Las Vegas, Nevada – Hood cleaning is perhaps the single most important maintenance job needed to ensure safety in a commercial kitchen. Without it, flash grease fires ignite easily, which can have dire consequences.

Chief Executive Massoud Farazandeh of American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a professional hood cleaning company in Las Vegas, Nevada said, “Dirt, grease, and grime build up over time. If you don’t properly clean your exhaust hoods, the authorities can close you down, or worse, a fire can spontaneously erupt.”

What are the kitchen-related fire statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)?

The statistics reported by the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit organization established in 1896 with a mission to reduce fires worldwide, are sobering.

• The leading cause of fires in day care centers, college classroom buildings, and adult education centers during 2003 through 2006, (all originating in the kitchen or cooking area), was due to cooking equipment.
• During the same time period cooking equipment was the cause of 18,581 or 17 percent of all structure fires.
• Cooking equipment caused three out of four fires or 76 percent of all fires in nursing homes and other residential boarding facilities from 2003 through 2007. Forty-six percent of these fires resulted in injuries, and 10 percent resulted in direct property damage.

Are there any problems, other than fire, associated with unclean exhaust hoods?

Besides being an extreme fire hazard, dirty or clogged up exhaust hoods can present other problems.

• A dirty exhaust hood can pose a health problem for employees. A poorly functioning system does not clean the air, and kitchen workers are breathing polluted air, which is full of grease, dirt, and fumes.
• Another problem is the likelihood that the customers or residents are breathing the same polluted air.
• Lastly, the air is stale smelling, and if the air has floated into the dining room, customers or residents will smell it disapprovingly.

How often should hood cleaning be performed?

The frequency of hood cleaning depends on the volume of greasy smoke that the kitchen normally generates.

According to Farazandeh, “Hood cleaning frequency depends upon the size of the institution or restaurant. For instance, a steak house will generate a lot of greasy smoke and those types of establishments should schedule hood cleaning monthly.”

“Other types of restaurants,” he added, “might only need to be cleaned quarterly. It all depends upon what you are cooking and how much you are cooking.”

What is the best way to know when exhaust hoods need cleaning?

Besides scheduling routine hood cleaning, the very best way to ensure that all parts of an exhaust system are cleaned and work properly is to pay a professional hood cleaner to do it. Professional hood cleaning companies know what to look for in the way of cleaning and safety.

• They will check and clean filters. Properly functioning systems should collect up to 80 percent of the grease generated. Cleaning filters must be done on a regular basis.
• They will check and clean the ductwork to remove any grease buildup and will make sure that the ducts have not collapsed and are properly directing grease to the outside.
• They will clean the fan and check that it is working properly to direct polluted air out of the kitchen.
• They will clean and check that the hood is correctly positioned.
• They will clean and check the plenum, which holds the filters.

Even though using a professional hood cleaning company costs more money than doing it yourself, it is well worth it for the safety and well-being of your business, employees, and customers.

The majority of Pueblo hood cleaning maintenance companies are located in Denver and this can pose a problem for restaurant managers attempting to schedule a hood cleaning service. Pueblo is over an hour away from Denver and for the trip to be worthwhile, many hood cleaning companies will either charge a trip fee or limit the Pueblo trip to times when they are able to schedule multiple restaurants at the same time. This can translate to a restaurants hoods finally being serviced several weeks or even months past its recommended service dates.

A.P.S., with over 20 years of experience in the Pueblo area, is currently the largest hood cleaning provider for the city. Chances are that during any given week, A.P.S. will be performing a Pueblo hood cleaning. Mr. Massoud Farazandeh, A.P.S. chief executive said in this regard, “We want our customers to be able to schedule a hood cleaning when they need it most and when it is most convenient for them. This is the goal” A.P.S. is currently not able to immediately schedule some of its clients in outskirt areas and may even charge a service fee as do some of its competitors in Pueblo. These outskirt facilities however, according to Mr. Farazandeh, are restaurants located on state border lines or in extremely isolated areas. Mr. Farazandeh noted, “We do charge trip fees to some of our customers. While our goal is to even eliminate that, these are restaurants that would otherwise not be serviced. Pueblo on the other hand should be different. It is different. It’s a large city with a lot of restaurants.”

Delayed hood cleaning services are not merely inconvenient. They can be hazardous. The majority of restaurant fires start in the restaurant kitchen. This is primarily due to the corrosive grease build up in under maintained hood systems. It is for this reason that A.P.S. hoods, a fire safety company, has made fast and immediate response time an important goal.

A note on hood cleaning cycles:

Hood cleaning cycles should reflect the type of grease used as well as the volume of cooking. When the cycle and the grease build up do not match up, restaurant managers are justifiably tempted to delay the hood cleaning service. A.P.S. aims at providing appropriate cycles such that having a past due facility should be understood as being in need of immediate hood cleaning.

Learn More
If you would like to learn moreabout Pueblo hood cleaning andAPS-Hoods services in general, or to inquire about the companies services contact: (800) 750-7313, or visit the company’s Web site:  http://www.aps-hoods.com/.

About APS-Hoods
American Professional Services (APS-Hoods) is a full-service restaurant fire protection business that installs, services, repairs and performs routine inspections and sales for hood and fire suppression systems. Founded by Chief Executive Officer Massoud Farazandeh in 1989, APS-Hoods has grown into a national leader in hood sales and fire protection for restaurants and facilities. APS provides superior service, a  quality guarantee and maintains a highly qualified and dependable staff. All crew members are professionally trained to comply with the National Fire Prevention Association Standards and state and local codes. APS-Hoods is fully insured and bonded. They are licensed in the mechanical and electrical fields, as well as fire protection contracting. APS-Hoods is affiliated with the National Fire Protection Agency and the Colorado Division of Fire Safety Fire Suppression Program.

American Professional Services (A.P.S. hoods) is prepared for spring seasons increased demand when Colorado Springs hood cleanings are anticipated to increase.

Over the past year A.P.S. has observed a slow but steady rise in the number of new businesses occupying vacant shops. According to previous company statistics, new Colorado Springs hood cleaning customers tend to increase during the late spring and well into the summer. Most of the new customers are new restaurant owners. For A.P.S., this is an indication that the current increase in restaurants in Colorado Springs is most likely going to gain momentum in the coming seasons. “There were a lot of folks affected by the bad economy and so Colorado Springs saw a lot of restaurants shut down.” Said Massoud Farazandeh, A.P.S. hoods chief executive. Mr. Farazandeh added “The up side to the story has been that people looking to open new restaurant, readily find facilities equipped with a full kitchen exhaust system and other, otherwise costly equipment. This is why the market is starting to move again and people are eager to lease these places.”

A.P.S. noticed that a lot of these types of facilities were not very well maintained by the previous owners. The hood systems in particular had been neglected beyond being safely functional. In order to address the issue and inform new restaurant owners and managers, A.P.S. staff have created the following list of recommended actions:

1- Fire safety inspections: Having these inspections preformed prior to the actual required fire department inspection can drastically prevent permitting delays. The inspector should be able to inspect the fire suppression system, all fire extinguishers, and be able to identify all fire hazards. A fire safety inspector can perform mechanical and electrical inspections of the entire facility.

4- Hood cleaning: This is especially needed for previously owned locations. Hood cleaning should be performed on a regular cycle depending on your volume of cooking and the type of grease used. The fire department will not allow you to open your restaurant with greasy hoods. So get them cleaned right away and set up a quarterly or semi- annual cleaning schedule with the cleaning company

5- Equipment cleaning: If you’re going to be usingequipment left by the previous owners, you should have them inspected and cleaned as well.

Learn More
If you would like to learn moreabout  Colorado Springs hood cleaning andAPS-Hoods services in general, or to inquire about the companies services contact: (800) 750-7313, or visit the company’s Web site:  http://www.aps-hoods.com/.

About APS-Hoods
American Professional Services (APS-Hoods) is a full-service restaurant fire protection business that installs, services, repairs and performs routine inspections and sales for hood and fire suppression systems. Founded by Chief Executive Officer Massoud Farazandeh in 1989, APS-Hoods has grown into a national leader in hood sales and fire protection for restaurants and facilities. APS provides superior

With the busy ski season having drawn to an end, the hood cleaning company APS-hoods is well prepared for the many jobs it must complete as customers in Aspen work to get their kitchen exhaust hoods back into shipshape. Aspen is one of the world’s top ski areas and is a huge destination for tourists across the globe. Winter is ski season, and thus the greatest traffic is seen during this time. However, summer offers its own attractions, and so hood cleaning customers cannot rest long before customers again flood the scene.

APS-hoods definitely has its work cut out in order to service the kitchen exhaust hoods after the heaviest season of the year and prepare Aspen before the next bout of tourism. APS-hoods witnesses this inter-season spike in hood cleaning jobs yearly. Another bustling time in Aspen is before ski season begins again as well.

Clean kitchen exhaust hoods are essential to Aspen’s restaurants, lodges, hotels, etc. Especially in a high-end tourism site like Aspen, visitors expect the best, and well-kept hoods help keep these facilities running properly by preventing fire hazard issues and maintaining equipment. For Aspen customers the inter-season breaks are perfect times to ensure their kitchens are getting the attention they need.

To meet the demands of their customers, APS-hoods readies every sector of their business. “We prepare for the inter-season spike by ensuring our hood cleaning technicians are available for the increased number of jobs during this time. Our emphasis on efficiency, which is something we always expect from our technicians, really comes in handy at a time like this as well. So they’re ready for the task of getting these kitchen exhaust hoods cleaned up,” explains Massoud Farazandeh, APS chief executive. Moreover, office staff must also be available for the expected increase in phone calls and logistical tasks.

“It’s an exciting time of year for us in Aspen, and it’s great to be able to help our Aspen customers prepare for their big seasons. They understand the importance of hood cleaning for fire safety and properly operated kitchen exhaust hoods,” says Mr. Farazandeh.

Learn More
If you would like to learn moreabout Aspen hood cleaning andAPS-Hoods services in general, or to inquire about the companies services contact: (800) 750-7313, or visit the company’s Web site:  http://www.aps-hoods.com/.

About APS-Hoods
American Professional Services (APS-Hoods) is a full-service restaurant fire protection business that installs, services, repairs and performs routine inspections and sales for hood and fire suppression systems. Founded by Chief Executive Officer Massoud Farazandeh in 1989, APS-Hoods has grown into a national leader in hood sales and fire protection for restaurants and facilities. APS provides superior service, a  quality guarantee and maintains a highly qualified and dependable staff. All crew members are professionally trained to comply with the National Fire Prevention Association Standards and state and local codes. APS-Hoods is fully insured and bonded. They are licensed in the mechanical and electrical fields, as well as fire protection contracting. APS-Hoods is affiliated with the National Fire Protection Agency and the Colorado Division of Fire Safety Fire Suppression Program.