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As many commercial kitchen owners might know, a kitchen exhaust, flue, range hood, or kitchen hood is an important piece of equipment that contains a mechanical fan. These devices remove heat, moisture, toxic fumes, airborne grease, and steam and smoke as byproducts of cooking. Although not all commercial structures have building codes requiring that a kitchen exhaust be installed, having one is certainly beneficial in many cases.

However, just having a kitchen flue is not enough to keep your kitchen safe and sound. Cleaning your flue is also a must. In fact, there are significant risks for failing to clean your exhaust on a minimum of a monthly basis.

Increased Risk of a Fire

One of the greatest hazards a greasy kitchen exhaust can pose for your kitchen is the risk of a flash fire. Such an event can not only damage precious equipment but potentially your entire building and possibly other nearby buildings. If your kitchen catches on fire, imagine not only the costs of damages that your insurer may not cover but also your risk of a lawsuit if other individuals get injured.

Inspection Failure

Filthy kitchen hoods and traps are often viewed as a health violation and can result in inspection failure. While you may be given a specified period to address the violation(s), your health department has the authority to shut your business down depending on the extent of the violation(s). Even when given time to address, say, a dirty kitchen exhaust, the loss of sales and even reputation if others find out about your kitchen inspection failure can be enough to damage your business entirely.

Kitchen Sanitation Issues

Proper ventilation provided by a kitchen exhaust is vital when it comes to sanitation as it can impact your employees and customers’ health. With a dirty kitchen exhaust, sanitation issues can come in the form of potentially-toxic aromas, poor air quality, and unwanted grease or condensation dripping onto prepared food and/or dishes and utensils prior to serving hungry customers.

Lower Employee Productivity

In turn of toxic aromas, poor air quality, and even heat accumulation from improperly-ventilated kitchen fumes and heat, your employees may suffer from lower productivity. Uncomfortable smells; stuffy, unsafe breathing air; and an uncomfortable kitchen temperature can all certainly distract employees and potentially cause short- or even long-term health concerns for your employees. Due to improper ventilation, you may suffer from not only a high employee turnover rate, and in turn angry customers, but also potential lawsuits if an employee suffers from health consequences due to working in a poorly-ventilated kitchen.

Environmental Safety Concerns

Kitchen ventilation systems are designed to properly ventilate environmentally-toxic smoke and grease. However, when it comes to the proper cleaning and disposal of grease and other byproducts accumulated by a kitchen exhaust, it is your responsibility to adhere to any environmental regulations and laws that apply to you. A professional kitchen flue cleaner can ensure these environmental standards are met, potentially preventing your business from receiving a fine from the Environmental Protection agency (EPA).

The latter are certainly not things you will want you experience, but fortunately, they preventable. By having quarterly steam cleaning performed on your commercial kitchen exhaust, you can reap the benefits of a safer kitchen environment. Contact us today at 800-700-FLUE to set up your first exhaust cleaning in Culver City, CA!

Restaurant owners have a lot to consider to maintain a clean, sterile, and safe kitchen environment for themselves and their employees. Keeping a clean kitchen also means customers will benefit too.

Cleaning a commercial kitchen involves wiping down countertops and hard surfaces, scrubbing sinks and the insides of appliances, and mopping and sweeping the floors. However, another critical aspect of a commercial kitchen that requires your attention is keeping your exhaust free of grease buildup.

Keeping your kitchen flue clear of grease is easy with exhaust steam cleaning and will allow your kitchen to garner substantial benefits.

Reduce Your Risk of Dangerous Flash Fires

One of primary consequences of not keeping your kitchen flue clear of grease is the risk of dealing with a flash fire. Because grease is highly flammable, taking chances by letting it build up overtime is not wise.

Worst of all, if your kitchen does end up in flames due to a greasy kitchen exhaust, your insurance company may not cover most, or even any, of the damages considering a flash fire caused by grease buildup is highly preventable. Quite frankly, keeping your flue clean is your responsibility, no one else’s.

The good news is, however, that having professional kitchen exhaust steam cleaning performed quarterly can reduce your risk of dealing with an unwanted kitchen fire. The only flames in your kitchen should be the flames that are cooking your food.

Say Hello to a Cleaner Kitchen

Apart from achieving a safer commercial kitchen environment by regularly cleaning your exhaust to eliminate solidified, flammable grease, these cleanings can also ensure you have a cleaner, brighter exhaust system. After all, grease accumulation is not a pretty sight; it’s and eyesore and, not to mention, looks unprofessional.

At Flue Steam, we pride ourselves in leaving your business’ kitchen exhaust bright, shiny, and hazard-free with our quality steaming services. A commercial kitchen can never be too safe or too clean.

Supplement Monthly Hand Cleanings with a Few Annual Steam Cleanings

Although cleaning your commercial kitchen exhaust by hand on a monthly basis is cost-effective, you can supplement those time-consuming, pesky cleanings with just two to four cleanings a year with professional steam cleaning services. While steam cleaning is more expensive than cleaning your exhaust by hand, it gets the job done faster and more thoroughly, thus resulting in a safer kitchen.

In the long-run, opting for kitchen steam cleaning can eliminate your chances of not only dealing with on-site injuries and/or property damage but can also save you from a hefty bill, fine, penalty, or even the loss of your business.

Ready to de-grease your filthy kitchen exhaust? Call us at 800-700-FLUE for more information!

Here in California, restaurant kitchens are required by code to have automatic fire suppressions systems. This is very important to prevent injuries to people and damage to your expensive commercial kitchen equipment. Does your restaurant kitchen have an automatic fire suppression that you’ll be able to count on in the event of an emergency? If you’re not sure, now is the time to update yours with Flue Steam.

How automatic fire suppression systems work

Automatic fire suppression systems operate with a temperature sensor that triggers the system to activate whenever the air outside the hood of your exhaust system reaches a certain preset temperature, which is usually set at 450 degrees. When this sensor is triggered, an extinguishing agent douses any flames on your appliances and in the plenum. In that same instant, an automatic shut-off valve is triggered to turn off your gas supply, which is essential to further reduce the flames. The automatic nature of these systems is absolutely essential so that fires can be extinguished instantaneously, but they are also equipped with a manual pull trigger, too.

Is your automatic fire suppression system up to the challenge?

If your automatic fire suppression is many years old, or otherwise shows signs of wear and tear, now is the perfect time to upgrade to a new one from Flue Steam. It’s so important to have one that’s in good working order so you’ll be prepared in the unlikely event that you’ll need it. In commercial kitchens, the unexpected often happens, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

When you purchase an automatic fire suppression system from Flue Steam, we’ll professionally install it for you to make sure it complies with all applicable codes, including the UL 300 standard. Our licensed technicians will not only install it for you, we’ll provide all the code-required inspections and maintenance the law requires every 6 months.

Rely on Flue Steam

For complete automatic fire suppression system services, you can really count on Flue Steam. We have the specialized technicians who have plenty of experience and drive to always make sure your needs are taken care of. We won’t rest until we can confidently say that your commercial kitchen is perfectly protected against fires with a automatic fire suppression system that’s been perfectly calibrated and maintained.

Kitchen exhaust system cleaning

When you sign up for automatic fire suppression system installation and maintenance services, we also recommend signing up for kitchen exhaust system cleaning services. Using hot, high pressure water, our licensed technicians will get every inch of your exhaust system perfectly clean so there won’t be any grease deposits, which could lead to flash fires. We recommend signing up for steam cleaning services 2-4 times per year. Your hood, exhaust ducts, drip cups, and exhaust fans will be sparkling clean after every service. Sign up for your first service today by calling 800-700-FLUE.

Did you know that unless you take proper precautions, your restaurant kitchen can be extremely dangerous? That’s right – flash fires can easily occur, for example, if you don’t have it steam cleaned regularly. The good news is that you don’t have to do it yourself – in fact, it’s important that you leave this essential task to the professionals. Sign up for restaurant kitchen steam cleaning services from Flue Steam today by simply calling 800-700-FLUE. We would be happy to steam clean your restaurant kitchen at dates and times that are most convenient for your busy schedule.

About steam cleaning

But you may be wondering, what is steam cleaning, exactly? What’s involved, and why is it important? As the industry experts in steam cleaning, we’ll gladly provide helpful answers to all your burning questions. Steam cleaning is a method of cleaning commercial kitchen exhaust systems that involves the use of hot, highly pressurized water and specialized equipment to effectively reach every inch of your system. Unlike other companies that focus mostly on the range hood, our licensed technicians will strive to clean all areas of your exhaust system, including the exhaust ducts, drip cups, and exhaust fans.

Steam cleaning is essential for all kinds of restaurant kitchens because, if grease is allowed to build up in your exhaust system, a flash fire can occur. That could lead to someone getting hurt, your equipment being damaged, and perhaps even closure of your business. Maintaining the cleanliness of your exhaust system is also required by various government agencies, and failure to do so could result in fines.

Protect your restaurant kitchen from flash fires and keep it humming along efficiently and safely with steam cleaning services from Flue Steam. After every cleaning, we’ll provide a “Certificate of Performance” sticker that’ll keep code inspectors satisfied and may even save you money on your insurance bills. For your convenience, we can also install code-required access panels for your exhaust system to allow for the most comprehensive exhaust system cleaning possible.

Bonus services

We care about the safety and efficiency of your restaurant kitchen, which is why we offer the following bonus services, included with every regularly scheduled steam cleaning:

• Exhaust fan inspection
• Inspection of belts and other parts
• Grease fan bearings

If our technician discovers that your belts are worn out and you have a replacement readily at hand, we’ll install the new belt at no charge. We do this to ensure that your exhaust fan is able to draw properly, so your system always stays clean for as long as possible.

In addition, we also sell, service, and professionally install automatic fire suppression systems and portable fire extinguishers for restaurant kitchens throughout Southern California.

Give us a call at 800-700-FLUE today! We look forward to working with you.

Burbank is known as the “Media Capital of the World,” since majorly influential companies are headquartered there – including The Walt Disney Company, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers Entertainment, and others. The motto of the city is “A city build on people, pride, and progress.” At Flue Steam, we have the excellent staff who take pride in what they do every day to help commercial kitchens run safely and efficiently every day. Now that’s progress! We would love to partner with you to make sure your commercial kitchen is safe from flash fires and runs efficiently in a daily basis. Learn more about our services below and don’t hesitate to give us a call at 800-700-FLUE to set up your first cleaning appointment!

Steam cleaning in Burbank, CA

We at Flue Steam have been providing impeccable steam cleaning services for commercial kitchen throughout Burbank, CA, for over 55 years. Whether your commercial kitchen is part of a restaurant, hotel, college campus, retirement facility, or anything else, we know it’s important to make sure it is as safe and efficient as possible. One essential way to accomplish this is by setting up regular steam cleaning services from the best company serving Burbank, CA – Flue Steam. Using specialized equipment and tried-and-true methods, we will use hot, pressurized water to blast grease off every nook and cranny of your commercial kitchen exhaust system, including the exhaust hood, ducts, drip cups, and exhaust fans. We can even install code-required access panels in your ducts to enable you to receive the most comprehensive kitchen exhaust system cleaning possible.

Not sure how often your commercial kitchen exhaust system should be steam cleaned by our experts? Don’t worry, we’d be happy to advise you. If your cooks fry and broil food on a daily basis, you’ll need to sign up for frequent cleanings. But if you have a sushi restaurant, for instance, that doesn’t require cooking with grease very much, you can sign up for steam cleaning services on a less frequent basis. Let’s talk! You can reach us at 800-700-FLUE.

Bonus services in Burbank, CA

Our top priority is the complete safety and efficiency of your commercial kitchen. As a result, we offer various bonus services. Every regularly schedule steam cleaning visit includes an exhaust fan inspection. We’ll check the belts and other parts and grease your fan bearings. If your belts are worn out and you happen to have a replacement handy, we’ll install it for you at no additional charge. This makes sure your exhaust fan is able to draw properly every day so that your system stays cleaner longer.

So many people have relied on us in Burbank, CA, for steam cleaning and other essential services. Give us a try today! Schedule your first cleaning appointment at a date and time convenient for your busy schedule by calling 800-700-FLUE.