Frequently Asked Questions About Our Filter Exchange Program

UL 1046 listed stainless steel baffle filters. Commercial-grade, built to last hundreds of exchange cycles, and constructed to NFPA 96 standards.

We provide two complete sets per location at no upfront cost — one in your hood, one in our cleaning rotation. If a filter is damaged through normal wear, we replace it at no charge.

Pricing is based on three things: the number of filters in your hood, your exchange frequency, and your location. Most kitchens land in a predictable monthly range that's significantly less than what they were spending on in-house cleaning labor, replacement filters, and the downstream plumbing costs that pile up when grease gets cleaned in-house.

There's no upfront cost for the filters themselves. Run your kitchen through our online cost calculator for a quick ballpark, or submit an inquiry and we'll schedule a 10-minute site visit to give you exact numbers.

They go back to our facility, where they're stripped of grease in a controlled cleaning process. The grease is collected for compliant disposal. The wastewater is captured and handled under EPA Clean Water Act guidelines. The filter is cleaned to NFPA 96 standards and goes back into rotation for its next exchange.

None of it ends up in your sewer, your dumpster, or your problem — and none of it can come back to you as a Clean Water Act liability.

We cover Massachusetts (Greater Boston, South Shore, Southcoast, MetroWest, Worcester County, North Shore, Cape Cod, and Springfield), Rhode Island (statewide), Connecticut (Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford), Southern Maine (Greater Portland through the NH border), and the New Hampshire Seacoast (Seabrook, Hampton, Rye, Portsmouth) — all from our base in Middleboro, MA. If you're cooking anywhere in those five states, there's a strong chance we already service a kitchen near you.

You can. You probably shouldn't. Two reasons.

First, it's a health code violation. Running greasy hood filters through the same dishwasher you use for service ware is a cross-contamination issue inspectors flag on sight.

Second, it'll break your dishwasher. The grease coating your hood filters accumulates in the drain line, coats the spray arms, and shortens the life of the heating element. What you save on filter cleaning you spend on dishwasher repairs — and eventual replacement.

No. Our exchanges happen during off-hours when your equipment is cold and your kitchen is quiet. Most clients schedule us before opening or after close.

Technicians use a key, lockbox code, or alarm code we set up during onboarding. The whole visit takes 15 to 30 minutes, and most of our clients never see us. The first sign you got serviced is that the hood looks new when you walk in for prep.

You choose how we get in. Some kitchens give us a kitchen key — we hold onto it, our technicians use it for scheduled exchanges, and that's it. Other kitchens prefer a lockbox — we install one at no charge, store a spare key inside, and only our technicians ever use the access code.

If your kitchen has an alarm system, we collect the alarm code and stand-down protocol during onboarding so we can disarm and re-arm cleanly.

No. A lockbox is one option — some kitchens give us a kitchen key instead. Either way works. The exchange happens on schedule whether you're at the kitchen or not.

NFPA 96 governs commercial cooking ventilation and fire protection. It requires UL-listed grease filters, frequent cleaning intervals based on cooking volume, and proper construction and installation. Section 6.1.1 covers approved filters; Sections 6.2.1–6.2.3.5 cover construction and cleaning; Chapter 14 covers solid fuel cooking operations.

The EPA Clean Water Act regulates the disposal of grease-laden wastewater. You cannot legally discharge it to most sanitary sewers or storm drains. Local fire and pretreatment ordinances often add additional requirements specific to your municipality.

No. Tiger Exchange provides two complete sets of UL-listed stainless steel baffle filters at no upfront cost as part of the program. You pay for the exchange service, not the filters.

Answer a few questions in our online cost calculator — cooking style, number of hoods, total filters — and see your estimated monthly price in about two minutes. A Tiger Exchange rep will call within one business day, often the same day. A quick 10-minute site visit confirms your quote.

Once your quote is approved, we can usually get you on the schedule the following week.

Your existing filters are handed over to you to store as you see fit. From day one, you're operating on the UL-listed sets we provide.