Exhaust Blower Inspections

In Conjunction With Cleaning Schedules

by
Jerry Scoggins
Nelbud Service Group

As professional kitchen ventilation cleaning con­tractors, we should make it a point to visually inspect the exhaust blower as part of our grease re­moval service schedules. The fol­lowing are critical points that need attention during service schedules.

• Worn or cracked belts
  • Proper belt tension
• Worn bearings
  • Proper bearing lubrication
  • Vibration due to mis­aligned pulleys

Your customers will appreciate your going the extra mile . . . good service, information and helpful tips will prevent any down time in their system and lost revenue due to exhaust blower failure.

Those of you who include ex­haust blower maintenance as part of your system service schedules should take special care in making adjustments to kitchen exhaust ventilation to accommodate cus­tomers' complaints such as "I think the fan is running too slow or too fast". This involves many factors, including a clear under­standing of cooking equipment configurations and the grease pro­duction associated with it. Below are some cases associated with improper adjustments.

Low air velocities could cause the following:

1. Smoke loss or better known as a capture problem.

2. Poor and/or lack of grease extraction.

3. Excessive heat in duct systems.

High air velocities could cause the following:

1. Excessive noise in the duct systems.

2. Grease being pulled off the ducts and into the air stream.

3. Grease accumulating on the exhaust blower and/or on the roof.

As for grease accumulating on the roof, this tends to make cus­tomers very unhappy. This could result in a call back to clean the roof at your expense. Exhaust blower efficiency and air speeds, along with preventive mainte­nance and inspections will insure that we truly stand by the trade name "Professional Kitchen Venti­lation Cleaning Contractors."

This article appeared in the Summer 1997 edition of The Scratch Pad