Grease Dripping From Hood Seams: Causes, Risks, and How to Fix It
If you’ve noticed grease dripping from hood seams in your commercial kitchen, it’s a warning sign that shouldn’t be ignored. While a small amount of grease residue may occur during daily cooking operations, visible grease leaking from the seams of a kitchen exhaust hood often indicates that grease has accumulated inside the hood or exhaust system beyond normal levels.
Grease leaks can create slip hazards, increase fire risk, damage equipment, and attract the attention of fire inspectors. Identifying the cause early and addressing it promptly can help keep your kitchen safer and your ventilation system operating properly.
Why It Matters
Commercial kitchen exhaust hoods are designed to capture grease-laden vapors produced during cooking. As these vapors cool, grease collects on the interior surfaces of the hood before traveling into the ductwork and exhaust fan.
When grease builds up faster than it can be removed through routine maintenance, it may begin leaking through seams, joints, or corners of the hood canopy.
Grease dripping from hood seams can:
- Increase the potential for grease fires.
- Create slippery floors and employee safety hazards.
- Stain cooking equipment and surrounding surfaces.
- Produce unpleasant odors.
- Suggest that the exhaust system may be overdue for professional cleaning.
What Inspectors Look For
During a commercial kitchen inspection, fire inspectors often look for visible signs that grease is accumulating where it shouldn’t.
This may include:
- Grease dripping from hood seams or corners.
- Heavy grease deposits on hood surfaces.
- Grease stains running down stainless steel panels.
- Excessive grease around filters.
- Evidence that the hood has not been maintained properly.
Visible grease leaks can prompt inspectors to take a closer look at the overall condition of the kitchen exhaust system.
How To Check It Yourself
Kitchen managers should visually inspect the hood system regularly.
Look for:
- Grease dripping from seams during or after cooking.
- Sticky grease around hood joints.
- Brown or yellow grease stains.
- Grease collecting on cooking equipment below the hood.
- Grease running down the outside of the canopy.
If grease is visible on the exterior of the hood, there may also be grease accumulation inside areas that are not easily accessible.
How To Correct It
While wiping away grease from the outside of the hood may improve its appearance temporarily, it does not address grease buildup inside the exhaust system.
To help prevent grease leaks:
- Clean accessible hood surfaces daily.
- Clean grease filters according to your maintenance schedule.
- Monitor cooking volume during busy seasons.
- Schedule routine professional hood cleaning.
- Keep records of hood cleaning services.
Professional hood cleaning removes grease from areas that cannot be safely or effectively cleaned during normal kitchen operations.
When To Call A Professional
It’s a good idea to contact a professional hood cleaning company if:
- Grease continues dripping after routine cleaning.
- Grease is leaking from multiple seams.
- You notice strong grease odors.
- Your hood system hasn’t been professionally cleaned in several months.
- You’re preparing for a fire inspection.
- You are unsure whether grease buildup extends into the ductwork or exhaust fan.
A professional inspection can help determine whether the entire exhaust system should be cleaned.
Related Articles
Continue learning about commercial kitchen fire safety:
- Excessive Grease Inside the Hood Canopy
- Grease Buildup Behind Hood Filters
- Excessive Grease Inside Exhaust Ductwork
- Rooftop Exhaust Fan Grease Buildup
- Understanding NFPA 96 Hood Cleaning Guidelines
- How Often Should a Commercial Kitchen Hood Be Cleaned?
- Top 50 Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety Issues That Can Lead to Inspection Violations
Schedule Service
If you’ve noticed grease dripping from hood seams, don’t ignore it. What appears to be a small leak could be an indication that grease has accumulated throughout your commercial kitchen exhaust system.
All City Hood Cleaning provides professional hood cleaning services for restaurants, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, food trucks, breweries, casinos, churches, manufacturing facilities, and other commercial kitchens throughout Wisconsin.
Our experienced team thoroughly cleans commercial kitchen exhaust systems to help reduce grease buildup, improve system performance, and support a safer cooking environment.
Contact All City Hood Cleaning today at 414-405-8500 to request a free estimate or discuss a maintenance schedule for your kitchen.