All That You Need to Know About Kitchen Smoke Control
There is no doubt that the kitchen is one of the most important and functional rooms within any home or commercial setting. There are numerous issues to address in order to ensure that safety and sanitation are ensured at all times. While many articles focus upon issues such as germ mediation and the proper way to operate appliances, smoke control is another important aspect to address. Let us look at why this variable is so critical as well as a handful of modern techniques that should be employed.
A Look at the Importance of Kitchen Smoke Control
There are several reasons why controlling smoke within a kitchen represents a very real concern. These include:
- Mitigating the respiratory effects experienced by on-site personnel.
- Lessening the chances of an alarm occurring.
- Avoiding possible cross contamination with other substances (such as foods and drinks).
It should also be mentioned that the accumulation of smoke over time can often lead to unsanitary conditions and an increased presence of bacteria on certain surfaces. This is the reason why many commercial kitchens need to be inspected on a regular basis in order to detect any potential faults. Now that we can appreciate why kitchen smoke control needs to be addressed, what are some solutions and recommendations?
Achieving the Proper Ventilation
Every kitchen should exhibit ample amounts of ventilation. Of course, this will partially depend upon the size of the room as well as its intended use. Smaller environments may only require a single wall-mounted extractor fan to remove the majority of smoke produced during cooking. However, larger areas (such as commercial kitchens within a restaurant) should be paired with equally robust ventilation solutions.
Cooker hoods will often be used to address this issue. As the name suggests, these hoods are found directly above grilles and similar cooking areas. They will help to remove any smoke that rises up as a result of normal activities. The smoke and associated contents are then extracted to the outside environment (normally in the form of a chimney-like structure).
Proper Smoke Control Guidelines
There are several concerns to address when dealing with smoke in the kitchen. Not only should the size of an overhead hood be appropriate for the cooking area, but any extraction fans need to be cleaned on a regular basis. This will help to prevent oil and soot from building up and narrowing the shaft. Some other recommendations offered by experts include:
- Current guidelines state that any type of smoke extractor needs to be able to remove a minimum of 25 litres of air per second.
- The hood must be placed at least 50 centimetres away from the cooker.
- Wall-mounted extraction fans tend to work better than those placed over a kitchen island.
Are you curious to learn more about kitchen smoke removal? If so, please contact a representative at Dawnvale. We will be happy to explain our services in greater detail.