Kitchen hood cleaning

[Work2Fish]

Hey PWN,

I have a chance to get in with Fazoli's a big chain of restuarants, and they want me to clean the hood vents. I have never done this before but I dont want to lose the business. Can anyone toss me a couple of pointers on tools, chemicals, or general ways to go about it?

Thanks guys,

Chris
Cole's Classic Detail
407-427-8735
Altamonte Springs, FL

 

[PressurePros]

Chris, walk away from this one for now. You need some experience, you need specialized insurance, you need a helper. Hoods are a different beast. The liability in this type of job can wipe you off the map.

 

[Flue Steam]

Ken is right, without the proper training, insurance and certification you are asking for trouble. Let the professionals take care of them.

 

[Dan S]

I totally agree with Ken and Grant.

Just b/c you see $$$ dont mean nothing............untill you have the exp. dont even attempt.

Some jobs are better to walk away from.........

 

[Work2Fish]

thanks for the advice!!

Hey Guys,

I appreciate the tips, I understand. I dont want to get nailed,like you guys said. Ill keep trucking and maybe post some more fish pics for you boy in the snow. take it easy and be safe.

Chris,

Cole's Classic Detail
407-427-8735
Altamonte Springs,FL

 

[delam]

Go for it!

I cleaned restaurant vents and hoods 25 years ago and I was not certified by anyone. So who certifies the people that are doing the certifications. Insurance is very important I will agree but come on folks, a monkey could clean hoods and vents. All you really need to do is funnel the waste water into a big garbage can using 3 or 4 mill plastic and do not...I repeat, do not get water in the deep fat friers! Use small clamps to attach it up inside the hood...no leaks! I don't do it any more because of the powder blowers out there but if I had a chance to land a national chain, I just might have to jump on it. There is nothing magic about it and it is real easy to do. I just would not do chinese food places. It is overall a big hassel. Just go try to sell anything to a restauranteer. They are the hardest sell on the planet! With that, they are always trying to chisel a discount out of you. It was just too many headaches so I did other things. Also, when you pop the fan off to clean it, don't get shoked. I always wore rubber boots and gloves and I am still here!

 

[Dave Ott]

Wow thats all there is to it? Hmmmm No regulations or fire suppression systems? No fire department or insurance to contend with, when said place burns down from improper training? Allright I'm in.

 

[Douglas Hicks]

Delam, thanks for the information in your post. I now know what I am doing wrong. Can you tell me where to get some monkeys? Do the monkeys need to be certified?

Douglas Hicks
General Fire Equipment Co of Eastern Oregon, Inc
Baker City, Eastern Oregon
541.523.7600

 

[Larry L.]

25 years ago they were alot of monkeys doing the monkey do thingy in all trades and nowdays most monkeys are trained to look and act like humans.Pull dat grape vine off the reel,spash a do the monkey water here and there to buy a banana or two.In 25 years the powerwasher has gone a lone way in teaching the hood accounts to watchout for mad monkeys.

 

[delam]

Exactly my point, thank you!

Thats exactly what I am saying and that is the reason I got out of it. Too many monkeys blowing lime up in the vents and calling it fire retardent. 25 years ago there were also some real professionals that were cleaning vents and hoods using pressure washers. Who do you think gave some of these monkeys today the idea to get a peressure washer and go for it? Monkey see monkey do!

 

[PressurePros]

With all due respect, Delam, you are suggesting someone go out and cause damage to someone's liveliehood. I think your post was way off base. If you are/were really a professional hood cleaner you would know that the pressure washer does maybe 25% of the work. Between the hood and the fan lies the remaining 50% of the system, how do you handle that?

 

[unclepete]

hood cleaning

well, If I were you,and I needed the money,I would cautiously take on this contract.I got into hood cleaning without ever having done it or been with anyone who did it.Now I do about 1 acct per mo. and growing.Of course,I watched a guy do it one night since I was at the restaurant after hours pressure washing the drive-thru.I asked him quite a few questions but not too many--I didn't want him thinking I was going to be competition.I then proceeded to gather info on hood cleaning from catalogs,articles,and the net.When i got my first job I just acted like I knew what I was doing and I slowly but methodically went about doing it,carefully observing every obstacle before I tackled it.It was hard as hell and filthy work! And it still is today but Its gotten a little easier.I wanted to attend those XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX schools but what fool can afford that? I still couldn't to this day!! So I just did it myself. I've run into only one serious risk--one fan that I do has wires that are nearly broken.I guess one of these times when I take the fan off,they'll finally brake.But just have them sign a waiver saying that you're won't be held liable for broken wires or fan motors.As for fire suppression systems,I've never had a problem.Just don't grab hold of them if you slip.I've had to learn as I went.Its not the best way,but when you're poor and all you own is a van and a pressure washer,you'll do it! and you can do it if you approach it intelligently and don't be too shy to back off a job and tell the manager you can't do it until u get some more info on the problem.

 

[delam]

Bravo sir!!!!!!

Finally, some one that gets it! Took a while I really must say. If you want it go get it. Do not let anyone tell you you can't!!!! How many of these guys tried to help this person get started in the biz? Not one. But....how many people that gave him the negative ran down to their neighborhood Fazolis to gather data so they could get a shot at a nation wide contract? For the person that quetions if I ever did hoods and vents, who cares?

 

[PressurePros]

In any other situation involving a pressure washer I'd have to agree with you. Just take your time and use caution and you would be fine. K.E.C though... While not rocket science there are definite do's and don'ts with a ton of associated risk. Trip a fusible link just once and you could be looking at $4000 in the cleanup and re-arming of an Ansul system. Leave grease in the venting system and God forbid a fire happens, you are going to be the one the insurance company comes after.

Someone above mentioned only a fool would go to one of them there dang schools.. too expensive. Bullsh*t. Why the hell is someone in business if their operating capital is so low they can't afford to do things right? Start having people sign waivers if this or that breaks? Huh? Statements like that really parley ignorance. I'm sorry, poster, but the old get-'er-done attitude is admirable but a more than a bit foolhardy in this situation.

 

[Flue Steam]

Don't forget to get your 2 mil liability insurance policy naming the restaurant as an additionally insured, oh yea make sure the policy is for fire protection not janitorial work.

Good Luck

 

[delam]

OK, I hear ya.

In my original post I stated that insurance is very important, the right type, if I may reiterate. However, when someone tells a person they are not "professional" enough to start learning a trade or get out and make a living then that pisses me of! If there is one government (federal, state or local) school that is completely mandatory to addend before you can legally do hoods and vents then please inform me since it has been many years since I was in this. Next, if there is a certian IQ level that one needs to learn the fire systems, (oh, let's say 150 or higher as these "professonals" seem to suggest) then please inform me of that too. Until then my stance is the same. If you want to do vents and hoods then go for it! By the way, I have always thought that if you truely are a "professional," then you give a brother a hand up! Not a thumbs down because you fear for you own livelyhood. If that is the case then your gig is flakey and maybe you sould go to work for someone else. :burn:

 

[delam]

Get er done attitude-Post Script-Ken

I know that vent hood cleaning is hard work Ken. It is hard in more ways than one. When I was doing it I had several nice accounts but then one day I stopped by one of them and there were three guys blowing lime powder up the tube and calling it fire protection. The local fire departments were fooled, for a while, into beleiving this was acceptable. Since these guys were charging half of what I was...well, I guess you know the rest of the story. That is what I meant by the monkeys doing vent and hoods. I fully beleave that one should be trained well to do this work; however, how do you get trained if no one will share information and you can't afford to attend school? You simply go out and get er done. If you have the cahones to that is. You see Ken, before all of the permits, certifications, these rules, those rules and a whole bunch of red tape and stipulations, the GET ER DONE attitude made this country what it is. The GET ER DONE attitude is why you are able to have a business and speak your mind on the internet. Now we have a hard time gitting er done because a man can't come up with $1500.00 to be certified. That bothers me Ken. Does it you? Sorry to sound trite but whats right is right!

 

[PressurePros]

I truly understand your position. I am also not one to shy away from the unknown. I just believe there is a right way and a wrong way to go about things. I also think you are jumping the gun of assumption. Look at this particular case for what it is worth. You are telling a guy with minimal pressure washing experience to go ahead and jump right in there with no training to "get-er-done". How about some analogies that may help you relate to my feelings on this?

I'm going to buy a cordless power tool set, a hammer and a tool belt and call myself a carpenter. Instead of building sheds, doing trim or other entry level work until I learn and gain experience, I am going to build decks. Your neighbor with the three kids looking for a second story one will be my first job.

I changed my mind, I am going to buy a gun and go out and protect my neighborhood. As long as I use my head and only pull it out when I think it's neccessary I should be fine at law enforcement. Training? Bah!

Wait! Better yet I am going to buy a pressure washer that can slice the skin off of someone and get some caustic chemcials that can cause third degree burns and blind me and call myself a hood cleaner. I am going to spray these chemicals around food preparation areas and because I can "get-er-done" I will fool a multi million dollar establishment into thinking they are being handled by a company that has the exertise to keep them safe.

Delam, your comments are too broad stroke. Look at this post for what it is. I don't recall personally bashing anyone's professionalism. In fact I admire and respect the professionalism of the poster in asking for advice and following that good sound advice until he is trained and ready. Yes, the attitude of "get the job done" is a good one, just not at the expense of burning down someone's business down. Sorry, we obviously won't agree on this one.

 

[delam]

Holster that gun!

Beleive it or not I agree with you 1000% You have to start somewhere and if you can't afford the school, which I beleive is a good thing, and the only response you get from your peers is to just pass it up untill you can get experiance, then what is this guy gonna do? That depends on just how hungry he is. Being new to the biz I'll bet he is real hungry and if it were me I would do the job to get the experiance and earn a buck. If I was the cause for the restuarant burning down, that would be terrible to deal with but the fact remains he just may go ahead and do it with all of that considered and no one to help him out. Free enterprise is risky business. Then again, he may do quite well and become a professional just like you, if his IQ is high enough that is! [wsmile]

 

[Brian P]

delam

I think you missed the point trying to be made by Grant and Ken. They both offer advice freely if you have read any of their previous posts. When jumping into something new you should exercise caution. If he couldn't afford any training I'm sure he could have worked with someone to get some experience. I've seen the damage first hand someone can cause when they don't know what they're doing. As far as trying to scare people away from doing hoods, come on in the waters warm.