Collaboration is an essential ingredient to successful projects. A commercial kitchen ventilation (CKV) project is not just comprised of engineers tasked with building the right system; it also involves asking questions and knowing specifics in order to get things right.

When designing kitchen ventilation, engineers need to remember that it should fuse with what the exhaust system is doing when cooking activities are taking place. While the exhaust can be dictated by the kind of kitchen equipment being used, the commercial hood installed matters just as much. One problem that arises is that the hood isn’t typically picked out by the engineer so they are not familiar with its features.

Since hood selection affects the performance of the ventilation system, it is crucial that engineers collaborate with everyone involved in the project.

Understanding Codes, Standards, and Guidelines

It is useful to review CKV codes and standards before starting a project to ensure all design considerations are taken into account. Industry guidelines and best practice recommendations from commercial hood makers also should be taken into consideration.

Certain hotels or restaurants may also have specific requirements or internal guidelines for their kitchen. This stresses the importance of collaboration for everyone involved, especially during the early design phase when being clear about requirements is crucial.

Also important to consider are the specific ordinances that municipalities might have.

Talking about Problems Early On

A conversation with the kitchen consultant regarding past experiences can result in gaining important insights. Discussions also allow all parties to bring up concerns so that they may be addressed early on.

Issues that can be brought up during conversations include:

• the effective capture of heat, air laden with grease, and smoke
• the comfort of everyone in the kitchen
• the selection of a diffuser that can handle the needed make-up air

Selecting the Right Supply Air Diffuser Device

It is important for commercial kitchens to have the right kind of supply air diffuser device because it affects the performance of the ventilation system. Keep in mind that not every commercial kitchen is the same. Some have equipment that others don’t and some are bigger than others. All of these factors need to be taken into account to get the right device.

Thinking about Grease Management

Engineers need to collaborate with architects and kitchen consultants to ensure proper grease management. Grease control is part of a commercial hood’s responsibility, but so much also depends on the kind of kitchen equipment being used. As you can see, it’s important to get everyone involved to ensure the design of a suitable CKV.

A properly ventilated CKV takes a lot of factors into consideration. It takes into account codes, standards, and guidelines and it involves collaboration between all parties from the very beginning. Just because a particular design worked in the past doesn’t mean it is applicable for another project. Keep in mind that there are other factors such as kitchen equipment and space that need to be considered.

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