Adequate Ventilation is a crucial aspect of every room. It is even more important in a commercial kitchen environment. Not just because it is fancy and gives comfort, but even from a health and safety perspective, it is inevitable. The primary purpose of a commercial kitchen extraction system is to remove the heat and grease that is commonly generated from the cooking equipment beneath it. However, the benefits of it don’t stop there. In a working environment, when we use gas cooking equipment it creates carbon monoxide gas, which is harmful. Additionally, warewashing equipment and boiling generate steam. All of these gases and steam has to be removed from the kitchen in order to provide a safe and comfortable working environment for the staff there. Not only for the comfort of those working but also to ensure that a sufficient amount of clean and cool air is supplied to the area, kitchen ventilation systems are crucial. Besides, the supply of air must be sufficient for the complete combustion of gas-burning equipment. And then the gases that are generated by the combustion process has to be effectively removed from the space and expelled to a safe exterior location.
That is why an extraction is system is extremely important. But would you like to know more about it? Now, without any further ado let’s get started.
What Is A Commercial Kitchen Extraction System?
Although it may seem to be simple, the commercial kitchen extraction systems are made of several key elements. First, it includes a stainless steel canopy. It extracts gases and particles from the kitchen atmosphere. The canopies have the right filters which make frequent removing, cleaning and replacing easy.
Secondly to discharge fumes, ducting is required. It has to be installed correctly with extra to its position. If it is placed in close proximity to other offices or residential areas, it may cause problems and result in complaints.
Within the ducting, the system will also require fans to extract the fumes from the hood and through the ducting. To ensure adequate ventilation correct fans have to be chosen. And most systems like the kitchens frying food will also require carbon and grease filters within the ducting.
Are Commercial Extraction Systems Really Important?
In short, the answer is YES. Because most of the commercial kitchens do need an extraction. Without it, you may not get planning permissions, from your local planning authorities. Moreover, it is considered an offence not to have a proper kitchen extraction system. So, as per the law, you are required to install and maintain a commercial kitchen extraction system to minimise fire risk and thereby protect your staff and customers.
What Does A Commercial Kitchen Extraction System Do?
A kitchen is a place where a lot of frying takings place and so they are the places that are very vulnerable to fire risk. A kitchen extraction system protects you in several ways as they perform the following functions:-
- The kitchen extraction system primarily works to ensure the health and safety of the staff and customers in a commercial kitchen.
- It extracts the harmful carbon monoxide and other poisonous that is produced during cooking.
- Particles from cooking like fat and grease can cause respiratory illnesses and increase fire risk and so the extraction system is responsible for removing them from the kitchen.
- Another major purpose of a kitchen extraction system is odour control. It controls cooking smells that can be disturbing to the neighbours. Adequate ventilation and filler systems reduce these odours from cooking.
What Does A Kitchen Extraction System Design Consist Of?
Depending on the sites specific constructional details, building and kitchen layout, type of catering equipment used and choice of fuels (like charcoal, gas, electric or solid fuel) a commercial kitchen extraction design can vary. A well-designed kitchen ventilation system will ensure a healthy and comfortable working environment for your kitchen brigade. It will keep the air quality in check. The extraction services include positions, layouts routes and specifications. It includes the following components:-
- Kitchen Extraction canopy
- Extractor ducting
- Extractor canopy filters
- Extraction canopy lighting
- Carbon filtration systems
- Commercial extractor fans and fan boxes.
- Co2 (Carbon Dioxide) monitoring
- Noise suppression systems
- Discharge cowls and louvres
- Speed controllers and fan power monitoring systems
- Odour control systems
- Gas safety interlock systems
- Replacement air systems
Do You Have To Clean Your Commercial Kitchen Extraction System?
Your kitchen extraction system has to undergo cleaning and deep cleaning at regular intervals to be maintained in a good condition. If you do some heavy cooking in your kitchen, the extraction system would need cleaning twice a week and deep cleaning every 3-6 months. Whilst a kitchen where medium cooking is done needs to be cleaned once per week and deep cleaned every 6-12 months. On the other hand, if only light cooking is done in your kitchen, it is enough if you clean it once a week and deep clean it once in 12 months.
Doing this is important because, in the extraction system and ducting, you will have a build-up of oil and grease from the canopy to the duct. And then you have the air from the fan and flames from the cookers in the kitchen. So to prevent fire you must clean the build-up in the Kitchen Extraction System regularly. The cleaning process should include cleaning of the canopy, filter, fan and duct throughout the building.
Avoiding the cleaning process would present a significant risk to your business. Because, if the cleaning is not done regularly you would have to close your business for a few weeks to fix the resultant repair. Which could lead to losses in your earnings. Other than the fire risk, an unclean extraction system wouldn’t work properly and would pose serious health problems as the people there would be exposed to gases and toxins.
Also, remember that your kitchen extract system will be included as a part of any usual Health and Safety inspections, so if not maintained well, the visiting health safety executive may commission closure of your business or other enforcements.
