When asked to comment on commercial kitchen extraction, it’s not exactly a topic that sparks immediate excitement.
However, after nearly four decades in the HVAC industry, you tend to come across a wide variety of systems in all kinds of establishments.
Thermo Tech was established in 1992 as a family-owned and operated business, and over the years, we’ve become well-versed in what works and what doesn’t.
Kitchen extraction is just one of the many areas we handle when designing and installing new systems. Because we take a solutions-based approach, we’re often called in to fix issues that have existed from the beginning or have developed over time.
In my recent experience, the biggest influencing factor is cost. Setting up a commercial kitchen is a major investment, and extraction systems, especially large stainless-steel hoods, are often one of the last considerations in the budget.
Depending on the application, it can be extremely difficult to design and install a low-cost system that also works efficiently. Common problems include incorrect fan types (such as whether to use VSD or EC setups), poor hood sizing and filtration, the quality of filters used, ducting routes, fan placement from a maintenance point of view, noise concerns in inner-city environments, and council consent requirements.
One of the most important aspects, and one that is frequently overlooked, is a proper maintenance schedule.
Read the full story from Nigel Dunne, Installation Site Manager at Thermo Tech in our latest issue here
