One wonders what the new excuse could be for all of what we see here. Major sections of these systems were not cleaned at all. What we see here is a major lack of accountability internally by a KEC company where the owners themselves have previously justified leaving systems like this when confronted by the customers. This is reality on what is out there and why we must all be diligent in our efforts to clean up the industry. The worst part is that this KEC vendor has the equipment to perform proper cleaning and regularly passes inspeciton when cleaning in inspected areas. As we can see, here is what things look like when no one is looking. The following were taken exactly 7 days after it was cleaned this summer. Looking up and inside the duct from the hood area, we can see a couple lines where cleanings were attempted. Then moving to the access plate, we can not only see large chunks left in the duct, we can clearly see where the duct was almost completely restricted. We then move to the roof and see where the fan blades were not cleaned on the back side causing excessive vibration and future premature failure of the fan. My opinion is that this is far more than just a stain/discoloration, a thin buildup, inconsequential buildup, or just a few days of buildup of a grease duct or whatever else they come up with. This is a huge potential fire danger and catastrophe just waiting to happen at any time.
Originally published September 8, 2014 on Tales of the Greaser.