The Importance of Commercial Kitchen Ventilation
Effective commercial kitchen ventilation plays a big part in your daily operations but is often an area that’s easily forgotten.
Ventilation and extraction units are usually located above the eye line, very much “out of sight, out of mind”, until something goes wrong.
What Is Commercial Kitchen Ventilation?
Essentially, the condition of your commercial kitchen and how your equipment performs all come down to your ventilation system. Its primary role is to remove unwanted fumes, heat and dirt from your kitchen, refilling it with clean, comfortable air. If your ventilation system is blocked, broken or installed incorrectly, it results in appliances overworking, costing more money to run them and creating an unpleasant environment for your staff and customers. By choosing and maintaining the right ventilation system, you can easily avoid these issues.
Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Systems
There are multiple ventilation options to suit the size, shape and requirements of your kitchen. Ultimately, your commercial kitchen ventilation system consists of 5 parts:
Canopy Hood
this is the main part you can see and is located above cooking stations to catch as many fumes and airborne particles as possible.
Upblast Exhaust Fan
located on the exterior of your kitchen, these metal boxes include fans to remove excess warm air from your kitchen. The fans also have grease filters to prevent any grease spillages within the system.
Make-Up Air Unit
this replaces the contaminated air that’s been removed with fresh, clean air.
Hood Filter Bank
these filters try to prevent oil and debris from entering the ventilation system: reducing the build-up of grease, dust and dirt in order to keep your ventilation system operating.
Fire Suppression Unit
this is an essential safety measure for any commercial hood. If a fire occurs, this system will instantly put it out with water or chemical agents.
Why Is Commercial Kitchen Ventilation So Important?
Apart from ensuring your kitchen meets health and safety regulations, correct ventilation creates a cool and clean environment for your staff and customers, it also helps your appliances work more effectively: reducing breakdowns and prolonging their lifespan.
Let’s expand these areas a little more:
Improve Odour Control
With an array of cuisines being cooked in your kitchen, there can be an overwhelming number of aromas. Your ventilation system needs to be fitted with high-quality odour control such as ozone or ESP. These filters not only remove heady scents and replace them with clean air, but they also reduce the unpleasant smells of grease, dirt or burnt food.
Increase Air Quality
Sourcing high-end ventilation equipment and positioning it within your kitchen is essential for a healthy working environment. Canopy hoods must be placed above cooking areas to consume and remove as many fumes, steam and heat as possible. If your ventilation system is in the wrong spot or not performing properly your kitchen will heat up, causing other appliances to work harder and your staff to become uncomfortable.
Prolong Your Catering Equipment
Your commercial kitchen ventilation is designed to maintain a consistent environment for your staff, customers and appliances. If your extraction system is effectively removing unnecessary heat, other appliances such as your refrigerator, don’t have to waste extra energy to stay at their optimum temperature. Ultimately, extending the condition of other appliances, reducing breakdowns and saving you money.
The Right Type of Ventilation
There’s a variety of commercial kitchen ventilation products available. Our team of experts can help you source and install the right commercial catering equipment to fit your kitchen’s size and requirements. For more information on commercial kitchen ventilation, get in touch today
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