Proper ventilation is crucial for any commercial kitchen operation and making sure you have the proper hood set up includes an efficient ventilation set up. Efficient ventilation not only ensures a cleaner kitchen environment but also helps prevent harmful incidents in the kitchen. 

First step is to ensure that you have proper makeup air, which is the air the ventilation system pulls in from outside to help filter the kitchen air. Generally, the way your hood system should work is it should expel 100% of the air from under the hood inside the kitchen, and bring in 80% air from the outside. Anything less than 80% makeup air can lead to negative pressure within the building and could lead several issues including poor ventilation and back-venting, poor air quality, and reduced energy efficiency. While 80% is recommended some areas - like in the South West - may require you to have 100% makeup air due to nil-to-no humidity outside. 

A proper HVAC system should be installed for your kitchen area to help with ventilation. If you do not have an HVAC system for whatever reason you cannot use a window air conditioning unit or portable fans within your kitchen space as these can cause hot, greasy air to escape from under your hood system. Once this greasy air is disturbed it can then travel to further distances outside the kitchen area, such as the dining area of your restaurant, so be sure that your kitchen area is equipped with a proper HVAC system.

Proper ventilation also comes with health benefits. When cooking takes place it can release grease, smoke, and other particles into the air. If these particles are breathed it can irritate the respiratory system of both workers and customers of your restaurant, and ventilation hoods are designed specifically to help prevent these problems from occurring. 

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. If you still have questions regarding the purchase of your hood system, 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.