Firstly, we should perhaps pose the question ‘do all commercial kitchens need extractors?’

The answer to this is almost always an emphatic ‘yes’. In fact it could be an offence not to have suitable and adequate ventilation in these settings, to keep fire risk to a minimum and to protect staff and customers alike. Particles from fat and grease can cause respiratory problems. Another main purpose of an extraction system is to control odours from cooking that could be unpleasant to work in and cause a nuisance to neighbouring areas. Commercial kitchen extractors can also deal with the heat that is generated from large burners. You know what they say: If you can’t stand the heat, get, er, some kitchen extraction.

Although this article is based around extraction, we are including re-circulation units which filter, rather than extract.

So what are the different types available?

  • Extractors: Typically these comprise of a canopy, anywhere from 600mm wide up to 2.4M and beyond, with a powerful fan or fans sucking heat and fumes through ducting which terminates outside the building. Many have built in lighting and filtration.
  • Recirculation units / Fume filtration units: In the main, these don’t necessarily extract smell and fumes, but instead treat them using a series of specialised filters. This type also have fans to draw the fumes and smells through the filters, but no ducting.

 

Commercial kitchen canopies are almost always manufactured from stainless steel to enable an  easier cleaning regime, and for general health and safety reasons, and some models offer the option of vertical or horizontal airflow to suit various types of ducting.

Careful consideration should be employed when choosing the right type of ventilation or extractor system for any commercial kitchen, and in many cases it would be wise to consult specialists due to the different types of vapours that need to be dealt with. There are generally choices of filters to suit various needs.

If you are installing a new commercial kitchen or re-fitting an existing one, plan carefully to ensure extraction is dealt with adequately and according to the current legislation.

For further help, please feel free to chat to one of our friendly advisors at Electrical Deals Direct. Either using our online chat, a phone call (01934 253600) or drop us an email.