Commercial Ventilation Systems Built for Working Kitchens

Makeup air is fresh outdoor air brought into your building to replace what the kitchen exhaust hood is pulling out. Without enough makeup air, your hood can't capture grease and smoke effectively, your HVAC system gets overworked trying to condition leftover air, and you create negative pressure that pulls outside air through every door and window. Properly designed makeup air keeps the kitchen working, the dining room comfortable, and your energy bills sane.

Hood mechanical service (fan bearings, belts, motors) should be done at least twice per year. Capture velocity should be verified annually, especially after any kitchen layout changes. Hood cleaning is typically required quarterly by health code and fire code, though high-volume kitchens may need more frequent cleaning. We coordinate with your hood cleaning vendor and handle the mechanical service that the cleaning company doesn't.

Most exhaust fan noise issues come from worn bearings, loose or stretched belts, fan blade buildup of grease, or misalignment after the fan has been serviced or moved. Vibration usually indicates a balance issue or a bearing failure that needs attention before the motor is damaged. We can diagnose on-site, and most fan issues are repairable rather than requiring full replacement.

Yes. New restaurant builds and tenant improvements are core to our practice. We design the hood and makeup air system, coordinate with the architect and the kitchen equipment vendor, handle fire suppression integration, install the ductwork and equipment, and commission the system. Our cross-trade capability means we handle the electrical, mechanical refrigeration, and equipment install on the same project if needed.

Yes. Inadequate hood capture, grease buildup in ducts, malfunctioning makeup air, and improperly sealed ductwork can all contribute to health code citations. More commonly, poor ventilation leads to grease accumulation that creates fire code issues. Routine mechanical maintenance and proper system design prevent both.

Ventilation, HVAC, and exhaust have to work as a system. The exhaust hood pulls air out, the makeup air unit replaces it (often with heated or cooled air), and the HVAC manages the temperature in the rest of the building. If any one of those is undersized or out of balance, all three suffer. We design and service them together rather than as separate systems.