moves the bad air out and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. It can be driven by a belt and motor pulley or a direct drive fan. The latter is considered more durable and efficient. Belt and motor pulley setups tend to wear out easily and reduce efficiency, so if you can upgrade to a direct drive fan, that is likely a good idea, particularly if your kitchen is especially smoky and greasy.
Options for your restaurant
Hoods are divided into Type I and Type II. Type I hoods are primarily installed for the control of grease and smoke. You must keep up with the cleaning of grease filters and watch them for deep cleaning if grease builds up. These are required over fryers, ranges, griddles, broilers, ovens, tilt skillets and other restaurant appliances known for generating grease.
Type II removes steam, vapor, heat and odors, and is not designed to handle grease. It is normally placed above dishwashers, steam tables and other restaurant equipment of that sort. If the oven or kettle does not produce grease vapors, they can be installed over those as well.
You also have options for style. Hoods may be wall mounted, which works for most types of cooking appliances. Single or double island canopies are used for cooking island setups, and back-shelf hoods are designed for freestanding units. You can use an eyebrow hood for an oven or dishwasher and a pass-over style hood for counter-height equipment that requires that design.
The numerous options and the need for restaurant hood systems maintenance in Delaware demand that you hire a competent professional to determine the type of hood system and the best design for your restaurant. Commercial Equipment Service Inc. is here to help. Call us today to purchase, maintain or repair a hood system.