How to Install Restaurant Hood

All of the restaurants, whether they are commercial chain restaurants or any family-owned walk-in diners must implement measures in order to manage airflow better. Commercial kitchen ventilation systems or restaurant hood help in circulating the air in and out of the cooking areas in order to eliminate the smoke and smell that is produced by cooking food.

Commercial kitchens would always require proper ventilation of high air volumes in restricted spaces, which tends to present a challenge when choosing the proper location, installing the ventilation hood, and connecting the duct-work. Alturas Contractors is a leading manufacturer of commercial ventilation systems that offers a wide array of designs hoods perfected for commercial kitchen layouts.

Restaurant hood installation in LA

Importance of Commercial Kitchen Hood

All of these rooftop upblast exhaust fans are considered an important part of your commercial kitchen ventilation system. These are located on the roof of your building, they are most of the time overlooked but the work they do is very important which is to remove smoke, grease, odors, moisture, hot air to improve the indoor air quality for your entire facility. Also in case you want your commercial kitchen to function smoothly, it is very important for you to keep in mind how will you install a restaurant exhaust fan in a proper way.

Also, there are two basic reasons you might need to install a commercial kitchen exhaust fan. The first reason would be to replace an old fan, and the second most reason is as part of a brand-new commercial kitchen hood system you are setting up. No matter what reason you have for installing a new upblast fan, the more prepared you are, the more smoothly your installation will go.

Commercial Restaurant Hood Installation Steps

Read on for a few tips and to learn more on How to Install Restaurant Hood, for your commercial kitchen ventilation system to run smoothly.

How to Plan and Prepare

Proper Quality Research

First things first you will have to review the stainless steel ventilation hood schematics and all the specifications even before starting the project. You must always consider hiring a licensed contractor in order to fix the ventilation hood in other cases incompetent installation may void the warranty terms.

Locate the place of Installation

After that, you will also have to locate the ventilation hood in a spacious room that is big enough to lay duct with minimal hurdles and position it far away from any sort of combustible materials. You must also plan and position the rooftop assembly and curbs in a big enough area that will curtail the chances of offsetting the exhaust system. You can also inspect the overhead beams and also assess whether to install sturdier structures that could handle the weight of the ventilation system or not.

Make enough room between Ventilation Hood

Always make sure that you have 18-inch clearances between the ventilation hood, exhaust ducts, and construction materials in order to meet the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 96), Building Officials and Code Administrator (BOCA), Southern Building Code (SBC) and local building code authorities.

Bracket Placement

After that, you will have to locate bracket placement per the ventilation hood diagram and mark the proper coordinates for mounting the 1/2-inch thread rod. You can also refer to the instructional manual for height specifications. Always make sure the levelness of structural beams and prepare to gather any tools not included in the package. You can always use a plumb-bob in order to secure the final building point to start with the proper installation.

Restaurant Hood Installation

1. You will have to use a 1/2-inch threaded rod mounted to the roof structural beams to hang the ventilation hood. Also, you will have to use a power driver to drill 9/16-inch holes into the roof structural beams in order to align with the ventilation hood’s built-in angled mounting brackets.
2. Make sure to line up the hole spacing of the angled mounting brackets with the corner edge of the ventilation hood. You can always use the “Sketch View” diagram of the installation manual for your visual aid.

Some Important Points to Consider

Handle with care

It is for sure that your commercial kitchen exhaust fan will always come with the whole set of detailed instructions from the manufacturer to let you know how you can install a restaurant exhaust fan. While handling your fan, try not to lift it by the fan hood. You must also avoid lifting your fan in a way that might bend or de-shape any of the fan parts. Try to handle it with care to prevent damage to both your fan as well as your roof.

You probably need a roof curb

In case you already do not have one installed, you will need to install a roof curb all from the scratch. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions for securing the curb to the rooftop. If your ventilation system needs a backdraft damper, your restaurant exhaust fan installation guide will discuss how to properly secure it within the curb, to the bottom of the damper box, or to the damper support flanges that are typically located below the roof deck.

Electrical and power

During the process of installation, you may first need to make sure that your power source is compatible with the requirements of your commercial kitchen exhaust fan equipment. Always try to make sure that you always disconnect the power supply before starting any work on or near an exhaust fan. It would always be a good idea to secure the power cable in order to avoid any accidental contact with sharp objects or tools. You should also lock and tag the disconnect switch or the breaker to prevent any accidental power-ups.

Restaurant Hood Installation Cost

On average, the cost of installing a commercial hood ranges from $964 to $1,174 per square foot. A 12-foot-long kitchen range good may cost about $12,828 to install. Most commercial hoods measure around 10 to 14 feet long which marks the installation costs at $9640 on the lower side and $16,436 on the higher side. These prices may fluctuate depending on size, material, labor, and location. This means that you may spend even more than the price estimated above if you are considering a high-end commercial range hood for your kitchen.

Also, the amount of cooking you would plan to do would also help to determine the equipment you need to buy for your kitchen. You can always choose to go with a general-purpose commercial range in case you plan to do a lot of cooking and baking which can cost anywhere between $1100 and $10,000. This style and material that is used can also tell how much you can pay for a commercial range hood. For example, stainless steel and copper tend to be more costly than standard black and white units. You may have to pay around $2,500 or more for high-end stainless-steel island hoods. However, it is possible to cut down on labor costs by installing your hood on an exterior wall as it uses the least number of ducts.

Originally published at https://alturascontractors.com on March 25, 2022.