UV Light Prevents Grease Build Up in Kitchen Exhaust

 Kitchen hood exhaust systems in commercial kitchens serve a very important purpose, to pull grease particles up and away through mechanical filters.  Kitchen exhaust systems vent excess heat above kitchen stoves and extract grease particles, leaving smaller particulates that may linger in the hood exhaust system.  These kitchen exhaust systems can encounter grease build-up in the vents if they are not cleaned regularly or treated with UV light sterilization solutions. 

How Does UV Light Help Kitchen Hood Exhausts?

Ultraviolet (UV) light emits UV radiation, electromagnetic energy, and is harnessed in UV germicidal lamps used in a vast range of applications.  UV light is used to purify the air, disinfect water and sterilize surfaces.  Utilizing UV light in kitchen hood exhaust systems provides many benefits beyond sterilization.  Kitchen hood UV exhaust systems can actually prevent grease build-up in the exhaust duct work.  

UVC lamps break down grease through photolysis and ozonolysis. UV light causes a photochemical reaction, breaking down the molecular bond while ozonolysis oxidizes the grease molecules. By breaking down the grease particles, they are converted into particles that are much easier to clean and do not build-up grease in the kitchen hood.  

This brings many benefits to restaurant owners by mitigating the risk of a grease fire, which can often occur with grease build-up in the exhaust hood.  UV kitchen exhaust systems also help kitchens to meet stringent health department code regulations by helping to keep the kitchen cleaner.  This provides a better work environment for employees and helps to maintain health standards for patrons. 

UV Lamps are Key to Successful UV Sterilization Systems

Using the right UV lamps for your UV kitchen exhaust sterilization system is key to successful prevention of grease build-up and sterilization.  UV germicidal lamps designed to emit 254 nanometer (nm) are effective in sterilizing air and surfaces.  Ozone producing lamps emit UV energy at 185 nm and are commonly used in air and water disinfection applications, deodorizing the air and reaching places that standard UV radiation cannot reach. 

When searching for the best UV lamps for your sterilization application, contact an experienced UV lamp manufacturer like LightSources. 

LightSources leads the industry in UVC germicidal lamp production, with a wide range of low-pressure, amalgam and many other lamp types designed with proprietary technology.  We provide high-quality UVC lamps proven to outlast and outperform comparable lamps of the same size.  Contact us to learn more and for custom lamp requirements for your UV germicidal application.

Solutions for Challenges Facing Hospital Disinfection

 Disinfection practices in hospitals have always been of great concern with the number of patients carrying viruses and bacteria, and the potential exposure to patients with compromised immune systems.  Hospital acquired infections are infections that occur within the first 48 hour of being admitted to the hospital, within the first three days following a hospital discharge or within the first 30 days after an operation.  The Center for Disease Control, CDC, estimates that approximately one in every 25 of hospital patients in the U.S. contracts a hospital acquired infection (HAI).  Many HAIs are resistant to treatment with antibiotics and can lead to sepsis or even death. 

HAIs and disinfecting patient rooms are of great concern for hospital staff for many reasons:

• Patients being discharged may have had a contagious, serious viral or bacterial infection

• Incoming patients are already ill and may have a compromised immune system

• Hospital staff move from room to room and have a high potential to carry pathogens from one patient room to the next

Hospital Cleaning Practices

Hospitals take their cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting practices very seriously. Even with the most careful cleaning procedures, human error can contribute to less than sanitary conditions. Disinfecting patient rooms thoroughly can be challenging due to many factors such as:

• Using contaminated cloths which spread disease

• Using diluted disinfectant cleaning solutions

• Insufficient contact time of cleaners with surfaces

• Human error, cleaning staff can miss an area when manually cleaning

Adding UV Light Disinfection

Adding UV light disinfection to standard hospital cleaning practices has been proven to greatly increase sterilization success. UV light in shortwave UVC radiation quickly eradicates many viruses and bacteria with high efficacy and can reach into places that manual cleaning cannot access.  

UV germicidal lamp manufacturers design and engineer UVC lamps to emit the most powerful wavelength of UVC radiation at 254 nanometer.  UVC radiation penetrates the cells of viruses and bacteria, rendering them unable to replicate and leaving them harmless. High-quality UVC germicidal lamps are the key to effective UV sterilization.

LightSources is a leading global supplier of UVC germicidal lamps, with a wide range of UV germicidal lamp types.  We offer standard low-pressure mercury lamps, amalgam lamps with proprietary technology, Germipak, U-lamps and custom engineered solutions.  Contact us to learn more about our high-performance UV germicidal lamps.