Intervals & requirements
How Often Are Commercial Kitchen Suppression Systems Inspected?
Semi-annually — every six months — under NFPA 17A and NFPA 96.
But the interval is only half the answer. Several things require service regardless of when the system was last inspected, and one of them happens in kitchens constantly without anyone realizing it matters.
The thing that catches everyone
Nozzles in a kitchen suppression system are aimed at specific appliances, by type and by position. The system was designed around the cook line as it existed on the day it was installed.
Move the fryer. Swap a range for a griddle. Slide everything eighteen inches down to fit a new piece of equipment. The tag is still current, nothing looks different, and the system is now aimed at empty space.
Service required outside the normal cycle
- After any discharge, accidental or otherwise
- After moving, adding, or replacing appliances under the hood
- After a remodel affecting the cook line
- When the certification tag expires
- When components are damaged, corroded, or grease-caked
- When a fire inspection cites the system
What else the kitchen needs
The hood system is not the whole picture. Class K extinguishers are required near the cook line and run on the standard annual extinguisher cycle. Hood and duct cleaning is a separate service on its own schedule, driven by how much and what type of cooking you do.
Common questions
Our system discharged. Can we keep cooking?
No. Once discharged the system provides no protection until recharged, and in most jurisdictions a commercial kitchen cannot operate without a functioning suppression system. This is an emergency call.
What is UL 300?
The standard modern wet chemical kitchen systems are tested to. Older dry chemical kitchen systems predating it generally cannot be serviced into compliance and need replacing.