When you are in need of a new restaurant exhaust fan - whether it’s a new system altogether or you are replacing an existing system - there is always the possibility that you may not know the correct exhaust fan size needed to properly run your commercial kitchen. Choosing the right size exhaust fan can make or break a functional system - too small may not properly filter out the air and leave behind grease, smoke, and other particles, and too large of a system may be too much power and more of a power drain on resources than what is necessary for the kitchen. Here are some tips and things to look out for when picking the right size exhaust fan system for your space:

CFM - CFM stands for Cubic Feet per Minute, and is the amount of air that the fan exhausts out from the kitchen space. Having the correct CFM is vital to your kitchen exhaust system. Too weak of a CFM won’t be strong enough to push out grease, moisture, heat, and other airborne contaminants outside. If your CFM is too strong it can create negative pressure and drafts in the kitchen. 

Exhaust Hood Size and Location - the ventilation hood in your kitchen is the first step in the exhaust process, and you’ll need to know the size of the ventilation hood to be sure you are ordering the correct size exhaust fan. Other factors to consider are also the hood design itself as well as the mounting location. 

Kitchen Equipment Types - if you are setting up the exhaust hood in a kitchen where you are deep frying, grilling, or doing anything with grease you will need an exhaust fan that is strong enough to exhaust the grease, smoke, and heat that is produced by that equipment. In kitchens where solid fuels are used for cooking - such as wood-fire ovens - you’ll need exhaust fans that can properly remove heavy creosote particulates and other airborne contaminants released by the solid fuel. 

Ductwork Setup - the exhaust fan must be strong enough to push the old air from inside the kitchen to the outside of the building, which means that the length of your duct work and even the shape of the ducts can play a deciding factor in what size exhaust fan you need. The longer the duct work system, the more power needed to make sure that everything gets pushed out. 

Roof Curb Size - if you have an existing roof curb, you just need the existing measurements of the roof curb for the fan. If you are installing a new exhaust hood system then it may be worth having the contractor reach out to us to help determine the best size roof curb for your system. There are several factors that come into play including the location of the roof curb, the style and slope of the restaurant roof, and other factors.

With the information above you should have a pretty good grasp on what is needed to size out the proper exhaust hood system, however even then it may still be too confusing to know what is going to be best. HoodMart specialists are available to help answer any questions you may have and to guide you through the process of purchasing the perfect exhaust hood system for your restaurant or commercial cooking space. HoodMart provides our customers with a wide range of exhaust hood systems - from Compensating (Short Cycle) to Perforated Supply Plenum PSP - as well as all exhaust hood accessories such as no weld Grease Duct, hood filters, canopy hood lights, and curbs. Our walk-in selection offers coolers and freezers from quick ship to custom. If you have questions regarding the purchase of your hood system or walk-in, please feel free to contact one of our experts today by calling us at 1.800.715.1014 or by contacting us through our live chat system.