The kitchen hood suppression system is a vital component of any professional kitchen. The system consists of nozzles and piping that carry chemicals (typically a water-based solution with compounds to combat grease fires) throughout the pipeline to suppress fires when they arise.
Because of the critical function these systems serve in your kitchen, you must be diligent with your care to ensure that any fires are contained successfully. There are two primary inspections that fire hood suppression systems require to operate their best: a semi-annual inspection and a monthly inspection.
In this article, we’ll cover both essential types of kitchen hood suppression system maintenance.
The semi-annual inspection, which the National Fire Prevention Association encourages, is carried out by a kitchen suppression specialist such as FPS Technologies. In this inspection, the specialist ensures that the suppression system is fully functioning and ready to put out a fire. This is a comprehensive inspection, which includes checks such as:
This thorough, professional inspection ensures that every component of your suppression system is working. Not only can this prevent huge costs if it was to fail during an actual fire, but it also keeps the kitchen staff and restaurant equipment safe.
The monthly suppression system inspection is shorter than a professional inspection and can usually be done by a kitchen manager. This is not a comprehensive inspection but is meant to check that nothing appears out of the ordinary between semi-annual checks and alert you to any potential issues.
In your monthly inspection, check that the nozzles of your suppression system are aimed correctly at the sources of potential fires. You also want to check inside your kitchen hood to see if there is a buildup of grease or dirt, which can inhibit the suppression system’s performance if too severe.
Finally, you want to check that the blow-off caps are secured on all nozzles. These caps prevent the build-up of contaminants from accumulating inside the nozzles, which can prevent the chemical solution from spraying when a fire is active.
Another element of the monthly inspection is to check the indicator, which will display green if fully cocked and red if there is a problem. Additionally, you’ll want to look at the manual actuator and make sure it has not been set off without notice.
If you notice any issues during your monthly inspection, get in touch with FPS right away for a service appointment.
Aside from your monthly and semi-annual system inspections, cleaning your kitchen area with non-flammable cleaning agents is an easy way to minimize potential fire hazards in your kitchen. If you require flammable cleaning agents for other reasons, keep them stored away from cooking equipment.
Operating a commercial kitchen with a malfunctioning suppression system is incredibly dangerous for your employees and patrons. If any element of the monthly inspection raises concerns about your suppression system, schedule an inspection with an FPS Technologies suppression specialist right away.
If you’re unsure whether you’ll be able to keep your inspection schedule straight, we’ve got you covered. We assist our clients in managing their inspection schedules so they can focus on their passion, and we can focus on their fire protection. Get in touch to schedule your inspection today.