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Taking steps to be more environmentally friendly has become important to more Americans in recent years, and the green movement has reached 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, aren’t even cost-effective.

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

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

UV systems: how they work
Oils and fats used in restaurant cooking processes accumulate over time in traditional kitchen exhaust fans, hoods and ducts. When these parts of the hood system are not cleaned regularly, these kitchen materials pose 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 extractors for extractable grease particles, Carter stated in his article.

Other benefits of UV hood systems:
o No costs or special installation requirements.
o Equipped with self-monitoring capability for the operation of fans and lamps.
o Does not require washing.
o Uses less than 300 watts of light for every seven feet of hood.
o Identical maintenance requirements as standard baffle hoods, and filters can be cleaned in a dishwasher when required.
o Grease is prevented from building up in the ductwork, helping to keep the ductwork and exhaust fan clean.
busted myths

But for some of these claims, 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 the 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 are 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 disassemble the system and how to disassemble and clean the filtration system of the fans.

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

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

And while manufacturers recommend UV hood systems for widespread 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. In my opinion, the product is good, but people should do their research before buying the system.

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