ANSUL fire suppression systems are the industry standard for fire suppression systems in the restaurant. These systems work by discharging a mixture of wet chemicals when fires are detected, smothering the flames and preventing them from reacting with oxygen, which fires need to burn. These systems are automatic and can save restaurant owners hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, as well as the lives of both employees and customers.
However, since ANSUL systems are so vital and sophisticated, it’s extremely important that you practice appropriate maintenance procedures on your ANSUL system in order to ensure it’s in tip-top shape to keep you and others in your restaurant safe. Here are three ANSUL system maintenance tips that you need to know.
Positive Restaurant Practices
One of the most important things you can personally do to help maintain an ANSUL fire suppression system is by having good restaurant practices in your day-to-day operations. In order to keep your ANSUL fire suppression system in optimal working condition, you should be careful to prevent grease build-up on your kitchen equipment, especially in equipment such as stove hoods and other sensitive areas. You should also use the exhaust system built into your kitchen hood when preheating and cooking on appliances, as well as during cooling.
Always operate exhaust systems with the appropriate filters installed and be careful not to restrict the air intake for the exhaust. It’s also important that you avoid using flammable solvents or cleaners on appliances or hoods. By using these kitchen safety practices, not only do you ensure that your ANSUL system is working properly, you can also help to increase the effectiveness of the fire prevention system if a fire does break out, as well as lower the chances of a fire breaking out entirely.
Get Regular Inspections
Of course, it isn’t enough to just implement some day-to-day fire and kitchen safety protocols. ANSUL fire suppression systems are extremely complicated with a variety of moving mechanical parts that all need to stay functional and faultless for the system to run as intended. You should get your ANSUL fire suppression system regularly checked up by a professional, at least once every six months.
During this inspection, your professional inspector will examine the location of appliances and the estimated coverage of the fire suppression system, check the nozzles for any obstructions, ensure the system has not been tampered with, verify that pressure gauges are functioning as intended, and that the system is in good operational condition. Although these inspections might cost some money, it’s well worth it to ensure the safety of your kitchen and your customers.
Stay Up to Date on Your Documentation
Finally, it’s extremely important that you stay up to date on the documentation for any inspections of your ANSUL fire suppression system. After an inspection is complete, a qualified professional inspector should provide you with a Commercial Cooking System Service and Inspection Report, which they will also forward to the local fire department. This report contains information on repairs that were made and the locations of marked service tags, as well as any problems that were found that need to be addressed. If your inspector does identify an issue with your ANSUL fire suppression system, you should take care of it immediately, either by having your system professionally repaired, or by replacing the system.
You should never gamble with people’s lives by neglecting to ensure fire safety at your establishment. To learn more about how our knowledgeable team of fire experts can help keep your business running smoothly and safely, please contact us here at Atlantic Fire Protection today.