As a restaurant owner or kitchen manager, you see the stainless steel hood in your kitchen every day. If it shines, it’s clean, right? Wrong.
In the industry, we call this “Hood Shining.” It’s when a cleaning company polishes the visible surfaces to make them look good but neglects the dangerous grease hiding in the ducts and fans on the roof.
This “out of sight, out of mind” approach is the leading cause of restaurant fires and failed fire inspections.
At PBear Maintenance, we don’t just clean for appearance; we clean for NFPA 96 Compliance. Here is the difference between a cheap clean and a safe clean.
1. The Danger Zone: Vertical Ducts
The most dangerous part of your system isn’t the hood you see; it’s the vertical duct that leads to the roof. This is where grease vapor cools and hardens into fuel.
The Risk: If a flare-up occurs on your grill, flames can shoot up into this duct. If it’s coated in grease, your duct becomes a chimney on fire, bypassing your suppression system entirely.
The Solution: We use high-pressure, hot water spinning nozzles to strip grease from the entire duct run, top to bottom.
2. The Rooftop Fan (The Heart of the System)
Your exhaust fan pulls the heat and smoke out. Over time, its blades become heavy with grease.
The Risk: Unbalanced fans wobble and vibrate, destroying the motor and bearings. Worse, grease leaking from the fan onto the roof is a major EPA violation and can dissolve your roof membrane.
The Solution: We hinge the fan to clean the blades thoroughly and install grease containment systems to protect your roof.
3. Access Panels: If We Can’t See It, We Can’t Clean It
Cheap cleaners will skip areas they can’t easily reach. NFPA 96 codes strictly require access panels at specific intervals to ensure every inch is cleanable.
The Risk: Fire marshals know exactly where to look. If they open an access panel and see black sludge, you aren’t just failing an inspection; you might be shut down immediately.
The Solution: PBear technicians will identify missing access points and can install compliant panels to ensure your system is 100% accessible.
4. The “After Service” Proof
How do you know the job was done if you aren’t climbing on the roof at 2 AM?
The PBear Promise: We provide photographic evidence of our work. You will see the “Before” and “After” of the hood, the duct, and the fan. If we don’t have a picture of it, you shouldn’t pay for it.
Don’t Gamble with Your Business
A kitchen fire can close a restaurant permanently. Don’t risk your livelihood on a discount cleaning service that cuts corners.
Get a Free Video Inspection Today Not sure what’s hiding in your ducts? Call us. We will inspect your system and give you an honest, no-obligation report.
📞 Call us 24/7: (312) 909-1888 📧 Email: support@pbearmaintenance.com 📍 Serving: IL, IN, OH, MI, WI, and beyond.