Fire Rated Access Doors in Horizontal Grease Ducts, Phoenix AZ
The NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations 2017 Edition requires all commercial kitchen exhaust systems with horizontal ductwork to have adequate access doors/panels. Having the right equipment will greatly reduce your risk of grease related fires, keep in mind that your horizontal duct access must meet the minimum requirements of NFPA 96 and be installed in accordance with NFPA and local fire codes.
All horizontal grease ducts must provide access, for cleaning. On horizontal ducts, at least one 20 inch x 20 inch opening must be provided. If an opening of that size is not possible, openings large enough to permit thorough cleaning must be provided at 12 feet intervals. If the access doors/panels are not an easily accessible from a 10 foot ladder – a safe platform must be in place.
Duct access doors must be constructed of the same material and thickness as the duct (typically 16-gauge carbon steel or 18-gauge stainless steel). All duct access doors must have a gasket or seal that is rated to at least 1,500°F and be grease-tight. Any fasteners used to secure the access panel must be carbon steel or stainless steel and may not penetrate the duct wall.
Because the ductwork in a commercial kitchen could run above the hood and large distances above the ceiling, many people overlook it. In fact most times this is not cleaned. For you to maintain a clean and safe commercial environment, kitchen exhaust access doors are critical. Unless you can gain access into the duct system, there is no way to perform the required grease duct cleaning; therefor grease will accumulate and becomes a serious undetected risk for fire.
With the installation of appropriate kitchen exhaust access doors, the service provider will have no excuses for not being able to clean the horizontal ductwork. CRC can install the best access doors/panels as required by Code in Phoenix AZ. Sometimes, the grease duct will have access doors that were installed initially but could be too small, not necessarily where needed or obstructed during construction. Thanks to advanced designs and in various available sizes Fire Rated Access Doors can be installed by Cleaning Resource Center. We can choose the best door(s) for your specific system.
Email: CRC@cleaningresourcecenter.com
