HVAC for restaurants and commercial kitchens
A busy kitchen pushes huge volumes of hot, greasy air out through the hood, and every bit of it has to come back in as make-up air. We design kitchen exhaust, make-up air and dining room HVAC as one system, so the hood captures, the doors close and guests stay comfortable.
What makes it hard
- Hood exhaust and make-up air must match, or the restaurant goes negative and the front doors whistle and slam.
- Grease duct, hood and fire suppression have strict code requirements that inspectors check before opening day.
- Gas cooking appliances need interlocks with the exhaust system.
- Untempered make-up air in a Canadian winter makes the kitchen cold and the gas bill high.
Our solutions
Design, build, test and tune: the services we bring to restaurants and food service.
Codes and standards we work to
- NFPA 96 Ventilation control and fire protection of commercial cooking operations
- ULC-S650 Commercial kitchen exhaust hood assemblies and fire dampers
- CSA B149.1 Natural gas and propane installation code
- National Building Code and National Fire Code of Canada
- Local health authority requirements
Questions
Why does our front door blow open or slam?
Usually because the kitchen exhausts more air than is supplied. Balancing the hood and make-up air, and sometimes adding make-up air capacity, fixes it.
Can you design a restaurant in a leased space?
Yes. We check the existing rooftop units, roof structure and shaft routes, then design the kitchen and dining systems to fit the space and the landlord's requirements.
Do you do the hood cleaning or suppression system?
No. We design the exhaust and make-up air systems and coordinate with your hood supplier and suppression contractor.
Further reading
- Commercial kitchen ventilation and NFPA 96
Learn how kitchen exhaust hoods, grease ducts, fans, fire suppression and make-up air work together, what NFPA 96 requires, and how to keep a kitchen system safe and balanced.
- Make-up air units: direct-fired and indirect-fired
Learn how direct-fired and indirect-fired make-up air units heat outdoor air, the code and safety rules that limit where each can be used, and how to size and control them for kitchens, warehouses and industrial spaces.
- Building pressurization and infiltration control
Learn what drives air leakage through the envelope, why a slight positive pressure matters, and how designers, balancers and operators keep building pressure under control.
- Odour control and exhaust re-entrainment
Learn how exhaust plumes behave around buildings, the separation distances and stack design practices that prevent re-entrainment, and how to diagnose odour complaints in existing buildings.
- Rooftop unit selection for commercial buildings
Learn the main decisions in selecting a packaged rooftop unit, from capacity and heating source to economizers, ventilation, efficiency ratings and the options that matter most in cold Canadian climates.
- Replacing rooftop units: what to check first
Learn what to check before replacing a packaged rooftop unit, from load and airflow to curbs, roof structure, utilities, controls and permits, so the new unit fits and performs better than the old one.
Talk to us about your restaurant
Tell us about the building and what you need. We’ll be in touch within one hour.