Author: Halton
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What are the Requirements for automatically activating the exhaust ventilation system when the appliances are turned on?
The International Mechanical Code (IMC) provides the answers to the question. Chapter 507.1.1 Operations spells out the requirements for automatic activation of the exhaust system when appliances are turned on. If a kitchen ventilation system has demand ventilation controls, they satisfy the requirements. In the absence of such controls, other means need to be applied.…
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Why Is Indoor Environmental Quality Important in Commercial Restaurants?
Thermal comfort is typically used when we are discussing how staff and customers feel in a restaurant and is typically evaluated using measures such as the temperature and relative humidity in the space. Indoor air quality is typically used to define how “clean” the air is that the staff and customers are breathing in a…
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Fire Safety in Commercial Kitchens
Fire safety in commercial kitchens is mandated by code. It makes sense simply from a practical standpoint to embrace fire safety to preserve life and prevent property loss. A quick overview of the leading cause of fires in restaurants’ ventilation systems is presented here. In addition, why do they happen, and are they preventable? According to…
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What are the fire suppression requirements for a shared or manifold duct system?
A recent article in kitchenventilatio.com explored Food Hall and Mixed-Use Retail property kitchen ventilation design. These designs can be challenging in the best of circumstances and require detailed scope definition to ensure all elements are identified. Another aspect of Food Hall and Mixed-Use systems is that they lend themselves to shared or manifold grease exhaust…
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Understanding Fan Laws
This article will provide the fundamentals of fan behavior, commonly known as “fan laws” in a system, and how a mechanical engineer selects the proper fan. Most manufacturers of fans have selection software that automates the selection process. The best advice to a Ventilation Engineer is to ensure that they are fully conversant with the…
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How to Manage Kitchen Ventilation in Heritage Buildings or Buildings with Limited Infrastructure space.
What is “Hybrid Recirculation” Kitchen Ventilation? It is a commercial kitchen ventilation system that incorporates recirculated air from an all-electric cooking process plus a conventional system serving gas/solid fuel-fired catering appliances carrying the need to discharge to the atmosphere. This dual approach enables the catering operator to still have the option to include certain items…
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New Approaches For Recirculating Systems in Kitchen Ventilation
Recirculating systems or ductless hoods have typically had limited capacity on the type of appliances they serve. In addition, the connected power of the appliance was limited by what the device was tested under to obtain its U.L. 710B certification. Similar to ducted exhaust hoods, when recirculating systems are tested, the results of those tests…
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Capture and Containment, What does it mean?
A key function of any Kitchen Ventilation Canopy (Exhaust Hood), or Ventilated Ceiling, is its ability to catch the heat and fumes rising from the cooking appliances and to hold them until they can be drawn through the grease extractors and then into the exhaust system. This process is referred to as “Capture and Containment”…
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A Primer on UVGI (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation)
What is UVGI (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation)? Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) is electromagnetic radiation that can destroy the ability of microorganisms to reproduce by causing photochemical changes in nucleic acids. Wavelengths in the UV-C range are especially damaging to cells because they are absorbed by nucleic acids. UV radiation affects the DNA/RNA of pathogens by breaking…
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System Neurology of a Kitchen Ventilation System
Ok, I’ll admit, I made up the fancy title to pique the interest of the engineering crowd. It has a nice bio-medical ring to it. However, I thought it was somewhat appropriate, given that this article will be discussing the connections and control sequences for commercial kitchen ventilation (CKV) systems. Several components make up a…