Commercial Kitchen Hood Maintenance Checklist for Restaurant Owners

I got the call at 6:10 a.m. from a busy breakfast spot: “The line is smoky, guests are coughing—please come now.” When I walked in, the fryers were snapping, the grill was roaring, and the hood was just… tired. Noisy fan, weak pull, a faint bacon haze hanging over the eggs. This is exactly how small problems grow into safety issues—and why steady hood maintenance pays for itself.

Step one: filters and grease control
I popped the baffle filters and knew the story right away. Heavy, sticky, and packed with grease. We swapped in their spare set and ran the dirty ones through a hot-water degreaser cycle. Grease cups were nearly full, so we emptied and reseated them. Airflow improved immediately—and the cooks noticed.

Step two: the fan on the roof
Up the ladder: a shiny, glazed belt slipping on the pulley, and a blower wheel with a coat of grease dust. We replaced the belt, tightened alignment, cleaned the wheel, and checked motor amps. Pro tip: write the belt size on the fan housing and keep one spare on hand; it saves a late-night scramble.

Step three: make-up air and balance
Inside, every time the back door opened, smoke rolled forward. Classic sign the hood was starved for make-up air. We cleaned the intake screens and verified the unit was running with the hood. The room relaxed—no more negative pressure yanking doors shut.

Step four: suppression and documentation
Over the cookline, suppression nozzles had been bumped during an equipment shuffle. A few caps were missing, and the tag date had slipped. We scheduled the suppression contractor to re-aim, cap, and re-tag. Keep those reports—health and fire inspectors will ask.

Now here’s the maintenance routine I leave with every restaurant. It’s simple, practical, and keeps you on the right side of safety and codes.

Daily (end of shift)

Wipe the hood face, lower plenum, and light lenses with a food-safe degreaser.
Empty/clean grease cups or troughs; make sure drains and caps are seated.
Quick “paper towel” test: hold a towel at the hood edge—if it doesn’t pull, airflow is weak.

Weekly

Wash baffle filters (or rotate to a clean spare set).
Listen to the fan: squeal, grinding, or a slow spin means belt or bearing issues.
Check light gaskets and switch plates; replace cracked parts.

Monthly

Inspect electrical connections at the hood switch and fan whip for heat damage.
Open access doors and look for grease streaks in the duct you can see.
Verify make-up air: no smoke rolling out, no doors slamming, no hot pockets on the line.

Quarterly to Semiannual (volume dictates)

Book professional hood/duct/fan cleaning and keep the dated report. High-volume fryer/charbroiler lines usually need quarterly service; lower volume can go semiannual.
Inspect the roof fan: belt tension, wheel cleanliness, set-screws tight, vibration minimal.
Confirm suppression: tags current, nozzles aimed at the correct appliances, caps on.

Red flags—call a pro now

Visible grease dripping at seams or inside baffles.
Fan trips breakers, smells hot, or won’t reach speed.
Odors in the dining room, smoke at the hood edge, or a sudden increase in heat on the line.
Any suppression tag past due or nozzles knocked off target.

Quick wins I recommend
Keep two complete filter sets and rotate them. Label the fan belt size on the housing. Keep a slim “hood binder” with cleaning certificates, suppression tags, and a log of filter washes. Train every shift lead to do the paper-towel test and to check grease cups at close.

If you’d like this set up once and for all—airflow balanced, cleaning scheduled, documentation squared away—call ALANSY Appliance repair & Refrigeration. I’ll make sure your commercial kitchen hood stays quiet, clean, compliant, and ready for the rush.

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