Why quarterly
The default cleaning frequency under NFPA 96 §11.6.1 is quarterly for moderate-volume cooking operations, monthly for solid-fuel and 24-hour operations, and semiannual only for low-volume churches and seasonal operations. The 2025 revision tightened the solid-fuel rule and added language requiring digital documentation of every cleaning event. We default every Houston restaurant to quarterly unless the kitchen meets the explicit low-volume definition.
What gets cleaned
The plenum (the chamber behind the filter rack), the filter rack itself, the horizontal duct above the hood, the vertical duct riser, every access panel along the run, the exhaust fan housing on the roof, and the fan curb. The grease cup is emptied and reseated with new gaskets where torn.
What does not get cleaned: the suppression nozzles (those are touched only by your Texas Department of Insurance–licensed extinguisher company), the fire-system piping (same), the gas line, the electrical disconnect, and any operator-owned grease containment such as fryer filtration carts.
How we clean
We use a hot-water alkaline degreaser at 4–5% concentration applied via low-pressure foam wand, with a five-minute dwell, scrubbed manually with stainless brushes, and rinsed with potable water. We do not use solvent-based degreasers, we do not pressure-wash above 1,200 PSI on a stainless plenum (it pits the metal), and we do not let runoff enter the storm drain.
The runoff goes into our containment tray, gets pumped into the holding tank in the trailer, and is hauled to a permitted disposal facility. We file a manifest. The manifest goes in your operator portal.
The bare-metal standard
"Acceptable" cleaning under IKECA standards is bare metal at every point along the grease-laden vapor flow path, with measurable grease accumulation under 50 microns where measurable. We photograph the plenum at four corners and the duct interior through every access panel. The photographs are dated, geotagged, and signed.
What can go wrong
Three things, in order of frequency. One: the access panels on a vertical duct run were welded shut by a previous installer or sealed under fire-rated foam, and we cannot inspect the run without cutting new panels. We will quote that work as a separate ticket. Two: the plenum has been cleaned with the wrong chemistry for years and has pitting that holds grease; we can clean it but we cannot make it look like new. Three: the kitchen's electric shutoff is wired to the suppression system but not interlocked with the gas valve, which is a code violation we will flag and which is your fire-system company's job to correct.
What you do on a service day
Three things. Run cold-side prep only during the ninety-minute window. Tell us about any incident in the previous quarter — fryer flare-up, suppression false-trip, smoke event in the dining room. Receive the stamped record at the end and check your portal email for the digital copy. That is all.