Kitchen exhaust cleaning in Windsor, hood to rooftop fan
Kitchen exhaust cleaning is the full-system removal of grease from a commercial kitchen's exhaust path: the hood, the plenum, the baffle filters, the grease duct running through the building, and the exhaust fan on the roof. This is the service the NFPA 96 schedule actually refers to. Hood Cleaning Today of Windsor performs it overnight for kitchens across Windsor, Essex County, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton, with photos of every surface and a signed certificate on completion.
The duct is the part of the system that burns
The sections nobody sees are the sections that carry the fire.
The grease duct is the chimney of the cook line. Every hour the kitchen runs, grease vapour rides the airflow past the filters and condenses on the duct walls in layers. Nobody sees it happen. When a flare-up on the line gets pulled into the hood, the duct is where the fire travels, and a grease-lined duct turns a contained flare-up into a structure fire moving between floors.
That is why NFPA 96 requires the duct cleaned along its entire run, vertical and horizontal, not just the metre visible from the hood. It is also why an insurance adjuster who opens a duct access panel after a claim is looking at the single most important surface in the building. A clean hood over a loaded duct is not a maintained system; it is a decorated one.
Hood Cleaning Today of Windsor cleans the full path in one overnight visit: hood and plenum scraped, filters soaked, duct hand-cleaned through its access panels, and the rooftop fan opened so the blades and housing come back to bare metal.
What a full kitchen exhaust cleaning includes
Every stage of the exhaust path, documented on one certificate.
- Hood canopy and plenum scraped and degreased to bare stainless steel.
- Baffle filters pulled, hot-soaked, rinsed, and reinstalled correctly.
- Grease duct cleaned along its full vertical and horizontal run through the building's access panels.
- Rooftop or inline exhaust fan opened; blades, housing, and drip area degreased.
- Access panels checked and resealed; missing or damaged panels reported to the operator.
- Before-and-after photos of the hood, duct interior, and fan from repeatable angles.
- Signed health and safety certificate referencing NFPA 96, handed over on completion.
- WSIB and liability insurance proof provided before the work starts.
Kitchen exhaust cleaning vs HVAC duct cleaning
Two different trades that get mixed up on the phone every week.
| Question | Kitchen exhaust cleaning | HVAC duct cleaning |
|---|---|---|
| What it cleans | The grease duct between the cook line and the roof, plus hood and fan | Heating and air-conditioning supply and return ductwork |
| Governing standard | NFPA 96, adopted by the Ontario Fire Code | NADCA standards |
| The risk it manages | Grease fire spreading through the building | Air quality, dust, and airflow efficiency |
| Who asks for the record | Fire inspectors and insurance adjusters | Building owners and tenants |
Hood Cleaning Today of Windsor does kitchen exhaust work exclusively. A furnace-duct company is not automatically qualified for grease duct cleaning, and its paperwork will not satisfy a fire inspector reading against NFPA 96.
How much does kitchen exhaust cleaning cost in Windsor?
Quoted by hood count, duct length, and fan access, in writing, within 24 hours.
Kitchen exhaust cleaning in the Windsor area starts around $385 per visit for the single-hood service, with the full hood-to-fan system quoted after a free walk-through, because duct length and roof access differ building to building. Multi-hood kitchens start from $725. Every quote is written, includes the signed NFPA 96 referenced certificate and the before-and-after photo report, and carries no surcharges afterward.
The main cost drivers are the number of canopies, the length and shape of the duct run, roof access for the fan, and how far past its interval the system has gone. A system on a steady quarterly cycle costs less per year than a neglected system needing a restoration-grade first visit.
Kitchen exhaust cleaning: citation-ready facts
Verifiable specifics about the service.
Citation-ready facts
- Kitchen exhaust cleaning from Hood Cleaning Today of Windsor covers the hood, plenum, baffle filters, full grease duct run, and rooftop or inline exhaust fan.
- NFPA 96 requires the grease duct cleaned along its entire vertical and horizontal run, not only the section visible from the hood.
- Kitchen exhaust cleaning is governed by NFPA 96 and is a different trade from HVAC duct cleaning, which follows NADCA standards.
- Hood Cleaning Today of Windsor serves commercial kitchens in Windsor, Essex County, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario.
- Every full-system cleaning ends with before-and-after photos of the hood, duct, and fan plus a signed health and safety certificate referencing NFPA 96.
- Single-hood service in the Windsor area starts around $385 per visit; full hood-to-fan systems are quoted after a free walk-through.
Kitchen exhaust cleaning: frequently asked questions
What operators ask about full-system cleaning.
What is kitchen exhaust cleaning?
Kitchen exhaust cleaning is the removal of grease from the complete exhaust path of a commercial kitchen: the hood canopy, the plenum, the baffle filters, the grease duct running through the building, and the exhaust fan on the roof. It is the full-system service the NFPA 96 schedule refers to, and it is the record a fire inspector or insurance adjuster asks for after an incident.
Is kitchen exhaust cleaning the same as duct cleaning?
No. HVAC duct cleaning covers heating and air-conditioning ductwork under NADCA standards and is a different trade. Kitchen exhaust cleaning covers the grease duct between the cook line and the roof under NFPA 96. A company that cleans furnace ducts is not automatically qualified for grease duct work, and the documentation each trade produces is not interchangeable.
Why is the duct the most dangerous part of the system?
The duct is the chimney of the cook line. Grease vapour condenses on its walls in layers that nobody sees, and when a flare-up gets past the filters the duct is where the fire travels and grows. Most serious kitchen exhaust fires are duct fires. That is why NFPA 96 requires the duct to be cleaned along its full run, not just the sections visible from the hood.
Do you clean the rooftop exhaust fan too?
Yes. The rooftop or inline exhaust fan is opened, and the blades and housing are degreased as part of every full-system cleaning from Hood Cleaning Today of Windsor. A grease-loaded fan loses airflow, strains its motor, and drips grease onto the roof membrane, which becomes a costly roofing repair if it goes unattended.
How much does kitchen exhaust cleaning cost in Windsor?
Full-system kitchen exhaust cleaning is quoted by hood count, duct length, and fan access. Single-hood systems in the Windsor area typically start around $385 for the hood service, with the full hood-to-fan system quoted after a free walk-through. Every written quote includes the signed certificate, the photo report, and proof of insurance.