The ABCs of restaurant range hood maintenance

It’s essential to clean your restaurant range hood regularly. In fact, a clogged or poorly maintained hood or ventilation system can affect the quality of the ambient air, the cleanliness and even the level of safety in your kitchen.

How often should you clean your hood?

As a rule, you should have your kitchen range hood and ventilation ducts thoroughly cleaned every six months. Obviously, the frequency will vary depending on how much cooking you do. The type of cooking you do will also influence the recommended frequency for cleaning your hood.

In a commercial kitchen, the recommended maintenance schedule is as follows:

• Monthly for kitchens that use solid fuel (wood, charcoal, etc.) for cooking
• Quarterly for high-volume kitchens (24/7 food service, grills, woks, etc.)
• Twice a year for moderate-volume kitchens
• Annually for low-volume kitchens (seasonal companies, etc.)

You should be aware that the requirements of your insurance company will also influence how often you should clean your hood. Therefore, it’s always wise to review your contract to verify any stipulations.

What type of hood do you have?

Even though all hoods perform the same basic function (to filter grease from the air), the cleaning frequency for yours will depend on how it operates. In practice, there are three different types of hoods, each with its own cleaning requirements:

Cleaning extraction hoods

An extraction hood vents cooking steam and excess moisture to the outside of the building. With this type of hood, it’s essential to clean the grease filters regularly. Since their purpose is to trap grease particles, they’re prone to becoming saturated, thus losing their effectiveness over time.

Cleaning recirculation hoods

This type of hood requires frequent cleaning of the grease filters, as well as the activated carbon filter, which neutralizes odors. You can either replace or regenerate the activated charcoal (self-regenerating deodorizing filters are also available).

Cleaning hybrid hoods

A hybrid hood can operate in two different ways: it can vent the contaminated air to the outside or it can filter and recirculate it. The cleaning method is similar to that of the other types of hoods: clean the filters and replace or regenerate the activated charcoal.

Finally, you must also clean the grease deposits from the inside of the hood and carefully wipe down all surfaces with a microfiber cloth in order to keep your hood clean and in proper working condition.

The importance of cleaning your restaurant range hood filters!

The filters constitute one of the most important elements of a kitchen range hood. Are you wondering why it’s so important to replace them regularly? It’s because filters are subject to wear and tear, just like any other material. Furthermore, a filter directly affects the cleanliness and efficiency of your hood.

Worn or poor-quality filters can even damage your hood. What’s more, since the accumulation of highly combustible grime leads to an elevated risk of fire, it’s recommended to clean your filters before this build-up becomes unmanageable.

Ask a professional for help with cleaning your hood

Do you need a hand with your restaurant range hood maintenance? You can count on the professionals at Antiflamme Purafiltre to keep your commercial, industrial or institutional kitchen range hood impeccably clean!