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WHAT
IS THE INTERPRETATION OF THE NEW NFPA 96 CODE? |
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Any product designed to contain
grease or oil around an exhaust application
at the termination of the roof must be closed,
rainproof, structurally sound for the service
for which it is applied and will not sustain
combustion. Any product that is installed
on a roof around an exhaust fan must be listed
with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. for compliance
with all its codes and regulations. It must
also carry the UL Listed service mark as proof
of its compliance. Underwriters Laboratories
regularly inspects rooftops to ensure that
the product you originally purchased is consistently
maintained, as well as to ensure that the
product performs proper containment of grease
and fire prevention. The G2®
Grease Guard® is Listed by
Underwriters Laboratories for the rooftop
grease/oil collection/containment category
file# MH26101, project# 98NK9697. |
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IS
THE G2® GREASE GUARD®
BRAND NEW TECHNOLOGY? |
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No. For over 10 years the
patented G2® Grease Guard®
filter systems have been protecting roofs
in the food service industry. Just like in
a home kitchen, cooking causes grease to become
airborne. Commercial restaurants exhaust this
grease to the outside where it accumulates
on the rooftop. Roofing contractors have been
using the G2® Grease Guard®
products on industrial facilities, as well
as in markets such as food processing and
plastic production, and for industrial processes
such as machining operations and hot oil quenching. |
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HOW
CAN THE G2® GREASE GUARD®
HELP ME COMPLY WITH STORMWATER REGS? |
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The G2® Grease
Guard® helps you comply with
40 CFR 122.26 [1997] when used as a Best Management
Practice (BMP) in your Storm water Pollution
Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Storm water permits
require that all potential sources for storm
water runoff (such as rooftops) must be identified
in the SWPPP and that BMP's must be used to
control the pollution that results from this
runoff. The G2® Grease Guard®
filters can be identified as a BMP for capturing
and eliminating oily run-off from your facility's
rooftop ventilation systems. |
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BESIDES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, WHAT ROOFTOP DAMAGE
IS CAUSED BY OIL? |
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Grease and oil can dissolve
asphalt on built up roofs. It can cause wrinkling,
swelling and blistering of modified bitumen
membranes. Grease and oil also affect EPDM
Hypalon and PVC. Even the gaskets on metal
roofs can be attacked. Proper use of a G2®
Grease Guard® unit will aid
in protecting your roof. |
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WHY
NOT JUST THROW OTHER ABSORBENT MATERIALS AROUND
THE LEAK? |
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Although this may sound reasonable,
typical absorbents are quickly damaged by
the effects of ultraviolet rays. The stones
on a built-up roof prevent absorbents from
lying flat against the surface and effectively
blocking the leak. There is no barrier to
prevent the grease and oil from passing through
to the roof. Lightweight materials do not
stay in place and are not designed to allow
the rooftop to breathe properly. Furthermore,
these applications may cause a fire hazard,
as they do not meet the new NFPA 96 standards.
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WHY
NOT JUST USE A BUCKET, TRAY OR SANDBOX? |
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These applications provide
temporary assistance, but require a lot of
maintenance and are not NFPA 96 code compliant.
Pickle buckets only contain grease that drips
through the hose. Potential leaks from seams
are not contained. Furthermore, when the bucket
fills with rainwater, oil floats to the surface
and overflows onto the roof, defeating the
purpose of the unit. Accumulated rainwater
also causes trays and sandboxes to fail. In
addition, the weight of the sand or rocks
can exceed the roof specs, and these applications
require constant replacement. It is also hazardous
to transport sand onto the roof and remove
the soiled sand. The G2® Grease
Guard® is designed to channel
away water and absorb and retain the oil.
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DOES
THE METAL BOX ON THE SIDE OF MY EXHAUST FAN
MEET THE NEW NFPA 96 STANDARDS? |
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In order to be NFPA
96 compliant, a grease containment unit
must be "rainproof." Although steel
catch boxes capture grease that leaks from
the spout, the box also collects rainwater.
Once the box fills with water and grease,
it overflows onto the roof, which causes a
fire hazard. |
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WON'T
THE G2® GREASE GUARD®
INSTALLATION REQUIRE CUTTING OR DRILLING HOLES
INTO MY ROOF? |
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Typical installations do
not require drilling into the roofing membrane.
The unit is designed in such a way that a
tight-fitting filter and the weight of the
unit are all that are required to hold it
in place. Steeply pitched roofs may require
the use of elevation brackets that level the
G2® Grease Guard®.
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WON'T
THE WIND BLOW AWAY THE G2®
GREASE GUARD® IF IT'S NOT BOLTED
INTO PLACE? |
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Typical applications do not
require additional mounting hardware. There
may be some applications (such as near an
airport or an extremely large Grease Guard®
unit) that require further reinforcement,
but the low profile units are typically not
subjected to high wind forces. Facilitec does
manufacture a wind bar to be used in such
applications. |
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HOW
CAN I RECEIVE OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM MY
G2® GREASE GUARD®? |
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After proper installation,
you need to set a regular schedule for inspecting,
maintaining and replacing the G2®
Grease Guard® filters. Facilitec
offers a regularly scheduled maintenance program
to inspect, rotate and replace filters as
needed. However, when the unit is being self-maintained
it should be checked the first week after
installation, one month after installation
and three months after installation. If the
unit is catching grease from a vent where
the Ieakage is fairly consistent over time,
following this format will give you a pretty
good idea of how to establish an ongoing maintenance
schedule. Often there are other rooftop maintenance
inspections, such as an HVAC inspection, that
must be done regularly, and the G2®
Grease Guard® inspection can
become part of this routine. |
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HOW
OFTEN MUST I REPLACE THE ENTIRE FILTER? |
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Depending upon the leakage
pattern of your particular exhaust fan there
may be one section that is more saturated
than others. The G2® Grease
Guard® has a modular design
so the filters come in sections. Therefore,
you may choose to rotate sections and switch
a "fresher" filter with one that
is nearing saturation. Once the unit is fully
saturated, oily residue may be washed away
with the rain, so it is important to inspect
the unit on a regular basis to prevent any
hazards. |
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CAN
YOU BUILD A CUSTOM SIZE TO FIT MY SPECIFIC
APPLICATION? |
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Yes, although we have found
that stock sizes can typically be used. A
custom unit might be required if there are
obstructions on the roof that interfere with
the framework. If there are obstructions,
remember that the Grease Guard®
frame should be roughly centered over the
leak area and does not need to be perfectly
centered around the vent or curb. Since the
filter is cut to size, it can be cut around
the obstruction as long as the obstruction
is within the open part of the framework.
Facilitec has built custom Grease Guard®
units as small as 12" x 12" and
as large as 30' x 30' -- whatever is required
for your specific application. |
