Starting off in the Hood Cleaning Business

Larry Hinckley said:
Point of fact 1. NFPA 96 are standards. They become codes only when they are adopted as such. 2. They are not revised yearly.
As you all seem to agree they are a wise set of rules to follow.
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Larry is right on. NFPA 96 is a Standard. It is a Recommended Procedure. It only becomes Law when it is adopted. Even in GA if it is Law it still come down to the local AHJ adopting it. But if you work to it's (NFPA 96) standard then you protect yourself in the unfortunate event of Litigation.

But my experience the AHJ will pick and choose what he wants to enforce.
 
Here is what I dont understand. Why would you be trying to convince people who dont want to take the time to learn the trade and the industry standards to pick up a garden hose and take business from you?

It almost seems like this thread was started w/ alterior motives.
 
Scott D. said:
Here is what I dont understand. Why would you be trying to convince people who dont want to take the time to learn the trade and the industry standards to pick up a garden hose and take business from you?

It almost seems like this thread was started w/ alterior motives.
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Naaahh, Ed never has alterior motives..........his intentions are pure as the driven snow (the snow is pure because it isnt grease stained from washing a fan).
 
Scott,
I never said garden hose. But just to clarify a very active poster here, HOTSHOT, says that is how he cleans hoods. Apparently he is very successful. Who are we to criticize. If the work is done and the AHJ and customer is happy ........ none of our business. Learn the trade is cleaning to [/B]bare metal. How someone wants to do it is irrelevant. They may come up with better ways to do it.
Regarding someone taking away my business. It happens. I stay in touch with as many hood cleaners as I can. When a job is out of my scope, or something I dont want to do or I am going to lose that particular I try to pass the information to another hood cleaner I know. I always give Asian restaurants away. When someone calls me and needs work, I never leave them without someone to do the job. You know just in case it was a referral from another business, I take care of the customer. The restaurant is happy, a hood cleaner is happy. I am not afraid of new businesses. I help them.
 
Of course I agree with networking, I just dont see the point in cheapening the service just so new people who dont know what they are doing can enter the market place.

Just doesnt make sense.
 
Scott D. said:
Here is what I dont understand. Why would you be trying to convince people who dont want to take the time to learn the trade and the industry standards to pick up a garden hose and take business from you?

It almost seems like this thread was started w/ alterior motives.
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Scott, On a maintenance account you can use a garden hose. Of course it take the proper prep and chemical application. And then you just rinse with a hose. Its just another technique in the arsenal of tool and tricks of the trade. Just like roof cleaning, there is the hard way and the easy way.
 
MIke, I am not knocking anyone for using a garden hose.

Just because you can clean a roof w/ a pump up sprayer, I am not going to start a thread advocating it.

I just dont see the point in this thread. Quite useless.
 
Scott D. said:
I just dont see the point in this thread. Quite useless.
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Actually I found it interesting....I read a lot of posts where I learn something and some I don't


What I don't do is comment on someones post is useless or worthless (seems insulting to me)


Hey ed (I dont know ed) keep on posting and I'll keep on learning different ways :)
 
David, it was meant to be insulting to a point. Everyone fights and fights to bring legitimacy to this entire industry, and then someone comes out and attempts to cheapen it.

If insult was felt...Good
 
Scott I guess the reasons you (and others) are picked to be a moderator
"You are the best and brightest on these boads You are picked for you vast knowlege and experience ; your peers think very highly of you and your moral compass.in terms of what is right and wrong on these boards.

Assuming that is true,calling someones post worthless and it brings you some joy ..that is disappointing

I assume the idea of these boards is education...

Finally, you discourage others to share how they do things (or opinions)in fear of someone will publically say what they said was ............Quite useless
 
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1. Im not a moderator here.

2. I dont discourage anybody from sharing how THEY do things. I may disagree and offer a different view point. If Ed can clean a hood by screaming at it, good for him and Id love to hear how that would work.

Hey David, You going to make it on May 9th? I know you and I have bumped heads before on these boards, and the perception you have of someone is always wrong.
 
The codes are , no matter what you call them, standards, guidelines, recommendations are not laws. They are guidelines/ standards, written by by whom? I bet they are set up by people that install hoods, run certification schools along with others in the business. I never hear that they are set up by Fire Marshalls. Maybe they are,but if they were why are so many of they lacking in their knowledge of these codes. Anyway....They are excellent standards that we should all adhere to. If we didn't have them where would our businesses be? My point was and is they are not the law.

The NFPA has a large and impressive list of professionals on its commitee. They are business men such as yourself. People such as Daryl Mirza{past President of PWNA}, Phil Ackland {Founding President of IKECA}, Doc Reisman {Past President of PWNA}, Barney Besal {Immediate Past President of IKECA}, Nelson Dilg {IKECA Board of Directors} and the late Fred Kahn {Past President of IKECA} and owner of Guardian Maintenance out of Dallas, TX just to mention a few greatmen who have given unselfishly of their time and money to further the industry. I promise you the NFPA 96 is a serious set of standards. They are not being written to satisfy someones personal financial agenda.
 
David I can only hope that my perception of you is a wrong one.....If you would like to attend, please do.
 
Thanks larry

Your list of professionals all seem to have a very similar history. Nothing against their past but are there any participants that are not in the hood cleaning sales, marketing, installation or schools that contribute to the Fire Codes?
For instance Fire Marshalls, general contractors, safety inspectors , enviromental people. You know, businessmen that have absolutely nothing to gain except the safety and quality of a service that is so important.
The spectrum of people you mentioned is very narrow.
 
Scott, I suggest you reread my original post. I was not attempting to cheapen anything. I was stating facts. I was trying to point out that there are many ways to accomplish the type of cleaning we do. Many of the posters resent alternative ways of doing things. They seem to think theirs is the only way. An example: Try pulling a trailer with a big pressure washer around New York City doing the multitude of small restaurants. Very difficult but using a small van with electric pressure washers is a more viable possibility. Some more difficult and time consuming, some not but there are alternatives to the big rig , big tools, concept. Actually Scott you are not a hood cleaner, are you?
If you do it is a sideline to your main job, roof cleaning. Did you notice anything about roof cleaning in my post. I have done it. Not my forte so I leave the comments to people that do it for a living. I have had big trucks, trailers with big machines and found downsizing was the way to go. I also had to downsize the size of the jobs I could accept. But suprise, I found that was still plenty of work for me and the bigger guy.



If I were a person considering starting a hood cleaning business and was looking at these forums I be immediately intimidated. I would think that I needed a lot more expensive equipment and specialized training than I really do. Most of the posters appear to have trailers with 3500 psi hot water machines and trucks to pull them. Along with specialized equipment like spinners, magnetic scrapers, exotic foamers and expensive certifications.

Actually you can start in this business without the big machines and trucks and equipment and certification. This may be unpopular but it is true. I use an electric 1200 psi machine, a small van and run off the restaurants hot water. Plus I reuse plastic sheeting. Another poster uses just a hose! Point is, whatever it takes to get the entire system clean, is ok to use. That means if you clean it with a rag and a scrub pad and do it right, you are in. In most areas certification is optional. For now.

I think these forums are here to help people in the business and to guide people looking to start off. Information and help.
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