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For over 50 years we have helped many restaurants avoid one of the most serious threats a business can face. You guessed it — fire. We’ve seen a thing or two over the years and can tell you that your kitchen exhaust system is perhaps the greatest asset of your establishment. It is a line of defense against devastating fires and structural damage, but all too often, a few common problems leave this defense mechanism ineffective.

1. Poor Maintenance and Access Door Locations
   The ducts of the system need to be cleaned regularly, and a thorough cleaning means being able to get into the ducts. Access panels need to be every 12 feet in horizontal ductwork and large enough to support cleaning services. There should be panels installed within three feet of each side of an exhaust fan, and each panel must be grease-tight. Access panels that are poorly placed and poorly designed, and are not kept clean, are a serious fire hazard. Grease, oil and other flammable materials can build up all through the hood, ducts, gutters and filters.
2. Poor Placement of the Ductwork
   You may not have been able to control the initial placement of the ductwork in the kitchen, but it is definitely something you need to be concerned about now. If there is not enough separation between the ductwork and flammable material, you have an accident waiting to happen. There must be fire-resistant materials (fire insulation) between the ductwork and the combustible materials in the immediate surroundings. Hoods or ducts that are close by to workstations should never be used as storage opportunities. This is another simple fix that leaves devastating consequences when unaddressed.
3. Poor Expansion Plans With Ductwork
   If your operations have grown and you have added new areas to the kitchen or reconfigured the space, your kitchen exhaust system should have expanded with the rest of the kitchen. This isn’t a problem unless you connected multiple heat sources to the same ductwork. Separate kitchen compartments need to have their own ducts, fans and fire-isolated shafts. Charcoal and wood-fired ovens need to have independent ventilation systems because of the extreme ignition risk.
4. Poor Understanding of Fire Prevention Measures
   The most common causes of restaurant fires are flammable kitchen materials coming into contact with the cooking flames. This may seem containable, but when the fire gets into the exhaust system and ductwork of the kitchen, as well as the fans and the vents (which are often full of grease buildup), total destruction can be just minutes away. Improper cleaning is just a part of the problem. Failing to have an automatic fire suppression system is another epic safety fail.
   

Get Back on a Fire Prevention Offensive

You may be thinking that you inherited this kitchen with these problems, and the lack of safety precautions isn’t your fault. While you may not be responsible for the installation problems, it is certainly your responsibility to address these safety concerns now. Fortunately for you, one of the best ways to minimize the risk of fire in the kitchen is through a partnership with Flue Steam. Call us at 800-700-FLUE to find out about our cleaning, repair and inspection services for kitchen exhausts and fire suppression systems.

Here in California, we already pretty much have pre-summer weather. It’s not super hot just yet, but soon enough (but hopefully not too soon), we’ll be sweating bullets. Maybe you and your restaurant staff already are. Consistently moving around in a kitchen with ovens, stovetops, grills, and other appliances turned on while the weather outside is already pretty toasty can make one’s skin dewy in no time (and not the good type of dewy either).

Before your staff kill over of heat exhaustion, or you get slapped with a hefty fine or lawsuit, let us ask you this: do you have a working and recently serviced swamp cooler in your California commercial kitchen? If you said, “No,” you’re definitely going to want to get that done shortly to avoid the latter consequences.

A Working Kitchen Swamp Cooler Plays a Prominent Role

It might seem like an unimportant additional to your commercial kitchen. However, your kitchen’s swamp cooler offers many benefits.

One of the things your kitchen’s swap cooler can do is help cool down your overheated kitchen when cooking is in full swing. And as contaminants are entering the air in your kitchen mid-cooking, your swamp cooler helps replenish the atmosphere with fresh air that’s safer for your employees to breathe.

This device isn’t just beneficial for your employees but can also benefit anyone dining inside your California restaurant. The last thing you need is a bad review on Yelp for having a stuffy, hot dining room. Your guests are much more likely to feel comfortable when the air in your commercial spot is fresh and cool.

Swamp Cooler Not Working Properly? Get it Serviced Now in Sherman Oaks CA

Say your swamp cooler isn’t working as anticipated. Or, maybe it’s even broken. Whatever the issue might be, know that it can be replaced sooner than you might think and for a great cost.

Flue Steam, Inc. takes delight in servicing swamp coolers and providing any repairs that they might need. With our help, we will leave your commercial kitchen better than ever. Imagine fresh, easy to breathe, less contaminated, and safer air that doesn’t leave you and your staff members feeling hot, sweaty, and dry. You and your hard-working team deserve it, especially now that the weather is warming up fast!

Contact Flue Steam, Inc. today for a service appointment in Sherman Oaks, CA. Our phone number is 800-700-FLUE.

The scariest aspect of owning your own business is witnessing it potentially fail. Especially during year-long-plus pandemic, many restaurant owners are afraid of this reality, but the fate is sadly not all that uncommon. Only the strongest few survive.

While nothing and no form of business insurance can protect your business from not being successful, one of the things that’s important for restaurant owners is ensuring their commercial spot has an automatic fire suppression system. This system can help significantly safeguard a restaurant from a flash fire if it ever were to occur.

Kitchen Fires are More Common Than You Think

Did you know that it’s not all that uncommon for a restaurant kitchen to catch up in flames? I mean, after all, there are so many pieces of cooking equipment in a restaurant that it should come as no surprise that a fire may erupt at any given moment. Not only might a fire occur while your restaurant is open, and cooking is full force, but it can also happen when none of your staff are on duty.

Whether someone is in your restaurant at the time or not, however, there’s always a possibility that a fire could start inside your restaurant. As everyone knows, fires are fast. They’re quick to start and just as fast to spread. Fires are so speedy that even a firefighter with proper ware could become engulfed in the flames and not make it out. This is why it’s critical to have a way to put out the flames quickly before humans have to intervene, like through an automatic fire suppression system.

The thing with automatic fire suppression systems is that it 1) automatically detects a fire before you and your staff might even notice, 2) it doesn’t require a human to be within proximity to work, and 3) it gets to work faster than a human. These systems can truly save your business or even lives.

Get Automatic Fire Suppression System Installation in Your Southern California Commercial Kitchen

Is your restaurant lacking an automatic fire suppression system? Now is the time to get one installed. Would if your restaurant went up in flames in the coming days or weeks? You’d hope to have extra protection and a better shot at having your restaurant survive, which an automatic fire suppression system can offer.

Get an automatic fire suppression system set up with Flue Steam, Inc. soon. Get an appointment by dialing 800-700-FLUE.

One of the most aggravating (and expensive) aspects of running a restaurant is when equipment breaks, goes missing, or begins to malfunction. This is especially true if said equipment is absolutely vital in order to keep your restaurant up and running. For instance, when something happens to your sink, stove, oven, freezer or refrigerator, or even your kitchen exhaust system, it can feel like the end of the world. And of course, you want someone to come out as soon as possible to resolve the situation, but unfortunately, many of the appliance repair companies out there already have appointments booked up for the rest of week, so then you’ll be left with no resolution in the meantime.

While you might be able to get by with certain types of equipment being broken and may have another appliance you can temporarily switch over to as an alternative, other equipment is absolutely essential and cannot be replaced. Your kitchen’s exhaust system falls into that category.

An Exhaust System is One of the Most Important Parts of a Commercial Kitchen

You might not believe it, but the exhaust system in your commercial kitchen (if applicable) is one of the most vital pieces of equipment in your kitchen. If you have a stove in your commercial kitchen in California, it’s the law to not only have an exhaust system installed but to have one that is in working condition. Plus, having one is safer.

Cooking on the stovetop in your kitchen without an operable kitchen exhaust could lead to unhealthy debris and oils to fill the air, which can lead to uncomfortable working conditions. Your employees and even your customers might experience excess heat and even breathing problems, among other ailments, especially if they have a pre-existing health condition like asthma. It’s a serious ordeal for your exhaust system to malfunction or not work at all and can certainly be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Need Service Today? Schedule an Emergency Exhaust Appointment Now

If your commercial kitchen’s exhaust system isn’t working or is working but isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do, your best bet is to call out Flue Steam, Inc. for service. We want your restaurant to remain up and running – and safe to work in. We don’t want you to have to temporarily close and lose business, especially during a pandemic. So, we offer emergency appointments. That being said, we’re available seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Give us a call at 800-700-FLUE to schedule an emergency kitchen exhaust system repair appointment in Fullerton, CA.

When buying or starting up your own restaurant business, you might be shocked to find out just how many laws, codes, and ordinances you must comply with. In the beginning, your head might spin when learning all of this, but after a while of ensuring you’re in compliance with everything that you must be, you might feel a lot more confident with the legality of your business.

However, are you confident that your restaurant has a working and up-to-code automatic fire suppression system? After all, it’s a pretty important piece of equipment!

Perks of an Automatic Fire Suppression System

Anyone that owns a restaurant should know that a flash fire is not exactly all that unlikely. With grease and fats constantly being burned on the stovetop in your kitchen, it’s critical that you have a proper, working kitchen exhaust system. But sometimes exhaust systems fail. Not to mention, there’s only so much your exhaust system can do. On top of that, a flash fire may occur in your kitchen due to a completely unrelated issue, whether or not you have a working exhaust system. That’s where automatic fire suppression systems come in.

Automatic fire suppression systems automatically put out a fire in your restaurant without you needing to intervene. So, even if nobody is in your restaurant, this system will still work to extinguish unwanted flames. Even if there is somebody present to aid with the flash fire, it’s possible that they won’t have equipment such as a fire extinguisher, fire blanket, or a hose, or a bucket of water on hand to quickly extinguish the flames before they spread and cause more damage. Not to mention, they may not even be aware of the fire at first. So, really, an automatic fire suppression system is a saving grace and helps fill in when and where humans can’t most of the times.

Is Your Automatic Fire Suppression System Up to Code in California?

Having an automatic fire suppression system in your commercial kitchen is a huge blessing and something to be very grateful for. However, it must be up to code. Is yours?

If your suppression system isn’t up to code or if you’re not sure if it’s up to code in your commercial kitchen, reach out to Flue Steam, Inc. in Gardena, CA. We can help make sure that it is, in fact, up to code, so you can guarantee a safer kitchen and avoid penalties.

Call us for an appointment at 800-700-FLUE.