What Are the Various Parts of a Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System?

Commercial kitchens, such as those found in restaurants, often have special requirements to maintain a safer working environment. That will include systems to exhaust the smoke and grease produced inside the kitchen to prevent fires. A basic kitchen exhaust system consists of a kitchen hood, the grease duct, and an exhaust fan. Learn more about the essential parts of a kitchen exhaust duct system, so you’ll understand why it’s a necessary part of your kitchen equipment.

The Grease Duct

The grease duct is one of the most critical parts of a commercial kitchen exhaust system. The duct expels grease, smoke, and other contaminants produced by commercial cooking equipment from the kitchen. The contaminants are exhausted outside the building, which is why you’ll sometimes notice a cooking odour outside restaurants.

Airborne grease is hot when it enters the duct, but it cools quickly and can build up on the duct’s inner surfaces. Grease is very flammable, and the heat from cooking could cause the built up grease to possibly catch fire. Once there is a source of ignition, it can burn quickly. That means that kitchen exhaust ducts needs to contain fire well.

In larger buildings with multiple occupancies, a fire rated grease duct may be required and is part of the passive fire protection system of the building.

Keeping ducts clean is a code requirement, which is why you need to have grease duct access doors. These doors allow a duct cleaner to easily access the duct interior to get the grease out of every portion of the duct.

Depending on the type of equipment and amount of use, you may need to have the kitchen exhaust system cleaned every three months, six months, or annually. The local codes and will determine the cleaning frequency. For example, if you have a wok, you may need to clean the hood every few months. However, normal usage of a stove may only require cleaning twice a year.

Regardless of how often your ducts are cleaned, the grease duct access door plays an essential role. Your duct cleaning company will provide you with a certificate after your system has been cleaned to prove the cleaning frequency during an inspection.

Exhaust Hood

Another essential part of any kitchen exhaust ducting system is the hood, which is located over the kitchen appliances, such as a grill or deep fryer. The exhaust hood is larger than the appliance it is serving to ensure all of the contaminated air above the appliance is drawn into the hood and through the grease duct, preventing any contaminated air from spreading through the restaurant. Like most kitchen work surfaces, exhaust hoods are fabricated from stainless steel which makes the surfaces easy to clean.

Choose the Best Kitchen Exhaust Duct Manufacturer

When it comes to keeping your kitchen clean, you need the right equipment. Choosing a kitchen exhaust ducting system does not have to be hard. Contact DuraSystems today, and we will assist you in getting the best exhaust ducting system for your kitchen.