Regardless of what you cook in your commercial restaurant, there is always some grease residue that could be found in the kitchen. This fat, grease, or oil from the food can vaporize and mix with the air to enter the exhaust via the up-blast fan in the vent hood. If your kitchen has an exhaust fan located on the roof, you should definitely get the grease containment device installed. If you have trouble installing the same or need help cleaning up the containment system, you can seek help from service providers for commercial vent hoods maintenance.

Now, let’s get to the part where we explain why you need the grease containment system for your commercial vent hood.

Why do you need a rooftop grease containment system?

The containment systems for rooftop grease needs to be installed in every commercial kitchen that gives off vapors that are laden with oil, fats, as well as grease. As these vapors start cooling and condensing, they collect & eventually drain from the exhaust fan. Without the presence of a proper system for grease containment, these filthy grease, oil, or fat liquid will leak from the roof onto your commercial kitchen. If you have been experiencing such a thing, you should definitely give a call to professionals for commercial vent hoods maintenance.

So, here are some reasons for you to have a rooftop grease containment system.

1-Avoid Potential Issues Due to Grease Buildup:

Whenever there is a leakage of grease or oil remnants from your roof, it might not be an impossible chore to get things cleaned up. However, the task is really difficult & time-consuming. If the oil or grease isn’t removed in a proper way, it can lead to a series of issues which includes roof damage or fire hazards. If you happen to notice signs of grease build-up in your commercial kitchen, you need to call a service provider for commercial vent hoods maintenance today.

2-Adhere to Regulations & Codes:

Apart from avoiding several potentially consequential issues, one more reason for you to install a grease containment system is the local codes & regulations. You need to adhere to the standards and codes set for fire protection and ventilation control of the commercial cooking spaces. This was established by NFPA or National Fire Protection Association. Also termed as the Fire Code NFPA 96, these particular standards need to be followed by the fire marshals. The commercial cooking tasks need to be done only after things are in place.

The NFPA 96 requires all the commercial kitchens or restaurants to install any variant of the system for grease containment like the grease box, hinge kit, or the access panel for the up-blast fans.

What happens due to grease build-up in the commercial kitchen roof?

So, why is the grease accumulation in the roof so bad? Let us take a quick look at the issues that take place when commercial kitchen owners allow oils, fats, or grease to accumulate over the surface of the roof.

• Fire Hazard:

You must be aware of the critical importance of refraining the oil or grease from accumulating in your exhaust fan or ductwork. The same applies to the rooftop as well. The oils, grease, and fats that come from cooking food change into aerosols & the kitchen’s exhaust fan start pulling up all those aerosols into the vent hood & exhaust system. If your exhaust system hasn’t been doing this, you can get in touch with professionals for commercial vent hoods maintenance.

These aerosols then pass through the exhaust system’s ductwork. With time, some of the oil and grease effluents will stick to the sides of the commercial vent hood system. Also, a section of these aerosols will travel to the fan. Here, the aerosols start settling down & eventually seeps out from the fan to the roof. When there is grease build-up on your roof close to your exhaust fan, this becomes fuel for any potential fire that might emerge in your kitchen. If the roof starts catching fire, it can spread out through the building putting the property and people at risk.

• Weakens the roof structure:

Oil and grease could be vivaciously detrimental to the roof. This leads to the weakening of the roof’s membrane, which turns the entire system spongy and soft. The grease build-up can also damage the seam tapes and adhesives. Apart from that, if you happen to allow the build-up of grease in your roof, you might even void the warranty for the roof provided by your manufacturer. If this happens, the repairs will surely affect your pocket.

Plus, if you allow things to go bad with time, it will eventually start leaking and thus damaging the walls and ceilings. Not just that, it also leads to mold growth, structural damage, or foul smells. If you happen to notice any of these symptoms, you need to get things checked by professional service providers for commercial vent hoods maintenance.

• Environmental Hazard:

Often ignored, environmental issues tend to play a critical role in your life. You need to be a contributor and do your best for the environment. Grease build-up is one such issue that can lead to serious environmental issues. If there is grease accumulation in your rooftop, it might wash away with the rains and enter the storm-water supply in your area. Now, all this oil, grease, or fat can also wash off and reach your local river or stream. This isn’t just bad for the environment but also introduces high-risk related to EPA along with code violations & penalties associated with non-compliance.

• Attracts Pests:

Unless you remove the grease from the roof using a system for grease containment, you might also bring in the risk related to pests, which include rats, mice, as well as insects. These pests are particularly attracted to this oil, fat, and grease accumulation in your rooftop. They also bring along several issues such as droppings & urine on the rooftop.

They can introduce great damage to the roof membrane, soffits, eaves, or flashing. Plus, they can also damage the wires that could lead to electrical fire hazards. If you want to avoid such issues, you need to get in touch with professional service providers for commercial vent hoods maintenance.

• Slipping Hazards:

If you fail to install a proper containment system for grease coming off from the kitchen, it could run off & become very dangerous for the workers or employees. Further, if the grease passes on to the floor, it can lead to some major cases of slipping hazards.

Conclusion

In order to avoid all the above-mentioned issues, you need to place a containment system in your HVAC exhaust. By capturing & containing grease within the containment system, you can easily dispose of the grease in a proper way. The key here is to opt for professional help for the installation process and ensure regular maintenance for your system.

Wondering who could be the best service provider for commercial vent hoods maintenance? Well, your search ends here! At Enertia HVAC/R, we tend to all your needs for HVAC maintenance, installation, repair, as well as replacement at affordable prices. To know more about our services, you can call us at (214) 550-3458. You can also text us at (469) 351-9657 for free estimates. Get in touch with us via mail at enertiallc@gmail.com.