Having the proper ventilation in your restaurant’s commercial kitchen has a multitude of benefits. There do exist basics of commercial kitchen exhaust ventilation and those are to prevent fires from breaking out and to serve better tasting food that smells great. Additionally, you want to keep your restaurant kitchen clean to avoid costly violations. Improper exhaust ventilation can result in safety violations, increased utility bills, and decreased employee productivity. 

The exhaust ventilation system designed for your specific commercial kitchen, needs to be a custom job with ample duct access points and with the tightest fit possible. Every restaurant has its own unique ventilation needs and challenges. In fact, no two commercial kitchens can be deemed to be the same. The slightest difference in a curve or turn could make all the difference in the tightness of the duct design and it’s effectiveness. Insuring a tight custom fit is critical and can make all the difference. Potentially flammable grease particles can ignite and cause a flash fire so that duct needs to be air tight.

Lastly an restauranteur must ensure that the proper ventilation apparatus is in place to push out the “bad air” and bring in “good air”. Good Air is essentially the clean, fresh, outside air you need to bring into your kitchen to replace the air from the kitchen that is being expelled via the exhaust system. Not having enough good air can lead to all types of problems, including but not limited to poor air quality. Compliance factors come into play due to the strict workplace standards required of commercial kitchen operators under OSHA. It is extremely important that your exhaust system is properly ventilated and kept clean.

Keeping your ventilation system clean is the best way to prevent a hazard. Removing grease from kitchen cooking ventilation systems, by scraping and/or chemical washing are important ways in which to accomplish this goal. It is thereby important to make sure that ample access panels are available as they are essential to maintaining and cleaning a commercial kitchen exhaust system. Kitchen exhaust and hood cleaning along with subsequent inspections are needed on an annual basis.

If you are looking to construct a custom kitchen ventilation system at your restaurant, AM Refrigeration can help.