Should My Commercial Hood Cleaner be Certified?

Many managers in charge of a commercial kitchen maintenance program are confused about what to look for in an exhaust hood cleaning company. They understand that a proper cleaning of the kitchen exhaust hoods is essential for preventing fires, but they are less than certain about what kind of company they should be looking for. Of particular concern to many restaurant facility managers is whether the kitchen exhaust hood cleaning company should be certified or not. Are companies required to be certified? Is that important? And does that mean they are going to charge more? These are all excellent questions that should be considered before hiring a kitchen exhaust hood cleaner.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) which develops the codes and standards for fire protection and prevention states: "…the contaminated portions of the exhaust system shall be cleaned by a properly trained, qualified and certified company or person(s)…" (NFPA 96 §11.6.1) Certification is clearly important enough to make it into the official code covering the proper cleaning and maintenance of kitchen exhaust hoods; but what does certification really mean?

Certifying bodies like the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association (IKECA) and the Pressure Washers of North America (PWNA) offer robust certification programs that require intensive training, testing and continuing education to ensure technicians are familiar with fire codes, best practices and safety training. These kitchen hood cleaning certification courses are more than lunch meetings and a printed certificate; they actually hold their certified companies accountable to the standards of the organization and the industry.

Does having a certified kitchen exhaust hood cleaner guarantee that you will have quality work preformed? Not always, but as a general rule certified companies should have higher levels of performance than those who do not hold a certification. Additionally, exhaust hood certification gives the consumer a third party with which to file a complaint should the service be subpar. However, working with an uncertified kitchen exhaust hood cleaner is simply a role of the dice. Uncertified hood cleaners often lead in with attractively low prices, but then skip the most difficult and critical parts of the system above the plenum.

In fact, some insurance companies have attempted to deny claims based on the fact that the restaurant owner hired an uncertified kitchen exhaust hood cleaner and subsequently had a fire. The restaurant owner bears the responsibility for ensuring that the commercial hood cleaners they hire are certified and meet code requirements.

So how important is having a certified commercial exhaust hood cleaner? Very important. Choosing a certified company is not only essential to complying with fire code, it also ensures that the kitchen exhaust hood cleaner is properly trained and gives the consumer an additional layer of protection. Don't risk a catastrophic loss by cutting a few corners and using an uncertified exhaust hood cleaner.


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Mike Shannon of Shannon Diversified, Inc. has spent more than 20 years helping restaurants and commercial kitchens protect their investments through proper maintenance of their exhaust hood system. Adhering to fire code and protecting your investment are key reasons why he recommends regular restaurant hood cleaning. Visit http://www.shannonco.com for more.