Having an operational restaurant in winter can be challenging as their maintenance becomes a major concern. Covering the smoker chimney in restaurants is possible with a few protective ways to cook delicious meals without compromising the quality.
Studies show that the emission of pollutants directly affects the air quality and health of restaurant workers and their customers. So, the best approach is to find the best ways to handle their smoke, especially in winter.
Why is Coverage Needed for Restaurant Chimneys?
Winter is harsh weather for outside cooking, as rain or snow can call off your plans. This is when the restaurants shift their cooking setups indoors. In such circumstances, it is much needed to cover the chimney smoker to keep everything dry.
Additionally, protection is essential to keep the air hot inside as it helps maintain the right temperature for cooking when it’s freezing outside. Lastly, chimney protection using liners and other such materials increases the chimney’s shelf line.
5 Ways to Protect Smoker Chimneys in Restaurants
Here are some of the ways that can help restaurant owners protect their smokers for a long time and can resolve smoke complaints from the neighborhood.
1: Insulation
Often, restaurants invest in insulation, especially during the winter season. This is because it helps trap the heat inside and maintains the inside temperature.
Some restaurants perform DIY (Do It Yourself), while others hire professionals for chimney insulation services. No matter what method is used, a well-insulated chimney is better for cooking delicious meals in winter without fearing the temperature drop.
2: Shelter
Creating a shelter around the chimney structure is also a good idea to protect it from various environmental conditions and deteriorating air quality. Plywood and tarps are the two best examples of chimney shelters.
They are beneficial in keeping the chimney safe and sound during rain and storms. It increases their working efficiency and keeps them warm for longer durations.
3: Chimney cap
The third best way to keep the restaurant chimney smoker well protected is possible with cap installation. It is installed on the chimney crown and keeps the pests and debris away from obstructing the chimneys.
When choosing chimney caps, look for features that are interesting to your needs. The ones that come with a spark arrestor are worth the whole investment as they don’t spark roof fire and act as extinguishers.
4: Make it waterproof
If you live in a place that has more winter months, then the best idea to safeguard your restaurant chimney is to waterproof it. When you finish the annual cleaning and repairs, you can ask for the waterproof coating for the restaurant chimney as well.
A water-based solution is applied on the chimney walls and crown that offers moisture protection and prevents water damage, especially during snowy days.
5: Top-sealing damper
Using a top sealing damper in your restaurant smoker chimney or living room design is necessary to keep the moisture at bay. It is installed on the uppermost part of the chimney, allowing you to seal the whole chimney even when you are not using the fireplace.
Additionally, the damper has a mesh screen that prevents clogging of the flue from small animals and debris. It also adds to the efficiency of chimney systems and offers long-lasting benefits that contribute to the safety of your place.
The Final Thought:
To sum up, winters require more safety and comfort measures for restaurants that use smoker chimneys for their kitchen needs. Due to unnecessary smoke and noise, your neighbors can lodge complaints against your restaurants.
So, the best thing to do is to look for the process and measures that enable smoke to leave the place through the chimney without causing any air pollution.
So, contact Chimney & Stone Masonry for the annual inspection, repair, and maintenance. Our team of experts will perform a thorough inspection of your chimney and will make sure to introduce changes so that your neighbors are never bothered by the smoke.
FAQs
Should the smoker chimney be open or closed?
Make sure that your smoker chimney is open all the time so that the cooking smoke leaves the place as early as possible and does not cause any side effects on the cooking process and workers’ health.
How do you control the temperature of a smoker’s chimney?
To control the temperature, you can adjust the intake damper settings to hot or cold according to the outside weather. If it is a hot day, reduce the damper temperature and vice versa.
Does a smokehouse need a chimney?
Usually, the smokehouses don’t have a smoker as their purpose is to contain the smoke that permeates the meat and preserve it. However, they have a small door for ash removal.
Do pellet smokers need a chimney?
The pellet smokers work in a positive pressure environment, so having a chimney in them will work the same as a vent and allow the smoke to leave rather than clinging to the meat.