Operating a restaurant in Kelowna comes with many responsibilities, including food safety, customer experience, and equipment maintenance. One area that is often overlooked but critical to both safety and insurance risk is kitchen hood & exhaust cleaning. In this post, we’ll explore how regular hood cleaning by a professional partner like Mansil Services helps reduce insurance risks for restaurants.
What is Kitchen Hood Cleaning?
Kitchen hood cleaning (also known as exhaust hood cleaning) involves thoroughly removing grease buildup, grime, and particulates from the commercial kitchen’s exhaust hood system (hood, ducts, fans, vents). According to Mansil’s service page:
“Grease and food particles can accumulate in these systems over time, posing fire hazards and air quality concerns.” Mansil Services
By scheduling regular professional cleaning, a restaurant ensures that its ventilation system remains safe, compliant, and efficient.
Why Insurance Carriers Care
Insurance underwriters evaluate many facets of restaurant risk. Below are key ways hood cleaning affects those evaluations:
1. Fire Risk Reduction
Grease build-up in the hood/duct system is one of the primary causes of kitchen fires. If a fire starts in the exhaust system and spreads, it can cause catastrophic damage. Regular cleaning halts the accumulation of this combustible material, thereby reducing the probability of a fire event and thus reducing insurance exposure.
2. Regulatory Compliance & Inspection Readiness
In many jurisdictions, fire codes and safety regulations require hood cleaning at specified intervals depending on cooking volume. If a restaurant fails to comply, insurers may tag them as higher risk or void certain coverages. Mansil’s page highlights that hood cleaning “guarantees compliance with fire and safety regulations,” Mansil Services
3. Reduced Claim Frequency & Severity
Because fires in kitchen exhaust systems often lead to sizeable claims (damage to building, equipment, business interruption, potential injury), insurers pay attention to maintenance practices. A restaurant that can demonstrate documented hood cleaning reduces its chances of filing a large claim. This favourable profile may allow for better insurance terms.
4. Improved Ventilation & Operation Efficiency
Although less directly obvious to insurers, a clean system also improves air quality, reduces HVAC/ventilation stress, and may reduce other related losses (e.g., employee health issues, system failures). Mansil notes improved air quality and energy efficiency as benefits. Mansil Services
How Often Should Hood Cleaning Be Done?
The frequency depends on cooking volume, type of food, and ventilation design. According to Mansil:
-
Monthly for high-volume kitchens (restaurants, hotels, cafeterias)
-
Quarterly for moderate volume kitchens (churches, day-cares)
-
Semi-Annually for low-volume kitchens (senior-living, small facilities), Mansil Services
For a full-service restaurant in Kelowna with heavy frying, grilling, or heavy smoke load, monthly or at least quarterly cleaning is strongly recommended. Documenting each service visit and obtaining a certificate of cleaning helps when dealing with insurers.
What to Look for in a Hood Cleaning Service
When selecting a service partner (like Mansil Services), restaurants should ensure:
-
Certified technicians, ideally trained in hood and exhaust systems.
-
Proper inspection, preparation, cleaning, and finishing/polishing steps (Mansil lists these steps on their page) Mansil Services
-
Use of industry-accepted cleaning agents and tools, safe for the food service environment.
-
Proof of service (certificates, photos, report), which can be provided to your insurance carrier or fire code inspector.
-
A schedule that matches your operations and cooking load, with flexibility for high-use times.
The Business Case: Insurance Premiums, Liability & Reputation
From an insurance and risk-management perspective:
-
Having documented regular hood cleaning may help you negotiate better premiums or avoid surcharges due to higher-risk categorization.
-
It reduces the likelihood of a catastrophic event that could lead to business interruption losses, reputational damage, and legal liability.
-
It shows you take preventive maintenance seriously. This is often a positive signal to insurers, fire marshals, and even prospective customers.
Kelowna Restaurant Scenario: Why It Matters Locally
In a restaurant scene like Kelowna’s, which may include high-traffic tourist seasons, catering events, and mixed cooking loads, the risks are amplified:
-
A full kitchen in peak season may generate a heavy grease and smoke load.
-
Building codes and local inspections (in British Columbia / Kelowna) will expect adherence to safety standards.
-
If a fire or damage incident occurs, replacement of equipment, loss of business during repairs, and insurance claim disruption can hit hard.
Regular servicing of your hood system by a credible local partner, such as Mansil Services (based in Kelowna), ensures you stay ahead of the curve.
Action Steps for Restaurant Owners
Here’s a quick checklist:
-
Review your current hood cleaning schedule. How often has it been cleaned in the last 12 months?
-
Check documentation: do you have certificates or reports of each cleaning?
-
Contact a trusted provider (e.g., Mansil Services Inc) for an inspection and cleaning quote.
-
Inform your insurance broker about your cleaning schedule and documentation ask if it affects your premium or coverage terms.
-
Create a recurring calendar reminder (monthly or quarterly) tailored to your cooking load, and keep records of each service.
-
After cleaning, inspect the hood, ducts, and fans yourself (or have maintenance staff do so) to ensure the job was completed properly.
Conclusion
In the hospitality business, doing things right behind the scenes can be just as important as what the guest sees in front of the house. Regular hood cleaning isn’t just a hygiene or maintenance nicety; it’s a critical risk-management and insurance mitigation tactic.
For Kelowna restaurant owners, partnering with a specialist like Mansil Services ensures your kitchen exhaust system is cleaned, compliant, and documented—helping you reduce fire risk, satisfy insurance criteria, and ultimately protect your business, staff, and guests.
