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Kitchen Hood Installation: Frequently Asked Questions
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Types of Exhaust Fans and their differences
Commercial kitchen ventilation is of utmost importance in any restaurant. It’s in charge of eliminating steam, smoke, smells and other types of waste such as grease that stem from cooking. In commercial kitchens, range hoods are large pieces of equipment composed of different components. One of those is the exhaust fan.
Before talking about the types of exhaust fans, we need to know a little bit more about the different styles of range hoods we can choose from. Your choice will always depend on your kitchen space and/or budget. This is a really important piece of equipment for your commercial restaurant’s safety and cleanliness, so choosing wisely is important.
The most typical style of hood is a wall canopy hood or wall-mounted hood. These are fixed to the wall directly above the cooking station. There are also island hoods, located in the middle of the kitchen with access to the cooking station from several sides. Finally, there’s the Low Canopy hood which is useful for when the kitchen ceiling height is very low. The shorter front allows you to maneuver more easily while not hitting your head.
If you don’t have a rangehood in your kitchen or you need an additional ventilation feature, you can install an exhaust fan. Exhaust fans vent the air either to the inside of the roof space or outside with the help of a duct system. A duct system can be more expensive since it has to go through the external part of your restaurant’s building.
There are main two types of exhaust fans: upblast and/or down blast fans.
Upblast Fans
Upblasts are for grease ventilation. This means that they are used to get rid of fat, grease, smoke, heat, odors and moisture. These types of exhaust fans pull air up to the vent hoods and through the duct system. This type of blast fan is good for your cooking station or any place exuding great amounts of grease.
Downblast Fans
Down blast fans are for general ventilation only. These ones are not meant for grease ventilation use since they aim towards the floor in a downward blowing direction. Use down blast fans to provide continuous exhaust of stale indoor air to best ventilate your restaurant’s general air.
You’ll need to know what type of ventilation system the exhaust fan needs to be connected to and what type of area it will be exhausting air from in your kitchen.
For further advice in regards to restaurant equipment installation and general information about vent hood application and service, we have all the information you need. At Protech we have 35+ years of experience and willingness, just contact us!