PLACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a Los Angeles, CA hood cleaning and installation company, sees that changes are needed in the way restaurant kitchen range exhaust hood systems are installed.

APS-Hoods wants restaurant owners to be more diligent about making sure their hood systems are installed in a fashion that provides for easy cleaning and proper maintenance for fire protection purposes.

Accomplishing this feat could mean rewriting building codes and involving local firefighters and building inspectors who can enforce requirements regarding the accessibility of systems, said Massoud Farazandeh, chief executive officer of the Placentia and Los Angeles hood cleaning company.

“Our company installs hoods, fans, ducts and other mechanical rooftops, as well as fire suppression systems and fire alarms,” said the Los Angeles commercial hood professional. “We are one of the few companies who installs, services, repairs and clean the systems, and we have the whole process in mind during installation, unlike many other companies.”

In addition to installers not always considering the whole picture before they begin work, building inspectors often don’t think about that, either. The end result is that roof and equipment access can be difficult when it comes time for maintenance and cleaning. Farazandeh has encountered numerous situations throughout the years where inside ladders were dangerous and located “in the worst possible areas of buildings.”

“If a qualified Los Angeles commercial hood cleaning company was involved during the installation phase, they could provide input on appropriate placement of access panels,” he said.

Effective Installation
Farazandeh has several tips on effective installation of commercial hood systems.

• Place access panels at every 90-degree angle and at approximately every 10 feet on horizontal duct lines.

• Properly weld ducts to prevent the likelihood of grease leaks because they can cause fires if a spark occurs nearby.

• Change building codes that require fire wrap covering over access panels. It isn’t necessary on the panels, Farazandeh said, because panels fabricated today are fire-resistant up to at least 2,000 degrees. Because many inspectors don’t understand the concept of these components, they enforce codes that aren’t necessary.

• Don’t place wiring or pipes within three feet of access panels because that makes it difficult for maintenance and cleaning crews to access necessary areas to properly perform their work.

• Install hinges on exhaust fans. Due to their weight, having them hinged makes it easier to clean them properly because they must be lifted and taken down.

Proper Installation
Making sure Los Angeles hood installations are done in a fashion that provides for easy maintenance and cleaning is as simple as seeking out an installer who also performs hood cleaning.

“If a company is going to have to clean the system that they install, they are going to make sure it’s installed in a way that keeps ease of cleaning in mind down the road, Farazandeh said.

The best thing would be for local building departments to take a role in oversight, but “lacking that, owners should be persistent and diligent,” he said.

Many restaurant owners view hood system maintenance and cleaning as a janitorial issue. When it’s seen only as a cleanliness task, it may take a back seat when business picks up and management gets sidetracked, or when business slows and finances get tight. However, it should be seen as a fire prevention and safety issue.

“Whatever is done to make the maintenance and cleaning process easier means that when that work is performed, it can be done more effectively,” Farazandeh said. “Clean hood and duct systems can prevent fires from causing extensive damage.”

These are concepts Farazandeh has tried to shed light on for a long time, he said. Each time his company cleans a system, he prepares a report for the restaurant manager or owner that cites potential fire and safety hazards. But without a governing authority in place to ensure those hazards are addressed, there’s no requirement that the items will be addressed.

“We are looking for decision makers who are willing to hear us,” Farazandeh said. “There may not be much financial gain in enforcing the things I’ve mentioned, but there’s protection of life and property in it.”

If there was a system in place where hood cleaning companies could fax a report after each cleaning and be overseen until corrections are made, this wouldn’t take more than one person in the state. This could be regulated and could save life and property, Farazandeh said.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about the hood installation services provided by APS-Hoods, call them at (800) 750-7313, or visit the company’s Web site: http://www.aps-hoods.com/.

About APS-Hoods
APS-Hoods is a full-service restaurant fire protection business that installs, services, repairs and performs routine inspections and cleaning 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 cleaning 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. APH-Hoods is affiliated with the National Fire Protection Agency and the Colorado Division of Fire Safety Fire Suppression Program.

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