September 10, 2007—Denver, Colorado—October is National Fire Prevention Month, and it is the perfect time to raise awareness regarding the importance of restaurants maintaining a routine hood, duct and fan cleaning schedule, according to a national fire protection and hood cleaning company.The frequency of such cleaning varies depending on restaurants and the volume of cooking done in them, said Massoud Farazandeh, general manager of Nationwide Fire Protection Corp., an affiliate of American Professional Services (APS-Hoods).

Each restaurant is different, based on the type of equipment used and the volume of food cooked by various methods, Farazandeh said. However, there are some “rules of thumb” that restaurant owners and managers can use to gauge how often to undergo thorough cleaning of kitchen hoods, ducts and fans.

No restaurant should go longer than six months between cleanings, he said. Restaurants that use deep fat fryers in their kitchens should clean hoods, ducts and fans every three months.

Often, the type of restaurant helps determine how often systems should be cleaned, Farazandeh said.

Restaurants that employ smokehouses or wood fires in their cooking methods should undergo monthly cleanings, he said. Many of Farazandeh’s clients who use wood fires for cooking request that their systems be cleaned every two weeks, due to excessive build-up of combustible residue that can fuel kitchen fires.

For Chinese restaurants, which tend to use a great deal of vegetable oils in their cooking processes, Farazandeh recommends going no longer than three months between cleanings. When vegetable oil grease is left to build up, it becomes “glue-like” and removing it is a difficult task.

Farazandeh recommends restaurant owners and managers employ the services of a reputable fire suppression system company that performs routine restaurant hood cleaning services to provide recommendations on how often the cleaning should take place, he said.

The Importance of Professional Cleaning
Cleaning commercial hoods, ducts and fans involves more than elbow grease and soap and water, Farazandeh said.

Professionals use caustic chemicals, scrapers and high-powered steam cleaners to do the job. When using these cleaning mechanisms, safety comes first, he said.

“The training I put my employees through is one of the hardest parts of this business because it is important to do it right and to do it safely,” Farazandeh said.

Reputable, professional restaurant hood cleaning services are trained to safely use 3,500 to 4,000 psi steam cleaners to penetrate and cut through built up grease. Failure to properly use this potentially dangerous equipment can result in serious injury, Farazandeh said.

Using the cleaning chemicals and equipment also requires masks, face shields and proper gloves and boots.

The Federal Emergency Management Organization’s National Fire Prevention Month and the National Fire Protection Association’s National Fire Prevention Week- which also is recognized in October- are excellent opportunities to focus on routine cleanings. Without them, commercial kitchens can be filled with fire hazards, Farazandeh said.

“Hood, duct and fan cleaning on a regular basis done by a professional company is one of the easiest ways to prevent grease fires in the commercial kitchen,” he said.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about hood cleaning services and additional services Nationwide Fire Protection Corp. and APS-Hoods provide, please call (303) 639-9399, or visit their web site: www.aps-hoods.com.

The NFPA also offers a wealth of safety information, fire prevention tips and resources on their Web site, www.nfpa.org. Restaurant owners and managers also may contact their local fire department to learn more about making their establishments safer from fire, or how they can best participate in fire prevention activities.

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. APS-Hoods is affiliated with the National Fire Protection Agency and the Colorado Division of Fire Safety Fire Suppression Program.

© 2007 Sinai Marketing and APS-Hoods. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.
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