Facility Pros, an Optimal Biofuels Corp.

Fire Destroys Many Restaurants Every Year in Southern California and Los Angeles

Year in and year out, we hear in the news about another local southern California restaurant going up in flames. All too often the cause of the fire is due to grease fires and the restaurant owners lack cleaning and maintenance of their grease traps, ductwork, and hood Filtering and rooftop

Don’t fall into the grease trap!

When it comes to fires, a good offense is your best defense. Unfortunately, many busy restaurant operators have trouble finding time to schedule their kitchen exhaust cleaning. But the worst thing you can do is to skip them. Be proactive and establish a cleaning and maintenance plan with a professional hood cleaning company that adheres to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.

Another very important part of protecting your establishment against grease-related fires is ensuring that you select the right type of hood filters. With so many variables, it’s easy to make mistakes like picking the wrong filter for the job. Our Hood Filter Buying Guide takes the guesswork out of which filter to buy and answers common questions about ensuring the proper fit, correct installation, when to replace, and compliance requirements.

Keeping it clean

Just how often do hood systems and filters need to be cleaned? That usually depends on the type of food prepared and the number of hours your vents are in use per day. Most hood filters perform at their best with a daily or weekly cleaning and a professional cleaning of your entire exhaust system is recommended at least 2 – 3 times per year.

It’s important to remember that grease-laden filters are just as dangerous as dirty ductwork. They can also increase your utility costs and affect your health inspection score. However, hood filter cleaning doesn’t have to be difficult. You just need to implement a regular cleaning routine, which will make them last longer and significantly reduce your risk of fire.

Restaurant owners looking for more information on fire safety best practices and requirements may find theNational Fire Protection Association website a helpful resource. There, you can find current information on “NFPA 96: Standard For Ventilation Control And Fire Protection Of Commercial Cooking Operations” as well as research, safety, and training information.

Start reducing your risk right away.

There will always be a risk for fire in commercial kitchens, but following a few simple precautions, restaurant owners can easily lower that risk and safeguard their business.

Use approved hoods with grease-tight fittings; make sure you have the right hood filters and make sure they are cleaned on a regular schedule; use a rooftop grease containment system, and schedule routine cleaning and maintenance of your kitchen exhaust system to avoid excess grease accumulation.

For more information on hood filters, hood cleaning service, products, and grease containment systems contact us.

At Optimal Biofuels, we understand the importance of properly maintaining your sewage lines to promote the best business practices. We are proud to announce our discounted hydro jetting services when completed quarterly, along with other bundled policies. To learn more about our services, contact us today at (877) 702-3835.