PLACENTIA, STOCKTON AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – It is a good idea to inspect your commercial kitchen hoods after they have been professionally cleaned, but many restaurant owners/managers don’t know what to look for.

That is why we at American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a Placentia and Stockton hood sale company, recently compiled some information to educate restaurant owners/managers in this area, which we hope you will find helpful. (more…)

ANAHEIM, PLACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA- As a restaurant owner or manager, there is a variety of factors within your establishment that could affect the cost of your routine professional hood cleanings.

Today we are sharing several of those factors with you, in hope that this information will help keep your cleaning costs to a minimum.

“It is vitally important that restaurants maintain a routine cleaning schedule,” says Massoud Farazandeh, chief executive officer of APS-Hoods, a Placentia and Anaheim hood sale company that operates a fabrication plant in Placentia. “Sometimes cost is a factor in why they prolong their cleanings, but the more time passes between cleanings, the more expensive they become.” (more…)

BAY AREA, PLACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The cleaner a filter is, the easier it is to perform the job it is responsible for performing, according to the experts at American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a Bay Area hood cleaning company.

Knowing what considerations to make when cleaning filters can help ensure the cleaning process is done in an area that is convenient for restaurant kitchen employees, is completed in a timely manner and is performed in a way that promotes the filter’s longevity. (more…)

AN JOSE, PLACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The San Jose hood sale experts at American Professional Services (APS-Hoods) have released a list of the top three benefits of using stainless steel baffle filters in commercial kitchen operations instead of mesh filters.

1- Grease vapors pass through effectively.
As grease is produced from cooking surfaces, baffle filters allow them to pass through the evenly spaced baffles, which causes the vapors to swirl and finally settle directly onto the baffles, said Massoud Farazandeh, CEO of APS-Hoods, a San Jose hood installation company. Heat from the cook top causes the grease to drain through drain holes in the filter frame, which helps reduce accumulated grease levels behind filters and in ductwork. (more…)

PLACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – One of the key elements of any restaurant or other kitchen with a commercial range hood is the filter.

Keeping the filter clean and in good working order is integral to having an exhaust system that does the job it is designed to do, says Massoud Farazandeh, chief executive officer of American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a San Francisco hood cleaning company that operates a fabrication plant in Placentia, California.

Manufacturers that sell range hood filters provide recommended filter cleaning schedules, as well as information on the preferred cleaning method. Some filters can be cleaned in-house, while it is best to leave the cleaning to professionals with some models. Either way, it is important for you as a restaurant owner or manager to follow these recommendations closely. Failure to do this can void the filter’s warranty, and in some serious cases, the whole range hood warranty. (more…)

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.

VAIL, COLOADO – Whether you are new to the restaurant business or an old hand, you may not be aware of how your hood cleaning method and schedule affect not only your kitchen but your entire business as well.

Chief Executive Massoud Farazandeh of American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a professional hood cleaning company in Vail, Colorado said, “Knowledge about the importance of how unclean exhaust hoods can affect an entire restaurant business is very important.”

“Restaurant owners and managers,” he continued, “must make sure that hood cleaning occurs on a regular basis. Otherwise, there is a real possibility that the facility will sustain a fire. Hood cleaning simply cannot be overlooked for many other reasons as well.”

Why do clean exhaust hoods matter so much?

Clean exhaust hoods are essential to the health and welfare of your workers and customers. The potential fire hazard posed by unclean hoods is very great because grease, grime, smoke, and dirt build up deposits on the floors, walls, ceiling, roof, and inside the exhaust system. These deposits, which become glue-like, act like kindling for a fire. If the buildup is significant, a fire can spontaneously erupt.

In addition, without a properly working exhaust system, workers and customers will breathe dirty, polluted air, which is a certain health hazard for even the healthiest.

What consequences are there other than fire or polluted air when hoods remain dirty?

Everyone would agree that a fire is the worst-case scenario due to poor equipment maintenance. However, there are other problems and consequences requiring consideration.

• If exhaust hoods are not properly cleaned and maintained, local fire officials can either fine the restaurant or shut it down, or both.
• If hood cleaning is not undertaken regularly, the restaurant is not complying with local safety codes. State and or city officials can fine the restaurant and force it to close.
• If a restaurant is in violation of the fire and safety codes, the liability insurance carrier can drop the facility’s insurance or it can raise its premiums.

Is professional hood cleaning really necessary?

There are no laws saying you must hire a professional hood cleaning company, but it is strongly recommended. Here are some reasons why.

• Hood cleaning is a difficult, dirty, time-consuming job.
• There are nooks and crannies that a non-professional can overlook, which can hold potential fire dangers.
• Non-professionals do not always know how to tell if each part of the exhaust system is working properly. Just one poorly or non-working component of the system is potentially dangerous.
• Professional hood cleaners are very knowledgeable regarding the national code standards as compiled by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and their publication NFPA 96.

“You are not doing yourself any favors by cutting corners and justifying professional hood cleaning as too expensive a cost,” said Farazandeh.

He continued, “Restaurant owners must see professional hood cleaning as part of the investment in their businesses. Health and safety are always good for business.”

Visit www.aps-hoods.com information on professional hood cleaners in Vail Colorado.

###

PLACENTIA, BAY AREA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA- American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), a Placentia and Bay Area hood cleaning company, has released a checklist that will assist restaurant owners and managers in ensuring that the hood cleaning company they select does an adequate job each time their hood system is cleaned.

Massoud Farazandeh, CEO of the Bay Area commercial hood cleaning company, said the following should be considered: (more…)

PLACENTIA AND SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA— It can be said that the kitchen is the backbone of a restaurant. Take away a kitchen’s ability to function properly, and the rest of the operation is affected.

For that reason, it is important that restaurant kitchen hood, duct and fan systems are cleaned properly and kept at optimum functioning levels to ensure productivity remains at its highest, said Massoud Farazandeh, CEO of American Professional Services (APS-Hoods), which offers San Jose hood sale, installation and cleaning services and restaurant kitchen cleaning and installation services to commercial kitchens throughout California.

A restaurant kitchen typically generates the most pollutants due to the fat, smoke, odors and moisture used or generated during cooking. These pollutants can cling to walls, kitchen equipment and range hoods, as well as all parts of the exhaust system. (more…)

ACENTIA AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA— There are three primary benefits to choosing a hood company that offers comprehensive services beyond hood cleaning, according to American Professional Services (APS-Hoods).

APS-Hoods, a Placentia and Los Angeles hood cleaning, sales and installation company, recently compiled this benefits list to help restaurant owners/managers when selecting a hood cleaning professional.

1. A hood company that also offers hood repairs prevents owners from having to call on two separate companies.

“Often, when something related to the hood exhaust system breaks down, restaurant owners are forced to call a technician separate from the hood cleaning company doing service for them,” said Massoud Farazandeh, chief executive officer of the Placentia and Los Angeles commercial hood installation, cleaning and sales company. “This isn’t always an easy task, and can cost more than if they dealt with a single company.” (more…)