Are you wondering what to do all winter? Kitchen exhaust cleaning is a pressure washing service that is required all year long. It can be done with equipment that you may already own, and you can become certified in just 5 days. All restaurants in the United States and Canada are required by law to have their kitchen exhaust systems cleaned on a regular schedule. Grease buildup inside of a commercial kitchen exhaust system must be removed to prevent fires. Restaurant owners and managers understand that kitchen hood cleaning is government mandated and enforced by local fire inspectors as well as the insurance companies.
Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning is a little different than other types of pressure washing.
The regularity of cleaning will depend on how quickly grease builds up in the exhaust system. The type of cooking and frequency of use will impact grease buildup. Retirement centers, daycares, and other commercial kitchens that don’t have as much use will not require cleaning as often as fast food restaurants with deep fryers for example.
A typical kitchen exhaust cleaning takes about 3-4 hours. Cleaning is mostly done at night when restaurants are closed or slow. Every job begins with a complete inspection of the entire exhaust system. Photos must be taken to document the state of the hood before cleaning and note any deficiencies that could impact your ability to clean the system. After the inspection, the hood must be wrapped with plastic to protect the surrounding area from over-spray. Cleaning typically starts at the top of the system, on the roof, where the fan is located. Then you work your way down to the bottom. After the cleaning, the hood is polished, and the final result is documented with pictures.
You may already have the equipment you need to get started.
RK-47
Hot water is required when cleaning kitchen exhaust systems, but it is still possible to use a cold water washer if that washer is equipped with hot pack seals. Cold water pressure washers with hot pack seals allow you to run the hot water from the restaurant through your pump. The DELUX 4035HG-HOT-ES is a gas powered, cold water pressure washer with a belt drive system and hot packs for hot water. It is capable of generating 3,500 PSI at 4 GPM. These machines are lighter and smaller than hot water machines, but you must rely on the restaurant to provide hot water. If you want to upgrade to a hot water system, you could use the RK-47 gas powered, hot water pressure washer. The machine features a vertical burner system and a 30 inch wide base mounted on 4 semi-pneumatic tires.
Green Beast
V-502 Green Beast will enhance your cleaning capabilities when removing non-trans fat oil build-up from kitchen exhaust hoods. It is sold as a powder so it can be mixed into a solution strong enough for any job. For Asian style restaurants, you will want to use OD-100 Asian Kitchen Grease Fighter. It is specially formulated to attack grease deposits created from Asian style cooking.
A chemical resistant pump up sprayer is needed for chemical application. For this, look no further than the Chapin 2 gallon industrial cleaner degreaser pump sprayer. These professional grade pump up sprayers are built with Viton® seals and gaskets to hold caustic chemicals used for kitchen exhaust cleaning. An extra wide mouth makes pouring stress-free. A 42 inch hose and 12 inch extension wand provide 54 inches of reach into tight spaces. The wand tip twists to allow the spray pattern to adjust from a fan to a zero degree point for extra reach.
AF-20 Airless Foamer
Another option for chemical application in kitchen exhaust systems is the AF-20 Airless Foamer Nozzle. Use it with R-1400 Super Booster to quickly generate a thick foam coating of concentrated chemical that clings to any surface. It snaps to your gun or wand with a 1/4” quick connect plug. Metering tips are include to make it easy to accurately set the chemical dilution ratio. It comes with two foam nozzles ; a fan pattern for quick coverage close up and a zero degree for distance. – up to 25 feet. The AF-20 Stainless Steel Airless foamer allows chemical to be applied at higher pressure than a pump up sprayer, with a higher flow rate, and hot water.
When it comes time to rinse the long duct runs, most professionals reach for the Stinger Variable speed duct cleaner head for Driploc®. What separates the Stinger 6 inch duct cleaner from any competition is the revolutionary ” Deep Cleaning Variable Speed Control Head Technology”. By simply adjusting the angle of the spray arms located on top of the cleaning head you can adjust your clean R.P.M. from 0-3200 while NOT giving up any volume, pressure or temperature of your pressure washer! Slowing the nozzle down will allow the water stream to penetrate into the surface resulting in a deeper more effective clean.
Sign up for the Power Wash University Phil Ackland Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Certification Program
Certification is required in many parts of North America, but even if your city doesn’t require it, certification will put you ahead of many of your competitors. The curriculum of the Power Wash University Phil Ackland Certification Program is designed to provide a well-rounded introduction to starting a successful kitchen exhaust cleaning business.
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- You will learn to maintain your kitchen hood cleaning equipment to maximize its efficiency.
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- Learn to successfully sell and market your kitchen exhaust cleaning business.
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- Discover how to build a solid working relationship with local fire departments and other inspectors.
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- Understand what records must be kept to protect your kitchen exhaust cleaning business from potential liability.
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- Build a database manage customer relationships and increase the value of your new kitchen exhaust cleaning business.
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- Gain firsthand experience managing wastewater from kitchen exhaust cleaning to stay in compliance with the Clean Water Act & the EPA.
Starting a kitchen exhaust hood cleaning business will require a lot of planning and study. Understanding the rules for legal compliance is just the first step. Phil Ackland Kitchen Hood Cleaning School will help you take the next step to get you on the path to success.
With profit margins ranging from 40%-60%, starting a kitchen exhaust hood cleaning business can be an extremely lucrative endeavor. The Power Wash University Phil Ackland Certification program will provide on the job experience cleaning, inspecting, and bidding kitchen exhaust systems. You will use the latest and most effective equipment, tools and accessories available. Classes are held monthly all year long. Don’t sit around all winter. Call today!
