Kitchen ventilation

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
<p>Commercial kitchen ventilation design has evolved significantly since the mid-20th century due to stricter fire codes and workplace safety regulations. The introduction of stainless steel canopies and electrostatic precipitators marked key advancements in reducing airborne contaminants.
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<h2 id="requirements">Requirements</h2>
<p>An adequate kitchen ventilation system should:
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<ul><li>Remove cooking fumes at the source, i.e. as close as possible to the cooking equipment.</li>
<li>Remove excess hot air and introduce cool clean air, maintaining a <a href="/facts/Indoor_air_quality/qFtPo4Gk">comfortable environment</a>. Inadequate ventilation can cause <a href="/facts/Stress_(psychological)/eqat8pq9">stress</a>, contributing to unsafe working conditions and high staff turnover.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li>
<li>Ensure that air movement in the kitchen does not cause discomfort.</li>
<li>Provide sufficient air for complete combustion at fired appliances, and prevent the risk of <a href="/facts/Carbon_monoxide/CKuLtEMJ">carbon monoxide</a> accumulation.</li>
<li>Be easy to clean (intermittent e.g., manually, or continuously e.g. using ozone) so that fat residues do not accumulate in the hood and ducts and block air inlets, leading to loss of efficiency and increasing <a href="/facts/Fire_safety/uJMCXTU8">fire risk</a>.</li>
<li>Be quiet and <a href="/facts/Vibration/sGgDqG71">vibration</a>-free.</li></ul>
<h2 id="kitchen-ventilation-design">Kitchen ventilation design</h2>
<p>The design of an effective kitchen ventilation system is determined by:
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<ul><li>The kitchen's <a href="/facts/Workload/bRVvAdHX">workload</a></li>
<li>The amount, type and <a href="/facts/Power_(physics)/mkaEyRnn">power</a> of cooking equipment</li>
<li>The kitchen's layout and shape</li>
<li>The number of kitchen staff</li>
<li>The need for easy cleaning and maintenance</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Energy_conservation/Sk7d6Dg2">Energy efficiency</a></li></ul>
<p>Hot air from cooking is usually vented externally through a chimney system. When this is not possible, <i>recirculating</i> cooker hoods are used that clean the air and direct it back into the kitchen.
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<h2 id="grease-filters">Grease filters</h2>
<p>The most common types of grease <a href="/facts/Air_filter/NoYhpPye">filters</a> used in professional kitchens are:
</p>
<ul><li>Water-based</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Cyclonic_separation/CrWt47Yy">Cyclonic</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/UV/kncBUqn5">Ultraviolet (UV)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/TurboSwing/qKxCnYC8">TurboSwing</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais10.pdf [bare URL PDF] <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais10.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais10.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>NSW, SafeWork (2021-03-25). "Ventilation at work". SafeWork NSW. Retrieved 2025-06-19. <a href="https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/ventilation-at-work" target="_blank">https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/ventilation-at-work</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Kitchen ventilation open-in-new

Kitchen ventilation