Commercial Vent Hood Maintenance

Tip #1: Use the right filter, and the right number of filters.

Use the right kind of hood filter and the right number of filters will ensure that your vent hood will capture and contain the fats, oils, and grease emitted from your cooking. If you aren’t sure which filter is right for your needs, check out our Hood Filter Handbook. It covers everything from fire codes to filter material and information on specialty hood filters such as spark arrestor filters.

In addition to using the right type of filter, you also need to have the right size so that you can cover the entire opening of your vent hood. If you need help with measuring to determine the size and number of hood filters that you need, you can use our handy filter sizing calculator.

Also, if you check on the hood filters you currently have installed and notices a little bit of extra space causing your hood filters not to cover the entire hood opening, don’t worry. If you can’t fill the space with an additional filter because the space is too small, this does not mean that you have to get a whole new hood or purchase specially sized filters. You just need to get a hood filter spacer and your system will work much more effectively and be up to code with very little investment of time or money.

Tip #2: Restaurant Vent Hood Cleaning should happen often.

Regular commercial vent hood cleaning will help make sure that they are able to work as efficiently and effectively as possible. Most restaurant vent hood cleaning happens on a daily basis. But some are able to wait 1 to 2 weeks between cleanings. The choice should be based on the volume and type of cooking that you are doing. A fast food restaurant with long hours and high volume that grills burgers on a char broil appliance will have to schedule their restaurant vent hood cleaning more frequently than a small sandwich shop that grills the occasional Rueben.

When commercial vent hood cleaning, most hood filters can be easily and quickly cleaned by hand with hot soapy water or placed in a high-temp commercial dishwasher. They may also be submerged overnight in a soak tank. Some restaurant vent hood cleaning methods or chemicals may affect filters made with galvanized steel or aluminum causing discoloration or corrosion. It is always important to check with the manufacturer’s recommendations first to ensure you are using the best method for your filter.

Tip #3: Install duct access doors.

The inside of ducts are notoriously difficult to reach and thus, to keep clean. That is why duct access doors, also known as clean-out access doors or panels, are required to be installed in evenly spaced increments along your duct work. Duct access doors are very easy to install and allow your ducts to be cleaned, maintained and inspected with ease. Installing access doors makes it easier to remove fats, oils, and grease from your duct work, which helps to decrease your risk of a duct fire as well as helps your vent hood work better. And keeping your ducts cleaner also helps with airflow and decreases dust, bacteria, and mold growth.

Tip #4: Install an exhaust fan access panel.

Exhaust fan access panels are similar to duct access panels. They are yet another simple and easy way to help keep your commercial kitchen ventilation system properly cleaned and maintained. Also called exhaust fan access ports, these clean-out access points make it easier to reach the interior of the fan so that it may be cleaned and maintained. They are very affordable and can be installed quickly. Once installed, your exhaust fan access port will help ensure that your upblast exhaust fan blades are kept clean and free of grease buildup. This will help you avoid problems associated with grease buildup such as unbalanced fan blades, vibration, and excessive fan belt wear and tear.

Tip #5: Install an exhaust fan hinge kit.

Last but not least, Tip #5 is to install an up blast exhaust fan hinge kit. Not only will this aid in restaurant vent hood cleaning, making it easier to keep your exhaust fan clean it also makes it much safer and can protect your roof, your fan, and your fan base from being damaged during routine maintenance, commercial vent hood cleaning, or inspection. Hinge kits create a hinge between the fan bowl and the fan base. The hinge keeps the exhaust fan locked in an open position, so it does not open too far and so that it also does not slam back closed onto personnel that are accessing the fan’s interior. Because they allow the fan to be opened while still attached to the fan base, hinge kits also protect the fan components including wiring and your roof itself from damage that might happen due to repeatedly taking the fan off of the base and putting it onto the roof, and then back again.

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