Choosing the right commercial kitchen hood system for your restaurant kitchen is extremely important. If you don’t have the right setup, you run the risk of endangering both your employees and diners.

The right commercial kitchen exhaust fan system helps keep the air of your restaurant free of contaminants and helps creates a more comfortable environment in both your kitchen and your dining room. These systems are also a critical part of reducing the fire risk in your commercial kitchen. Your commercial kitchen exhaust fan is one of the most important things in your kitchen and must work together with your restaurant vent hood, hood filters, and ductwork. 

Types of Restaurant Exhaust Fans

There are two basic types of restaurant exhaust fans you can choose from. The first type is an upblast exhaust fan. The second type is a downblast exhaust fan.

Which type of exhaust fan you require depends on the type of cooking you will be doing and the type of fuel you use for cooking. 

Upblast Exhaust Fans

An upblast exhaust fan is designed to exhaust fat, grease, and oil as well as smoke, heat, odors, and moisture. This type of exhaust fan works by pulling hot air, grease, oil, smoke, contaminated air, and other particulates up through your hood filters and restaurant vent hood and duct system.

If your restaurant is doing any type of cooking that involves any type of fat, oil, or grease, or if you cook using a wood or charcoal-burning stove, you should have an upblast exhaust fan installed in your kitchen. 

Most commercial kitchens will typically require at least one upblast exhaust fan and hood system.

Upblast exhaust fans are commonly installed on the rooftop of your building. The fan exhausts the air upwards, out and away from the fan. The commercial hood system used most with an upblast exhaust fan for restaurants is a Type 1 exhaust hood. 

If you are only exhausting heat or moisture, you should use a Type 2 kitchen hood with your upblast fan. Keep in mind that these systems are not designed to exhaust smoke, grease, fats, or oils., or smoke. They will only exhaust heat, moisture, and cooking odors. 

Type 2 kitchen hoods are commonly placed over dishwashers. They can also be used over cooking areas that produce only heat and moisture, such as soup or pasta stations, or steam tables. 

Downblast Exhaust Fans

A downblast exhaust fan is designed for general HVAC and exhausting of air only. A downblast fan should never be used to exhaust heat or moisture since it can cause damage or corrosion to the motor.

Downblast exhaust fans work similarly to upblast fans. They are also typically placed on the rooftop of a restaurant. The biggest difference in how they work is that a downblast fan exhausts the air in a downward blowing direction.

If you have any questions about which fan is best for your kitchen our team is happy to assist you. Contact us today.