Overcoming Challenges to Comprehensive Flue Cleaning: The Roadblocks to Comprehensive Flue Cleaning

Maintaining a clean kitchen exhaust system is not just a regulatory requirement — it also provides numerous significant advantages for your business. However, some commercial kitchens fail to receive the meticulous cleaning they genuinely need. The reasons for this can be numerous, but here are four common scenarios.

If you need help with flue cleaning, contact Flue Steam at 800-700-FLUE for help today.

Failing to Book the Necessary Service

One issue is that some commercial kitchen owners or managers simply neglect to book the required comprehensive cleaning service to eliminate grease from the entire exhaust system. This is more prone to occur in kitchens that don’t cook substantial volumes of greasy food. The grease then slowly accumulates on visible areas of the exhaust system, like the exhaust hoods, and owners may assume it is building up even more slowly deeper inside the system. Given they cannot see this accumulation, they might not recognize that an issue is indeed developing.

Hiring the Incorrect Service Provider

Another frequent issue is employing the incorrect exhaust system cleaning company. Many companies are satisfied just to clean the visible components of the system. They may venture into the plenum and ducts, but they won’t proceed further than their arms and tools can reach. Depending on a company that assures you your ducts are “clean” without offering complete steam cleaning of the entire system is naturally a substantial hurdle to keeping your ducts free of grease.

Insufficient Access Points

An insufficient number of access points to the ductwork represents another significant impediment to adequate cleaning. NFPA codes dictate that approved access doors must be installed in the system at specific intervals. Depending on the ductwork’s design, this might necessitate a door that a person can enter through, or smaller access panels at pre-set intervals. You should also have a hinge kit on your rooftop exhaust fan to facilitate proper cleaning of this crucial piece of equipment.

Budget Constraints

Sometimes, kitchen owners may refrain from ordering service as frequently as they need due to concerns about the cost. In reality, the cost of service is minimal compared to the potential costs of a fire igniting in the ductwork. Clean ducts also improve air circulation, contributing to lower cooling bills and lower gas bills (propane flames on cooking appliances will burn higher with better air flow). Remember, the longer the interval between duct cleanings, the more grease will accumulate, making it more challenging and expensive to remove.

At Flue Steam, we can assist you in overcoming all these hurdles and attaining the comprehensive cleanings your business requires. We offer exceptionally thorough steam cleaning services to reach every nook and cranny of your ductwork, including parts you can’t see. We can gauge grease deposits throughout the system to determine the correct frequency of hand scraping and steam cleaning to help you understand when to order service, and we can install code compliant access panels for you. And of course, our services are very cost-effective. Please call 800-700-FLUE now to schedule your service at a time that suits your business.