SpettroApr 7, 2015News
We love to hear from our customers at Spettro Duct Clean, so you can imagine how pleased we were to receive this fantastic email from Jason Frankl praising our duct cleaning services.
Dear Graham,
I wanted to let you know how happy we are with the job your team did for us on Saturday.
Already my wife’s breathing is much improved and she isn’t waking up coughing in the morning when the heating turns on.
The guys left the house in a very clean state and worked non-stop through the day to get the job done despite some difficulties presented by the duct system.
They told me that we should get the fan cleaned annually and the whole system up to every 4 years.
I hope to use your services again in the future and will certainly recommend you if the opportunity arises.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Jason Frankl.
SpettroFeb 17, 2015News
FAQ
- Why does kitchen Ductwork systems need cleaning
- How often should I clean my Commercial Kitchen Ductwork System?
- How do you go about cleaning a Kitchen Ductwork System?
- How do you perform a Kitchen Deep Clean?
- Will the certificate I get comply with all my insurance demands
1. Why do kitchen Ductwork systems need cleaning and certification?
Kitchen extract/ductwork systems quickly become coated in the combustible material, fat, grease, grime, etc, that is given off during the cooking process.
If these are not regularly removed through cleaning, then the risk of a fire increases as the amount of flammable debris increases
Your insurance company will require you to demonstrate that you are managing this risk and that the extract system has been cleaned by an approved company who can certificate the extract ducting as “safe”
In the event of fire or incident if you are unable to prove that your extract ducting has been cleaned and tested in line with the recommended frequency, your insurance company may not pay out. If damage or injury extends to third parties you may also face uninsured public liability claims, and the worst case scenarios adverse publicity and prosecution.
2. How often should I clean my Commercial Kitchen Ductwork System?
The frequency with which you should have your kitchen extract system cleaned depends on how heavily it is used.
The association of British Insurers and the Building & Engineering Services ( Formerly the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association) recommend cleaning intervals as follows:
| Kitchen Use |
Hours Per Day |
Clean Frequency |
| Heavy Use |
12-16 hours |
Every 3 months |
| Medium Use |
6-12 hours |
Every 6 months |
| Light Use |
2-6 Hours |
Every 12 months |
Remember cleaning alone is not enough, the extract ducting also needs to be tested and certificated as safe.
3. How do you go about cleaning a Kitchen Ductwork System?
- An initial visual inspection identifies:
- That all the ducting can be accessed
- The extent of grease build up
- The materials that the canopy and ducting are made of
- The cleaning equipment and chemicals that are to be used
Ducting that has been cleaned to the recommended standards will have suitable panels fitted and the initial inspection is usually quick and easy. If any of the ducting is inaccessible, then it will be necessary to fit access panels to some sections before these can be cleaned.
- All fans are removed, dismantled and thoroughly cleaned.
- Excess grease and debris is removed, usually by scraping, from the inside of the canopy and ducting.
- Once the heavy grease and grime is removed specialist chemical cleaners are applied, left to work and then a final cleanse removes any remnants of grease, fat and dirt.
- The entire canopy structure inside and out is degreased and surrounding back panels, walls and ceiling areas are then steam cleaned.
- All the drip trays, lips and grease filters are included in the cleaning process
- The fan unit/s are assembled, installed and tested
- The extract ducting is then safety tested using approved equipment
- A last check, clean and polish by hand ensures no part has been missed and that all the floors and surrounding areas are spotless
- Finally a nationally recognized and approved safety check certificate is issued
4. How do you perform a Kitchen Deep Clean?
To achieve a successful kitchen deep clean, it is important to go about the process in a logical and systematic way.
· Prior to cleaning the kitchen itself, all electrical items are isolated and exposed switches covered.
· Equipment is dismantled and component parts are soak cleaned in specialist chemicals prior to steam cleaning, includes
o grease filters
o oven trays
o range tops and rings
o fryer pans and grill trays
o dismantled fan units
o other heavily soiled non electrical items.
· Where possible, equipment is pulled out to ensure that thorough cleaning can be achieved both beneath and behind the equipment.
· Some kitchen items will be best cleaned in an outside area.
· The inside areas to be cleaned are now scraped of all excess grease and them thoroughly steam cleaned. Chemicals are only used if necessary.
· Once cleaned, all excess dirt and cleaning chemicals are cleaned off all surfaces.
· Walls and ceilings are normally steam cleaned before the removed equipment is returned into position.
· Floor areas thoroughly cleaned with use of a steam cleaner and wet vacuum.
· All rubbish and debris is removed and the premises left clean and tidy ready for client inspection
· The client is asked to inspect the work, sign a customer satisfaction sheet and cleaning certificate is issued
5. Will the Certificate I get comply with all my insurance demands
The certificates Spettro Ducting Cleaning issue confirm that the extract ducting is clean to the B&ES TR19 standard.
This standard is accepted by most insurance companies and we are not aware of any insurance company that does not accept our certificate as evidence of cleaning and safety but to ensure maximum reliability we recommend all clients check their insurance policy wording or obtain written confirmation from their insurance company of suitability prior to contracting any work with us.
SpettroJan 10, 2015News
Food outlets in parts of the London borough of Bexley have the worst hygiene standards of more than 2,000 postcodes, while those in Birmingham’s B35 area offer the best, according to a Which? investigation.
Bexley in south east London had six of the 10 worst postcodes studied, with the worst postcode, DA7, having nearly half of its eateries inspected (45%) rated as lower than “generally satisfactory”, the watchdog found.
In contrast, none of the food outlets inspected in Birmingham’s B35 area received below a “generally satisfactory” score.
Which? looked at Food Standards Agency hygiene ratings in postcodes across England, Northern Ireland and Wales from January 2011 to March this year, finding wide variations between different areas and high street chains.
It found 18% of La Tasca outlets inspected had a rating of less than “generally satisfactory”, while 13% of Little Chefs inspected had low ratings.
Three in 10 Chicken Cottage outlets (29%) and a quarter (26%) of Dixy Chicken takeaway shops inspected were rated below “generally satisfactory”.
A number of convenience store chains also had around a fifth of their outlets inspected rated less than “generally satisfactory”, including Best-In and Best-One (22%), Costcutter (21%), Premier (21%) and Londis (20%).
But some major chains had no poor scores recorded at all, including Carluccio’s, Eat, Marriot Hotels, Premier Inn and Zizzi.
A survey to accompany the study found 75% of consumers would not eat at a food outlet that received a hygiene rating below “generally satisfactory”.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “Our investigation shows that food hygiene is an unacceptable postcode lottery. Diners shouldn’t be taking a risk with their health simply by choosing the wrong area in which to eat out. We want everywhere that serves food to the public to display their hygiene score prominently so people can make an informed choice.”
SpettroOct 4, 2014News
According to local fire authorities and insurance company’s one of the most common causes of fire spreading in commercial premises is failure to remove combustible grease deposits from the kitchen extract ductwork.
According to government statistics in 2010/11 in the UK there were over 2,000 fires in Public houses, Restaurants, & Cafes ect.
In the capital Fire Brigade sources report that on average every 9 days a kitchen extract ductwork fire was attended.
It should be noted that insurance companies now stipulate as part of a buildings insurance terms the requirement for the kitchen extract ductwork to be cleaned on a stated frequency (normally once or twice per annum depending on use) To the TR19 standard. If your insurance company are not satisfied with your ductwork cleaning standards you may find in the event of fire you are not covered.
When your ductwork has been professionally cleaned by a professional duct/extract cleaning company you will receive a certificate that will comply with all the recommendations your insurance company require giving you peace of mind.
