EN 15780:2025 – What the New Standard Means for Ventilation and Kitchen Cleaning

From July 2025, the new European standard EN 15780:2025 will come into effect. It replaces the old EN 15780:2011 and introduces important technical changes that directly impact the cleaning and maintenance of ventilation and kitchen exhaust systems. At Hamster Cleaning, we follow these new guidelines closely, ensuring our customers receive the highest standards of quality and safety.

1. Specific Guidelines for Commercial Kitchen Exhaust (Annex J)

For the first time, the 2025 version provides clear guidance for commercial kitchen ventilation systems, including hoods, ductwork, fans, and carbon filters.

Key points:

• Grease accumulation limits:
• Average grease thickness ≥ 200 µm → full cleaning recommended
• Local peaks ≥ 500 µm → immediate, urgent cleaning
• Testing method: the Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) is recommended. After cleaning, no measurement should exceed 50 µm.

This means Hamster Cleaning can now assess precisely and safely when and how kitchen exhaust systems need to be cleaned.

2. New Wiping Test for On-Site Inspections (Annex K)

The standard also introduces a manual wiping test to evaluate system cleanliness on-site.

Acceptable levels:

• Upper limit requiring cleaning: 4.0 g/m²
• Successful cleaning: 2.0 g/m²
• New components before commissioning: 2.0 g/m²

This method is considered as reliable as the traditional vacuum test and provides a practical way to assess stubborn contamination.

3. Updates to Cleanliness Levels and Extract Ductwork

The basic principles for duct cleanliness classes remain largely the same:

• Low: < 4.5 g/m²
• Medium: < 3.0 g/m²
• High: < 0.6 g/m²

For extract ducts, the maximum acceptable dust load is now uniformly 9.0 g/m² across all quality classes, providing clarity compared to the previous standard.

4. Updated Airtightness Requirements

The new standard references EN 16798-3 for airtightness classes, aligning better with modern ventilation systems:

• Basic → ATC 4
• Intermediate → ATC 3
• Advanced → ATC 2

What Does This Mean for Our Customers?

For our clients, EN 15780:2025 ensures:

• More precise and safer cleaning of ventilation and kitchen exhaust systems
• Clear standards for grease and dust measurements
• Reliable methods to evaluate cleanliness
• Compliance with the latest international regulations

At Hamster Cleaning, we apply these guidelines rigorously, ensuring every system we clean meets the highest quality standards.