When was the last time you looked inside your ductwork or climbed onto your roof to check your exhaust fan? In 2026, “The Clean Slate” means addressing the parts of your kitchen you can’t see. According to the National Fire Protection Association, failure to clean, which allows grease to accumulate in hidden stretches of your exhaust system, causes 22% of restaurant fires. While your hood may look sparkling to the naked eye, the ducting behind it could be a ticking time bomb.

For the new year, your exhaust checklist should include these critical, often-overlooked components:

• Access Panel Audits: NFPA 96 standards for 2026 emphasize the necessity of adequate access panels. If a duct makes a turn or runs horizontally for several feet, it must have an opening for cleaning. If your current cleaning provider hasn’t mentioned this, they are likely skipping the hardest parts of the job. At Bowmar, we install NFPA-compliant panels to ensure 100% duct visibility during every hood cleaning service.

• Rooftop Grease Containment: Your exhaust fan’s job is to pull grease out of the kitchen, but where does that grease go? Without a high-capacity containment system, grease pools on your roof membrane. This leads to two major problems: a massive fire hazard on your roof and the chemical breakdown of your roofing materials, leading to expensive leaks. We inspect your grease “catch” boxes to ensure they are emptied and filtered correctly as part of our kitchen exhaust fan maintenance program.

• Fan Hinge Kits & Electrical Safety: An exhaust fan can weigh over 100 pounds. Without a heavy-duty hinge kit, cleaners have to manhandle the fan off the curb, which frequently pinches or frays the electrical wiring. This creates a spark risk right next to a grease source. 2026 safety standards require these kits for the protection of both the equipment and the service technicians.

Why These Components Matter for Fire Safety

The Texas State Fire Marshal conducts unannounced inspections throughout the year, and these hidden components are exactly what trained inspectors look for. Many restaurant owners assume that a clean hood means a compliant system, but fire marshals know that the most dangerous accumulations occur in the places you can’t easily see.

Understanding these hidden risks is essential because failure to address them can result in immediate citations, business closure, or worse, a catastrophic fire. Since failure to clean causes nearly one in four restaurant fires, proper maintenance of your entire exhaust system, not just the visible hood, is essential for fire prevention.

A clean hood is a visible sign of a professional kitchen, but a clean, hinged, and contained exhaust system is the mark of a business owner who understands true risk management.

Compliance and Documentation

Proper documentation of these often-overlooked components is crucial for Texas restaurant owners. The Texas Administrative Code requires detailed records of all exhaust system maintenance, including access panel inspections, grease containment servicing, and fan maintenance.

Our USAKE-certified technicians provide comprehensive documentation with every service, including before-and-after photos of access panels, grease containment levels, and fan conditions. This documentation protects you during fire marshal inspections and insurance claims.

For a complete understanding of all kitchen safety requirements, see our 2026 Commercial Kitchen Checklist.

Taking Action on Hidden Risks

Don’t wait for a fire marshal’s citation or an insurance inspection to discover issues in your exhaust system’s hidden components. Bowmar Industrial Services provides comprehensive exhaust system evaluations that go beyond standard hood cleaning:

• Complete ductwork inspection with access panel assessment

• Rooftop grease containment installation and service

• Fan hinge kit installation and electrical safety verification

• Detailed photo documentation for compliance records

• Coordination with fire suppression system maintenance

Our clients across Austin and San Antonio, including Q2 Stadium, Kalahari Resorts, and family-owned restaurants, trust us to identify and address these critical, often-overlooked components. We don’t just clean what you can see; we ensure your entire exhaust system meets 2026 safety standards.

Ready to ensure your exhaust system is truly compliant? Call 512-861-5841 or request a comprehensive on-site inspection that covers all components, including the hidden ones most providers miss.