Range hood requirements for employee break rooms 3

[Polyhedron]

I have been asked by my code enforecement department to research the requirements for an electric range to be installed in an employee break room. We are having problems interpreting the code (within the state of Kentucky). My question is as follows:

For an employee break room with a small electric range, is a range hood required? If so what type and are there additional requirements for a fire suppression system?

 

[IRstuff]

Don't know about your state, but there are plenty of houses in California where the range hood exhausts back into the same room.

TTFN

 

[Polyhedron]

To clarify my first post. This issue mainly deals with NFPA 96, which is very ambiguous regarding applicability to this specific case. It basically states "...judgement should take into account the type of cooking performed, items being cooked, and the frequencey of cooking operations."

Does an employee break room/kitchen constitute a commercial cooking operation? Anyone ran across this situation in other areas?

 

[IRstuff]

The third paragraph of this document may provide some guidance:

http://www.exhaustcleaningschool.com/PDF Files/nfpa96.pdf

TTFN

 

[imok2]

What are the CFM requirements for a range hood?

1.Wall-mounted hood: Require 50 to 70 CFM per sq. ft. of hood area.
Minimum of 300 CFM.

2.Open Grill: Require 100 to 150 CFM per sq. ft. of hood. Minimum
of 600 CFM.
For more you can go here:

http://www.venmar-ventilation.com/english/hottes/faq.html

 

[DRWeig]

Hi tlogan,

I haven't had this discussion with any Kentucky code officials, but in Shelby County TN, you'd have to have a hood with full fire suppression system.

Our fire prevention bureau holds the opinion that if there's a stove, there WILL be deep-fat frying, no matter what anybody says and no matter who signs their name in blood swearing that there will never be grease in the building. Any non-residential occupancy, that's how strict they get here.

Let us know how your research turns out!

Old Dave

 

[Polyhedron]

It seems that this issue falls upon the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) as DRWeig explains his local fire prevention bureau takes the most conservative approach regardless of the use. I have found cases where the AHJ simply required that a sign be posted stating "No Deep-Fat Frying Permitted" and that a portable fire extinguisher be located in the vicinity. In this situation enforcement becomes the issue. Being an engineer I am inclined to take the conservative approach. After all, I grew up in the south and it's hard to image cooking without grease

 

[chicopee]

Unless you do commercial cooking or deep fat frying on that electric range, go to a place such as Home Depot and buy a 2' or 3'wide hood w/ an exhaust fan either fitted w/ replaceable activated charcoal filters or ducted to the outside. No use making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[DRWeig]

Chicopee,

Your solution is certainly the most sensible, but I very strongly advise checking with the AHJ first. It would be bad enough to be required to put in a commercial hood with fire suppression, but if you have to remove a residential one first, you're out twice.

Old Dave

 

[WoodrowJWeen]

At least in the southeast US, most jurisdictions will require a hood for a range and will require a fire supression system. You will end up with a $100 residential hood and a $500 fire supression system. Its hard to imagine why you would need a range at all in an employee break room today. Most break rooms have a microwave oven, maybe a toaster oven and this satisfies most people's desire for cooking at work. Unless this is a fire station, and then a commercial range and real commercial hood would be appropriate

 

[chicopee]

Code requirement for exhaust fans over cooking facilities will draw upon NFPA most code requirement for commercial cooking facilties particularly those w/ deep fat frying setups. It is unlikely that AHJ or any code will address non commercial systems.