No matter what type of food your restaurant serves or the type of fuel you cook your signature dishes with, a quality rooftop grease containment system is vital for your commercial kitchen.
As we discussed in a previous blog post, rooftop grease spills are a major health and safety hazard – from attracting pest and rodents to posing a serious safety hazard every time a contractor or employee is on the roof. In fact, slip and fall accidents can cost thousands of dollars in workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims each year.
Additionally, rooftop grease saturation causes:
- Roofing material deterioration
- Roof leaks and structural damage
- Health code violations
- Runoff water pollution
Maintaining a grease-free roof is the simplest way to avoid all of these problems, and the first line of defense is installing a grease containment system on your kitchen exhaust fan. How do you know which grease containment system is right for you?
The Omni Grease Gutter, which comes in two sizes, is designed for use in low to moderate grease discharge applications. As you saw in the YouTube video, the grease gutter is designed to accommodate high grease volumes produced by heavily-used fryers and broilers.
The Grease Gutter’s one piece absorbent pads holds and contains grease while letting water pass freely out of the system so liquid doesn’t pool under the discharge spout. At the same time, water drains through the system and out drainage holes in the gutter without dragging grease along with it.
A certified kitchen exhaust system technician familiar with the system should be hired to install and maintain the grease gutter. Though installation appears straightforward, it requires a saw suitable for cutting PVC, as well as sealant and a power drill. The plus side to this grease gutter is that maintenance is very easy and cost-effective, since the absorbent pads inside the system reduce the frequency of filter changes.
Your kitchen exhaust system technician should use a combination of pressure washing and a degreasing chemical to remove the accumulated grease and oil from your roofing system. A thorough rooftop cleaning, followed by the installation and maintenance of a grease containment system will help eliminate roof deterioration, costly roof replacements, unsafe work areas and voided roof warranties.
