Make up air for Commercial Kitchen Hoods A commercial kitchen is a place of bustling activities that involve heat, grease, and the lovely odors of food cooking in the hands of expert chefs. With all those particles mixing in the air, it is impressive how the ventilation systems meet the demand. What you may also find interesting is the unit in charge of supplying that fresh air.
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Make-up Air Systems
A makeup air fan has the intended design to bring fresh air into your building. Makeup air units or supply fans are other names for these units. Its prime goal is to replenish the air almost equal to the amount that the system removes from your commercial kitchen.
When you install a makeup air unit in your commercial kitchen, it replaces the air your exhaust hoods are sucking out of the room. You’ll have drafting, insufficient temperature stability, negative air pressure, and poor air quality if you don’t have it. Inadequate ventilation can also aid in disease spreading. Although laws typically mandate you to use a makeup air supply, there are a variety of reasons why you might choose to do so.
The Advantages of Installing Make-up Air Units
Here’s a list of the benefits of having a makeup air unit installed for your commercial kitchen:
1. Cleaner Kitchen
If you detect that your vent hoods and exhaust fans are not performing as they should, you should install a makeup air system in your commercial kitchen. Without it, you will find an accumulated abundance of grease and oil. Nobody wants to toil and spend time cleaning a dirty kitchen, especially when all you need is to install a makeup air system.
2. Keeps the System in Optimal Performance
If you don’t supply the air you’re removing with fresh air, your vent hood won’t be able to perform to its full potential. Also, suppose you do not have a makeup air fan installed in your commercial kitchen. There is a reasonable probability that it will place additional strain on your exhaust fan, potentially causing it to lose its ability to pull as many CFMs as its intended function.
3. Prevents the Buildup of Hazardous Gases
Commercial kitchen makeup air systems can protect your establishment from the harmful effects of accumulated hazardous gases. When the air pressure within your commercial kitchen is out of equilibrium, it creates these gases, resulting in negative pressure. When something like this occurs, instead of vents and chimneys expelling flames, smoke, and toxic fumes out of the kitchen, it may instead do the opposite and draw the air back.
4. Reduces Noise
All commercial kitchens without suitable makeup air fans will have vent hood fans that will strain significantly harder to expel toxic gases into the environment. Without the system installed, the fans would do their hardest to remove air effectively. It will try to suck up air from even the smallest crack or aperture around the windows or even beneath the doors.
You will find yourself in a noisy situation. Picture a vacuum drawing air freely for a better grasp. Consider the same suction with something partly covering or obstructing it, preventing it from taking in what is necessary. You can expect that it would be noisy.
5. Maintains the Efficiency of Your HVAC System
A makeup air unit, like your vent hood exhaust, can assist in maintaining the balance of air pressure and helps your HVAC system function reliably and at its maximum possible efficiency. When you don’t have balanced air pressure in your kitchen, the other related systems will strain to work much harder to keep up. It will render it ineffective, as well as exacerbate its degradation.
To further ensure that your system works as intended, you’ll need to have maintenance scheduled regularly. The best thing to do when you have a scheduled maintenance task is to install HVAC access doors and panels so that your personnel can access your components and do their work efficiently.
6. Minimizes the Presence of Particulates in the Air
Among the most significant advantages of installing a makeup air system to achieve a balanced air pressure in your commercial kitchen is that it helps reduce the presence of bad smells, smoke, and uncomfortable stale air. It prohibits the HVAC system and the vent hood exhaust from performing at optimal levels.
7. Reduces Your Energy Bills
If you have an unbalanced ventilation system, you will experience discomfort due to an imbalance cooling and heating system. If you try to address these issues due to a lack of makeup air with your present kitchen and HVAC ventilation, you might pay more than when you have one installed.
From every place, whether cold or hot, to cramped dining rooms, from smoky kitchens to unneeded humidity, are just some of the issues you can encounter. You may waste a lot of cash trying to remedy all these issues by altering your HVAC settings when all you need is a standard makeup air system.
8. Prevents the Build-up of Humidity and Condensation
Negative air pressure can impair the performance of your vent hood to expel impurities, and it also impacts its potential to remove humidity from your kitchen. When moisture and excessive heat accumulates in your kitchen, it can make the working conditions intolerable for all your employees working in the area. It may produce other more severe issues such as fungal growth like mildew and mold.
9. Helps Comply With Codes
Installing a suitable makeup air fan will add to the comfort of everyone occupying the space. It will ensure that you comply with standard regulations and avoid paying hefty fines. You’ll need to partner up with an expert to ensure that your settings meet the requirements set by the regulatory authorities.
Takeaway
A makeup air unit can ensure that your employee’s working conditions are as pleasant as possible. It helps the other systems in your commercial kitchen function to their most optimal capabilities and takes some of the burdens, making them last longer. It would be best to work with a reputable professional when you install your makeup air unit because they can offer the best options for your settings.