RESTAURANT HVAC
Restaurant HVAC and kitchen exhaust contractor
KITCHEN AIR
Why restaurant HVAC is its own discipline
A commercial kitchen hood removes a large volume of air every minute the cook line is running. Every cubic foot it exhausts has to be replaced, and if the makeup air is not designed properly, doors are hard to open, the hood does not capture smoke and the dining room pulls hot air from the kitchen.
The cook line drives the design. The type and size of hood, the appliances under it and the duty they run at determine the exhaust rate, which determines the makeup air, which in turn affects the cooling load for the whole space. That is why we want the kitchen layout early.
Kitchen exhaust also brings its own inspections. Grease duct construction, clearances to combustibles, the path through the building and the fan on the roof are all reviewed, and they are among the most common reasons a restaurant fails an inspection.
What we need from the kitchen designer
- A final cook line and equipment layout
- Hood type, size and the manufacturer’s airflow data
- Dish machine and other exhaust requirements
- Dining and bar seating capacity
- Walk-in cooler and freezer condensing unit locations
- Roof access and structural information
SCOPE OF WORK
What a restaurant HVAC scope covers
Hood exhaust
Grease duct from the hood to the roof, built and enclosed to code, with the exhaust fan and access for cleaning.
Makeup air
A makeup air unit sized to the hood exhaust and interlocked with it, tempered where the climate calls for it.
Dining-room cooling
Cooling sized for the guests, the lighting and the heat that leaks from the kitchen, with air distributed quietly.
Dish and restroom exhaust
Dedicated exhaust for dish areas and restrooms, balanced so odors and moisture go outside rather than into the dining room.
Building pressure
Balancing supply and exhaust so the space stays slightly positive to the outdoors and doors open and close normally.
Inspections
Grease duct, mechanical and fire inspections coordinated with the hood and fire-suppression contractors ahead of opening.
HOW THE JOB RUNS
The restaurant HVAC sequence
01
Lock the cook line
02
Size and release equipment
03
Build the grease duct
04
Balance and test
COMMON QUESTIONS
Restaurant HVAC questions
Sometimes. The hood, grease duct and fan must match your cook line and meet current requirements. We inspect them against your layout and tell you what can be reused.
It is outside air brought in to replace what the hood exhausts. Without it, the kitchen goes negative, the hood stops capturing smoke, and doors become hard to open.
Usually because the building is out of balance and the dining room is pulling air through the kitchen. Proper makeup air and balancing fix it.
Often the hood is supplied by the kitchen equipment vendor. We install or connect the grease duct, exhaust fan and makeup air, and coordinate the rest with them and the fire-suppression contractor.
Almost always, for the exhaust fan and makeup air unit. We coordinate the openings, curbs and structural review with the landlord.