The short version: a commercial kitchen needs its hood suppression system serviced every six months, a Class K extinguisher near the cooking line, and the regular ABC extinguishers for the rest of the space. Hood cleaning is a separate job on its own schedule.
Kitchen fires start fast and burn hot, which is why restaurants get a little more attention from fire inspectors and insurers. Here's what you need to have in place.
What a commercial kitchen needs
| Item | How often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hood suppression system service | Every 6 months | Makes sure the system will discharge over the cooking line in a fire |
| Fusible links replaced | On a regular schedule | Heat and grease wear out the links that trigger the system |
| Class K extinguisher | Inspected yearly, hydro test every 5 years | Rated for cooking oil and grease fires |
| ABC extinguishers | Inspected yearly | Covers the rest of the space: dining room, office, storage |
| Emergency lights and exit signs | Tested yearly | Gets staff and customers out if the power goes |
Class K vs ABC: why you need both
A cooking oil fire is different from a paper or electrical fire. A Class K extinguisher is made for it: it cools the oil and forms a layer that stops it reigniting. It belongs within easy reach of the fryers and the line, and it's meant to back up the hood system, not replace it.
Your ABC extinguishers still cover everywhere else.
Suppression service vs hood cleaning
These get mixed up a lot. Hood and duct cleaning removes the grease buildup. Suppression service makes sure the fire system will actually fire. Most kitchens need both, each on its own schedule, often from different companies.
Booking around your hours
We know you can't shut the kitchen down at lunch. We book suppression service and extinguisher inspections around your hours wherever we can, including before you open, and do the whole kitchen in one visit: the hood system, the Class K, the ABC units and the emergency lights.
See what's involved, or check what's due with our free checker (pick "Restaurant or commercial kitchen").