Guide
Suppression system vs hood cleaning — who does which job
Two different systems share the same hood canopy. Grease exhaust cleaning keeps fuel (grease) from accumulating in the path. The automatic wet-chemical extinguishing system puts out a cook-line fire when one starts. Fire marshals and insurers check both. One sticker does not cover the other. This page is the operator split — who to call, what cadence to expect, what belongs in which binder tab. Not legal advice; confirm the editions your AHJ adopted.
Short answer
Grease exhaust inspection/cleaning follows NFPA 96 (KEC path): trained/qualified/certified cleaners, cadence driven by cooking volume, cleaning when grease exceeds depth limits. Automatic wet-chem / UL 300 system ITM follows NFPA 17A (and related NFPA 96 suppression references): licensed fire-protection contractors, commonly semiannual secondary, fusible links replaced on that service — not a hood-cleaner job. After a clean, nozzles and detection components must be correctly restored and the system rearmed; many kitchens need the suppression contractor to verify or reset after the cleaner. Keep separate binder tabs. Intervals below are secondary summaries — your AHJ wins.
Side-by-side job chart
| Item | Hood / grease exhaust cleaning | Wet-chem suppression ITM |
|---|---|---|
| Governing standard (secondary) | NFPA 96 — ventilation / grease removal / cleaning docs | NFPA 17A — wet chemical system design, install, ITM; UL 300 listing for the hardware |
| What gets worked | Hood, filters, plenum, ducts, fan, rooftop grease path | Agent cylinder, piping, nozzles/caps, detection line, fusible links, manual pull, fuel shutoff, alarm interlocks |
| Typical cadence (secondary) | Inspection by volume (solid monthly / high quarterly / moderate semiannual / low annual); clean when grease over limits | Professional service commonly every six months; owner/agent monthly visual between visits |
| Who does it | Kitchen exhaust cleaner acceptable to the AHJ | Licensed / factory-trained fire-protection technician |
| Proof you keep | Hood service label + written inspection/cleaning reports + photos | System service tag + semiannual ITM reports + fusible-link dates |
Who owns which parts
- Fusible links / glass-bulb detectors: suppression contractor — secondary NFPA 17A explainers treat metal-alloy / glass-bulb fixed-temperature elements as replaced at least semiannually (not “inspect and leave”)
- Agent cylinder / cartridge pressure / hydrostatic test dates: suppression contractor — secondary guides flag undated or overdue cylinders as common fails
- Nozzle aim, blow-off caps, coverage after equipment moves: suppression contractor — a new fryer under an old nozzle layout is their redesign call
- Grease on filters, ducts, fan, rooftop containment: exhaust cleaner — suppression tag does not satisfy grease cleaning
- Class K portable extinguisher: separate NFPA 10 path (owner monthly / annual service) — not a substitute for either job
After a hood clean: who resets nozzles?
Field note — the handoff gap
- Secondary NFPA 96 cleaning notes: the extinguishing system may be rendered inoperable during cleaning and must be restored before the visit ends
- Cleaners often remove or work around nozzle assemblies and detection hardware; reinstalling them incorrectly leaves the kitchen “clean” and unprotected
- Secondary maintenance guides: treat post-clean suppression verification as a coordination requirement — many operators schedule the licensed suppression tech to confirm nozzles capped/aimed, links correct, system rearmed
- Ask both vendors in writing who restores the system and who signs the tag after a grease clean
- Do not reopen the cookline if the system is still impaired or the tag is missing
Clear split done right
- Two contractors (or one firm with both licenses) on the calendar
- Grease reports and suppression reports in separate binder tabs
- Written note after every clean: “system restored / verified by ___ on ___”
- Equipment moves trigger a suppression coverage check before the next busy Friday
Common mix-ups
- “Suppression was just done — we don’t need a duct clean”
- “The cleaner put a sticker on — fusible links are fine”
- Nozzles left uncapped or aimed at empty floor space after a remodel
- One binder pile where nobody can find the six-month tag
Binder tabs (keep them separate)
| Tab | What goes here | Who updates it |
|---|---|---|
| Grease / exhaust | Cleaning + inspection reports, inaccessible-area lists, before/after photos, invoices, schedule by cooking volume | KEC / hood cleaner |
| Suppression ITM | Semiannual service reports, fusible-link replacement dates, cylinder/hydro notes, recharge records after any discharge | Fire-protection contractor |
| On the equipment | Hood service label; suppression cylinder/system tag; Class K / extinguisher tags | Respective vendors + your monthly visual checks |
Secondary marshal-facing checklists often ask for the last two suppression reports plus the most recent cleaning certificate in the same visit — separate tabs, one binder.
Why one vendor rarely covers both
- Different licenses, certifications, and manufacturer authorizations
- Different cadences (volume-driven grease vs fixed semiannual ITM)
- Different failure modes: missed duct grease vs missed link replacement
- Some companies coordinate both under one account manager — still two qualified scopes on paper
- AHJs that publish approved hood-cleaner lists usually keep fire-protection contractors on a separate license track
Who it’s for / not for
- For: kitchen managers who just hired a cleaner and assumed the suppression tag was included; facilities leads building binder tabs; anyone sorting a mixed deficiency notice
- Not for: inventing national intervals as law, DIY fusible-link replacement, or legal / insurance coverage advice
Sources
- Inspect Point — kitchen hood suppression and cleaning requirements (secondary; NFPA 17A vs NFPA 96 schedule table; fusible-link replacement framing)
- Fire Protection Pro — kitchen hood suppression systems guide (secondary; NFPA 96 umbrella vs NFPA 17A hardware; UL 300; semiannual scope)
- US Made Supply — NFPA 17A wet chemical standard explainer (secondary; 17A / 96 / UL 300 framework; semiannual link replacement; Class K backup)
- Koorsen — UL 300 / NFPA 17A kitchen suppression requirements (secondary; owner monthly vs semiannual professional; recharge after discharge)
- OxMaint — commercial kitchen fire suppression maintenance (secondary; post-clean verification coordination note — labeled operator guidance, not code text)
- Facilitec Southwest — failed fire marshal inspection (secondary; suppression overdue as a separate citation from grease cleaning)
- Up To Code — NFPA 96 kitchen hood inspection requirements (secondary; two-contractor pattern; §11.6-style semiannual suppression framing — verify your adopted edition numbering)
Next step
Open the binder and find the last suppression tag date and the last hood cleaning report date. If either is missing, call that trade first — not the other. Write one line on the cookline whiteboard: “Grease cleaner = ducts. Fire contractor = nozzles/links.” After the next clean, require a written restore/verify note before the first burner lights.