Pros and cons of UV hoods

Taking steps to be more environmentally friendly has become important to more Americans in recent years, and the green movement has touched nearly every industry.

But when it comes to range hoods for commercial kitchens, the most environmentally friendly options aren’t ideal for every commercial kitchen, and in some cases, still aren’t cost-effective.

When manufacturers of UV hood systems touted environmental friendliness, cost effectiveness, and reduced cleaning costs, he decided to investigate the issue further.

UV hood systems have been used in Europe since 1998 and in the US since 2000.

UV systems: how they work

The oils and fats used in restaurant cooking processes accumulate over time in the extractors, hoods and ducts of traditional kitchens. When these parts of the hood system are not cleaned regularly, these kitchen materials present a fire hazard.

Manufacturers of UV hood systems claim that their systems provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cleaning methods because they are equipped with a series of extractable grease particulate extractors, Carter stated in his article.

Other benefits of UV hood systems:

o No costs or special installation requirements.

o Equipped with self-control capacity for the operation of fans and lamps.

o Does not require washing.

o Uses less than 300 watts of light per seven feet of hood.

o Identical maintenance requirements as standard baffle filter hoods, and filters can be cleaned in a dishwasher when necessary.

o Prevents grease from building up in the ductwork, helping to keep the ductwork and exhaust clean.

busted myths

But for some of these claims, the field realities are different. Commercial hood companies believe that routine maintenance costs are more expensive.

UV hood systems require less maintenance than traditional hood systems, according to manufacturers. Where traditional hood systems may need cleaning four times a year, UV systems can be cleaned twice a year. However, the cleaning and maintenance they require is more complicated and technical than their traditional counterparts. UV systems require maintenance by technicians specially trained by UV hood manufacturers. These technicians must have specific knowledge on how to assemble and disarm the system and how to disassemble and clean the fan filtration system.

They also disagree with the manufacturer’s claims that these systems are cheaper to maintain.

They talked to manufacturers’ representatives and to the best of their knowledge, the maintenance costs of these systems can be up to four times the cost of maintaining traditional hood systems.

And while manufacturers recommend UV hood systems for general applications, they’re not for everyone.

Hood cleaning companies don’t think they would be recommending the right thing to their customers if they said they are a viable option for everyone because of the costs involved after installation. The product is good in my opinion, but people should do their research before buying the system.

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