An important piece of equipment that helps ensure a commercial kitchen is running properly is the exhaust hood system. The exhaust hood system is responsible for pulling out smoke and debris, as well as grease / oil particles, from the kitchen’s air. In order to perform these functions the exhaust hood system needs to be running at top efficiency. A faulty exhaust hood system can lead to malfunctions, safety hazards, and fire risks – all of which can lead to days upon weeks of kitchen downtime and can be quite costly to repair.

To get the most out of your exhaust hood system you need to ensure that the system is running efficiently. A system running at peak efficiency increases the kitchen health and helps save on electricity costs. Here are some tips to ensure your exhaust hood system is functioning properly:

• Ensure that your exhaust hood system has maximized suction. The suction is responsible for pulling the particles out of the air. Your cooking equipment should be pushed as far against the wall as possible directly beneath your hood, and the reason for this is to prevent any clean air from getting pulled behind your equipment by the hood.
• A Demand Ventilation System helps your kitchen save money, and is easy to install. The Demand Ventilation System detects the volume of food being prepared in the kitchen and then adjusts exhaust hood fan speeds in order to maximize the efficiency. Using this type of system can lead to 30% - 50% in energy savings.
• Regular maintenance and cleaning allows the exhaust hood system to run at optimal levels. Check hood filters for your system, and clean or replace them when necessary. The hood filters are responsible for pulling and catching grease and other particles in the air. A full or clogged hood filters will cause the system to work harder to pull the air, which will cause the machine to use more electricity. Regular maintenance should also include rebalancing of the system. A system running heavy may see huge improvements from a rebalancing, as this helps the system run smoothly and thus in turn needing the use of less power.

An efficiently running exhaust system not only helps to ensure that the system is pulling the most smoke, fumes, and grease from the air, but also saves money. HoodMart provides our customers with a wide range of exhaust hood systems - from Compensating (Short Cycle) to Perforated Supply Plenum PSP - as well as all exhaust hood accessories such as hood filters, canopy hood lights, and curbs. If you still have questions regarding the purchase of your hood system please feel free to contact one of our experts today by calling us at 1.800.715.1014 or by contacting us through our live chat system.