Kitchen Protection Update

Fireline represents Ansul, Pyro-Chem, and Kidde UL 300 listed kitchen systems.

In November, 1994, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) required the manufacturers of kitchen hood and duct fire protection systems meet stringent new testing requirements. These new requirements were the result of restaurant owners purchasing the new, high efficient burners resulting in higher heating rates of cooking oils. The new fryers are better insulated which conversely retards the rapid cooling rate of cooking oils below their auto-ignition point.

It was discovered that the current UL approved kitchen systems could not put out these fires and that the older style dry chemical systems performed much worse than the newer liquid suppression systems. UL responded by coming out with UL 300, a new standard for testing that mandates tougher and more realistic fire tests for fryers, ranges, griddles, certain type of broilers and newly added woks.

The manufacturers of these kitchen fire suppression systems had to redesign and re-test all their systems in order to comply with this new testing standard. The first casualty was dry chemical systems - no dry chemical systems have passed the new testing standard and only wet chemical systems with increased flow rates, additional flow points and increased agent capacity have been able to meet UL 300 tests.

What does this mean to you - the owner of a restaurant? First, your current systems will be "grandfathered", but if you have installed new high efficient cooking equipment, you should strongly consider upgrading your system to the new UL 300 systems. Second, the area fire marshal's have agreed that any new system installed after April 1, 1995 must meet the new UL 300 standard and this will mean an additional cost to you for fire protection. Likewise, any current system requiring an upgrade due to new appliances being added will also need to have the entire system upgraded to UL 300 standards.

For more facts about how UL 300 will affect your bottom line, give us a call. We'll send you more details on UL 300 and how they will eventually affect your business.

For details on the minimum maintenance requirements of restaurant kitchen fire protection systems, see our fire Equipment Service Requirements Chart for details.