Exhaust systems shall be operated ______.

Exhaust systems shall be operated ______.

• A. Only during cooking
• B. Whenever the cooking equipment is turned on
• C. Continuously
• D. Only during maintenance

Answer: (B)

Ventilation in a commercial kitchen is there to remove heat, steam, and especially grease-laden vapors produced by cooking. The exhaust should operate whenever the cooking equipment is turned on because that’s when the load on the system is present and the risk of grease buildup and ignition is highest. If the exhaust ran only during maintenance or continuously when nothing is cooking, either you’d waste energy or you’d miss venting during active cooking. So, the correct practice is to have the exhaust operate whenever the cooking equipment is turned on.

Ventilation in a commercial kitchen is there to remove heat, steam, and especially grease-laden vapors produced by cooking. The exhaust should operate whenever the cooking equipment is turned on because that’s when the load on the system is present and the risk of grease buildup and ignition is highest. If the exhaust ran only during maintenance or continuously when nothing is cooking, either you’d waste energy or you’d miss venting during active cooking. So, the correct practice is to have the exhaust operate whenever the cooking equipment is turned on.