What could the KEC industry do NOW!

Ron Musgraves

Ron Musgraves

Exterior Restoration Specialist
Staff member
can we prevent fires and people from being hurt? Could we collectively do something together and possibly the very industry we are in might listen?

Or is it waisting time and resources many of us dont have because it often doesnt matter in the real world?

Lives , money ,savings remodeling and all that goes with it. I know it sounds silly.

If buildings didnt burn would the smart responsible people be using you?

Sad to think like that, but is it reality?
 
This has been our fight from day one Ron...this is what the Grease Police is suppose to be about. Not about foamers or scrapers or whatever, it's suppose to be about improving our industry standards.

I would never wish a fire on any company, or any restaurant, but unfortunately they happen and when they do people wake up for a little while, then go right back to doing what they were doing before. Paying for the cheapest guy out there that does a crappy job.
 
Fires are bad, i all so would never wish one on any,
We sometimes try to do miracle work, just to save an exhaust system, we can't always remove every bit of grease so we have them sign a waiver lifting any liability issues, or cost that could come out of the cleaning, including them agreeing to stay up on all codes and cleanings, We do this on rear acastions mainly on accounts with new owners, who didn't no what they bought. Pretty silly hu? Trying to be a good guy, don't all ways help. Did one last week felt sorry for new owner told him for the right price we would come in and do what we could but the system was about gone. Bad idea, spent about 10 hours in this place must of pulled out about 100 pounds of grease (Im not joking) Chinese even, It wasn't really about the money (even though he paid good) It was about saving that place from fire, it was surrounded by lots of other stores and a university about 100 yards away. I told him at first no way that can't be cleaned you need a new system then
I asked him what the AHJ said about it, he said he told him just to have it cleaned since there was no current sticker on the hood. Just have it cleaned this thing should of ben shut down, any way did what we could got about 90% out, made a letter to the AHJ stating it wasn't complete bear metal but under are opinion fire safe, a long with the copy of the waiver, he agreed to sign. he got to stay open with out replacing the system.
 
Yah, bet you guys could help, but no the pics got erased on accident off the camera, a long story short my partners kids got a hold of the camera. Really bumbed me out.
The only way i could think to get it any cleaner would of ben to cut a hole in the top and shimy down. The restaraunt had two hoods kind of in an L one duct came up 90'd over 10 feet 90'd over again and conected with the other duct just above the plenum area, from their it went up about 20 feet (to story building) When it got to the roof it 90'd over with about a 10 foot horizontal, after that their was a big box it came into where the fan set atop of. The clean out panels, one right where it met the roof was just wide enough to get my shoulders in, the other was at the bottom where the other hood 90'd over. Recommended more clean outs but the duct ran through the up stairs and was covered by walls. The only thing i could think of was to cut a hole in the top of the and repel down the duct. But like i said we got 90% it would of ben best to get 100% but it couldn't happen. I did recommend him getting more panels because some of the duct was just un-reachable. I told him their needed to be one every 10 feet in the duct, That he could some how get a carpenter to cut back the wall and put in a panel in the top story. I told him if this was not done we could not clean it next time. that job kicked are but, i don't think he will ever get another panel put in and he will probably call a cheaper company that will be glad to clean half the job for him. I advised him of the dangers of not getting the hole exhaust system cleaned . This was a prime example. And to top it off the 1000 pound fan he had, (NOT Really) Was one of those old style where under the top cover the motor set upon 4 metal mounts that spread out over the top, at the end where rubber bushings and nothing holding them down. They just wedged down from gravity. (horible design for a fan) After the cleaning it took us about an hour to re-unjust. We ended up having to drill in and put brackets to hold the barn thing down. They had it shimmed with pieces of roofing to balance it out. The motor was like a v8 they just recently had it replaced so after we removed the grease and freed it up, It would get going so fast it would shake it self off position, what a night.
 
statewidehoodcleanin said:
The only way i could think to get it any cleaner would of ben to cut a hole in the top and shimy down.

The only thing i could think of was to cut a hole in the top of the and repel down the duct.
Click to expand...

I would not suggest this, very dangerous. Remember that getting a system clean is not worth your life, we are just hood cleaners and there is no reason to put yourself in danger because of improper access.

Only clean what is easily accessible, and if he does not want to cut the panels, then make sure that is in writing and signed by the customer that he refused to do it.
 
Your right mbryan thats exactly what i did, You couldn't convince me to shimmy down a duct, i was just saying that would of ben the only way not that i would be the one. Just think of getting stuck, what a story that would be , LOCAL HOOD CLEANER STUCK IN DUCT WORK< FIRE FIGHTERS HAD TO CUT HIM OUT< or rope gives you fall to the bottom break a leg and are really S.O.L. NOT I and no it's not worth your life over a exhaust system no system is.
 
IMO the insurance companies should be leading the charge all they have to do is place requirements on restaurant owners to preform inspection and cleanings and have KEC companies send in reports you would think that they would want to protect themselves from the Liability of possible fires due to cheap,Lazy owners. dh
 
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