Guide to Commercial Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems

Travis Jolliff

For restaurant owners, their kitchen is the heartbeat of their livelihood. But where there is heat, there is the risk of fire. Fires are more likely to occur in a restaurant than nearly any other kind of business. With continual exposure to high heat, fires can break out for a variety of reasons. Regardless of why a fire starts out, what is important is suppressing the fire as quickly as possible. Water typically is not an option, as grease fires spread with the inclusion of water. Commercial kitchen fire suppression systems offer a unique way of putting out a fire quickly and efficiently.

Commercial Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems are Your First Line of Defense

According to the National Restaurant Association, over half of all restaurant fires involve cooking equipment. This means the fire can be contained if you have a commercial kitchen fire suppression system installed. Therefore, the fire suppression system instantly becomes your first line of defense.

The Basics on Commercial Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems

For the most part though, most commercial kitchen fire suppression systems provide you with a couple of typical basic features. The suppression system connects to both the hood over your cooking station and  the gas line running through the cooking station. If the fire suppression system is tripped, the gas line automatically shuts off. This kills the fuel source of the fire. There is a secondary element to the system, designed to put out the remaining flames. Nozzles are installed through the ventilation system in the hood over your cooking station. When tripped, the nozzles discharge a specially designed fire suppressant. The suppressant is a water based chemical with a special compound designed to combat grease fires. As the extinguished fire creates a considerable amount of smoke, the hood kicks on, removing the smoke from the kitchen.

Manual Options

Commercial kitchen fire suppression systems are generally easy to use. The suppression kicks on when it detects flames and growing heat. Once tripped, the two-prong approach kicks in quickly to kill the fuel source while dousing the flames. Manual activation should come as an option. If the designated trigger is not activated, the nozzle system may not turn on until the fire has spread beyond the cooking surface. To prevent this from happening, a manual activation point on the commercial kitchen fire suppression systems allows an operator to turn on suppression, killing the flames quickly.

When is a Fire Suppression System Necessary?

In any commercial kitchen, it does not matter the location, installing a commercial kitchen fire suppression system is a safety precaution. From a football stadium to fast food kitchens and really anywhere else in between, kitchen fires can quickly burn out of control. With most fires starting on the cooking surface, having a system in place that kills the fire without shutting down the kitchen allows staff members to clean up and get back to work.

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Since 1925, we have protected businesses throughout the area from the harms and hazards of fires. Every Jay L Harman technician is licensed and regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal’s Office.  Each of these technicians continually receives the most up-to-date factory training and certifications by our manufacturers. Contact Jay L Harman Fire Equipment today. Let our friendly and knowledgeable staff tell you more about our fire suppression systems and help you find the ideal fire suppression system for your needs. Learn more about our full offering of fire extinguisher training, firefighting services, firefighting products, request a quote, ask a question or request additional information.