Evaluating Kitchen Hoods Rudy Hawkins C-1

Hood Designs and Categories - Background o Commercial Kitchen Hoods have two designs: o Exhaust Hoods o Grease Hoods o Grease Hoods fall into two categories: o None fire suppression o Suppression o Fire Suppression Grease Hoods have three types: o Dry Chemical (typically Carbon dioxide – CO2) o Wet Chemical o Water with a fire sprinkler head (over the cook top)

Exhaust Hood Example Simple Kitchen Exhaust Hoods can be found in some elementary schools and EECs Design

Grease Hood Example Grease Hoods are typical in commercial kitchens. Most of our hoods are grease hoods. They are designed as shown. Design Photo Typical

Hoods with Fire Suppression

Hoods with Suppression System Hoods with Fire Suppression should at least have these four features: 1.Listed extinguishing assembly or sprinkler o Dry agent, wet agent or water 2.Automatic activation from a fusible link or sprinkler 3.Manual pull station (except for water) 10 to 20 ft. 4.Automatic shut off of heat source o Gas or electrical power The components we’ve been using for our kitchen hoods are: Uniformat E1010, Comp Kitchen Exhaust Hood, Commercial RSL - 15 Uniformat D4030, Comp Fire Suppression, Dry Chemical (Kitchen Hood) RSL - 15 Uniformat D4030, Comp Fire Suppression, Wet Chemical (Kitchen Hood) RSL – 15

Examples of the Four Features 1.Self contained agent (or water supply) 2.Automatic Activation 3.Manual pull station 4.Automatic shut off of heat source

The California Fire Code in 2008, retroactively changed the requirements for commercial kitchen hood systems to meet UL 300 requirements. The 2008 requirement is for all commercial cooking equipment (that produce grease laden vapors) to be provided with a Type I Hood and an auto-fire extinguishing system. UL 300 requirements include: 1.Fire Suppression System utilizing either: Wet agent, dry (carbon dioxide only) or automatic fire sprinkler 2.Automatic activation 3.Manual activation (except for fire sprinkler type) 4.Automatic shut off of heat source and all electrical under the hood with manual reset only 5.Automatic activation of the fire alarm system

Why do we need to I. D. UL 300 Hoods? o Why did UL 300 became necessary? Old dry - chemical hood systems meant to extinguish animal fat fires won't put out fires from the newer high temperature vegetable oils. Old dry chemical systems can not be upgraded. UL 300 was issued in o Why Schools? Any cook top has the potential for frying food. o Where are the code standards found? NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations CFC , and CMC Schools are specifically required to upgrade their Hood Systems to the UL 300 standard during any modernization project (see CFC , and CMC ) regardless of presence of grease laden vapors or deep fat fryers.

How do we identify UL 300? A Hood is UL 300 compliant if all five features can be identified. The suppression system must be connected to and monitored by the fire alarm system. A connection will be visible by a wire mold or conduit tying the suppression control unit to an addressable module in the fire alarm system. Examples:

Almost fooled… Wires? Auto-gas shut off? …not UL 300 UL 300 system?

New UL 300 Components New FCA Kitchen Hood components shall be as follows: Uniformat D4030, Component …… Fire Suppression, Dry CO2, UL 300 Kitchen Hood RSL - 15 Uniformat D4030, Component …… Fire Suppression, Wet Agent, UL 300 Kitchen Hood RSL – 15 Uniformat D4030, Component …… Fire Suppression, Sprinkler, UL 300 Kitchen Hood RSL – 15

How do we know if a system uses dry or wet agent? Wet systems have slender nozzles kept clean by blow off caps CO2 systems have a large nozzle for spread of extinguishing agent

Fire Sprinkler Type If a fire sprinkler is the means of suppression as shown here, and you see the other four features, then it is safe to assume the system is a UL 300 system.

Is a Hood Considered “Equipment?” The Hood and Suppression System should be recorded as equipment.

Without a UL 300 System …there could be an unfortunate End