One of the most important elements of any commercial kitchen is the ventilation system. Ventilation systems are designed for both safety and for the functionality of your building. If it were not for the vent hood most of your establishment would be covered in air-born grease vapors. Our commercial cooking equipment is specifically made for use under a vent hood in a commercial establishment. Never use this type of equipment in an unventilated area or in a residential setting as you run the risk of not only voiding all warranties for your equipment, but also any building insurance you have. In a vent hood system you have 3 main components: the exhaust fan, the return air fan (also known as 'makeup-air fan'), and the vent hood itself. Lets look briefly at how these components make up a complete vent hood package.
Exhaust Fans: Under ideal site conditions these fans are normally located on the roof, centered directly above the hood location. By creating a reverse draw of air, the exhaust fan removes smoke, soot, steam, heat, and grease vapors away from your building. Like any component in contact with constant grease vapors, your exhaust fans will need to periodically be cleaned. For larger vent hoods, more than one exhaust fan will be used. The ductwork coming from the top of the vent hood will lead through your ceiling, and out to the exhaust fans.
Return Air Fans (Makeup-Air Fans): Return-air fans are designed to bring fresh air from the outside back into your building. This fresh air is to 'make-up' for the air that is being sucked away from your building via the exhaust fans. By providing a fresh air balance, your air conditioning will not have to work harder to compensate for the loss of air meaning lower energy bills. Return air and make-up air fans are also installed on a special electrical switch that shut off the flow of air in the event of a fire.
Vent Hoods: Vent hoods are called by many names; venthood, vent-a-hoods, grease hoods, and fire hoods to name a few. No matter what you call them they all do the same job which is to eliminate the smoke and grease vapors created whenever cooking on hot equipment and to aid in the suppression of fires which keeps you, your customers and your business safe. Vent hoods come in both stainless steel and galvanized aluminum. They can also be customized to display crests, logos or a variety of other aesthetic additions. The critical part about buying a vent hood is determining the proper size. Know what equipment will be under the hood and get the linear dimension of that line up from left to right. Make sure to give yourself a minimum of 6" clearance per side of equipment for the vent hood. For example, a 60" left-to-right linear dimension of the over all cooking equipment would require a minimum vent hood size of 72''. This gives 6" to the left and the right side of your cook line. This is needed to ensure that any fire or smoke hazards stay within the boundaries of the vent hood. Always check with your local building and fire code inspector to know what your area's requirements for combustible and non-combustible clearances are. If you are ever in doubt about choosing a vent hood, give us a call and we will be happy to consult with you.
Installations - As you purchase a hood package, you should be aware of a few things
1. Most hood purchases include (HOOD , EXHAUST FAN, MAKE UP AIR FAN) but you will need other items to complete the package
Internet and Office salesmen often try to make a hood seem less costly by not including some items.
2. Items such as ROOF CURBS, FIRE DAMPERS, WELDED DUCT, STAINLESS SHEETS FOR REAR WALL, FIRE WRAP MATERIAL
These items are often included in the installation cost - thus making the installation more expensive than you might expect.
Installation cost vary due to the building construction but expect to pay $ 5000 for every 10 foot of hood of the installation labor and material
3. A FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM is required on most hoods, and a K Class Extingisher will be required.
Cost vary but be expecting about $ 2000 for every 10 feet of hood
4. As you can see the cost of the Hood Package is only about half the cost of the Project
5. Take your time here - be sure your hood is large enough for potential growth of your business - adding hood space get really expensive once your in
operation. This is a major project in the restaurant construction.
OFFICE 706-647-7887
