Exploring Two Evolving Kitchen Ventilation Design Trends
Safe and Efficient Solutions for Today’s Commercial Kitchens
Safety In Solid Fuel Cooking
One increasingly popular trend when designing or updating a commercial kitchen space is solid fuel cooking. The open flames, aromas, and visual aesthetics of watching food being prepared live add to the appeal. Yet, there is more to consider than simply adding in or swapping out a gas range for a wood-fired grill. Integrating solid fuel
applications pose certain challenges and add complexity to your kitchen design, requiring a specific and separate dedicated kitchen ventilation system to ensure safe and efficient operation. Individual exhaust hoods and fans, ducts, make-up air, and fire suppression systems along with following the necessary code requirements need to be accounted for and understood by owners and operators during the design phase. For solid fuel cooking environments that produce heavy effluent and heat and increase fire hazards, the Accurex® Auto Scrubber Hood with the cold-water mist option and the Grease Grabber™ filter system is the ideal solution. The continuous spray of the cold-water mist extinguishes sparks and embers preventing them from infiltrating the ventilation system, minimizing fire risk. It also significantly reduces the temperature of the airstream which helps to contain grease by solidifying it so less grease carries through the airstream as vapor. Grease Grabber filters provide an additional layer of protection by trapping higher quantities of grease to prevent it from being carried throughout the ventilation system – both reducing fire hazards and future maintenance costs. Another benefit of the Auto Scrubber Hood is its clean-in-place technology. This self-cleaning function removes grease contained by the filters, reducing operating costs by decreasing the frequency of professional hood, and duct cleanings. It also improves employee safety by greatly reducing the need for staff to physically climb above the equipment to remove the grease-filled filters from the hood for manual cleaning. Understanding the design requirements for incorporating solid fuel cooking capabilities is essential in securing the safety of the kitchen and its staff.
Auto Scrubber Hood with clean-in-place technology and cold-water mist capabilities.
Designing For Comfort
“Comfort in the kitchen” is another design trend showing increased demand. Commercial kitchens can be hot.
When not properly conditioned, temperatures in the kitchen can reach uncomfortable highs, resulting in lower staff productivity and increased health risks for both employees and guests. These conditions can only be offset by an adequate HVAC system that controls temperature and humidity levels in the kitchen and dining spaces. Accurex Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) combine the functionality of rooftop units and make-up air systems, bringing increased efficiency to the operation and delivering fully conditioned outside air for total comfort. Accurex believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to kitchen ventilation and offers a complete solution based on owner and operator needs that meet both design and code requirements.
DOAS offer complete temperature and humidity control with both high percentage outside air and recirculation capability for total space comfort and efficiency.
