7/27/2016

BringKitchenExhaustSystemsintoBalance

BringKitchenExhaustSystemsintoBalance
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Sep1,2003
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byRobFalke
Thenexttimeyouwalkintoarestaurant,stopforamomentwhenyoureopeningthefrontdoor.Crackitopen
aboutaninchandfeeltheairbeingpulledintotherestaurantfromoutside.Checkforanoverabundanceofheat
lampsatthestagingareawheretheserverspickuptheplatesofcookedfood.Thenwatchthesteamtraveloff
yourmealtowardsthekitchen.Theseareallclassicsymptomsofkitchenexhaustandmakeupairsystemsthat
arecompletelyoutofbalance,andthatmeansitsaprimebusinessopportunityforthesavvyHVACcontractor.
Itsnotuncommontohave12,000cfmofairmovingthrougha1,000squarefootrestaurantkitchen.Typical
makeupairunitsareshortofairflowby30%,causingtheexhaustfantosteal3,600cfmfromthediningroom.
Youcanimaginetheeffectsofthisscenariooncomfortandenergycosts.
Balancingkitchenexhaustsystemsisacomplexprocedurethatrequiresmoretrainingandexperiencethanyou
cangetfromonearticle.Eventhebestkitchenexhaustbalancersinthecountryconfessthatittakesexperience
andcommitmenttomastertheart.Butheresanoverviewtogetyoustarted,ortoaddtowhatyourealready
doing.
TypicalSymptoms
Heresashortlistofwhatweusuallyfindinrestaurantsbecauseofoutofbalancekitchenexhaustsystems:
Extremediscomfort.Yetnooneknowswhotocallorwhattodo.Airflowsareinvisible,andloadsand
temperaturesareconstantlychangingthroughouttheday
Superhighutilitybills.However,itsdifficulttotracethecostbacktotheHVACsystems,unlessthe
systemsaretestedanddiagnosed.
Poorfoodquality.Unevencookingsurfacetemperatures,excessivegreaseaccumulation,highvelocity
overfoodstagingareas,irritablecooksduetodiscomfort,andshortenedfoodlifefrompooropenstorage
conditionsaretheculpritshere.
Highemployeeturnover.Theycantstandtheheat,sotheyfindamorecomfortablekitchen.
Lossofbusiness.Poorfoodqualityandanuncomfortablediningroommeancustomersjustdontcome
back.

KitchenExhaustComponents
Thekitchenhoodcapturessmoke,grease,andotherparticles,mixedwithair,abovethekitchenappliance.An
exhaustfanpullstheairfromthehoodthroughanexhaustduct.Theamountofairexhaustedmustbereplaced
byairbroughtintothebuildingfromamakeupairunit,orthroughtheairconditioningorheatingsystem.
Therearealsodiffusers,filters,andcontrolsthatcompletethesystem.Thepurposeofthesecomponentsisto
moveproperandequalamountsofexhaustandmakeupairinandoutofthebuilding,tocarryoutunwanted
heat,grease,smoke,andsteam.
Whenallthesesystemsandcomponentsoperateproperly,thetypicalsymptomslistedabovearereplaced
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withcomfort,reducedoperatingcost,goodfood,happyemployees,andprosperity.
ExhaustAndHoodDesignRequirements
Therequirementsformanufacturing,installation,andbalancingofkitchenexhaustsystemsmayvarydepending
onthelocationoftheprojectandlocaljurisdiction.Somestates,suchasCalifornia,stillusetheUniform
MechanicalCode,whilemostotherstatesandcountieshaveadoptedtheInternationalMechanicalCode.The
requirementsdiffer,socheckwithlocalbuildingofficials.Alwaysreadairflowandvelocityrequirementsfroma
setofapprovedplans.
Remember,therearetwotypesofkitchenhoods.TypeOnehandlesgreaseandsmoke.TypeOnehoods
requiremoreairflowthanTypeTwohoodsthathandleonlyheatandsteam.
Airvelocityingreaseductsisoneissuecurrentlyunderfire.Itsexpectedthatmostjurisdictionswillsoonfollow
theNFPA96Section8.2.1.1version,whichonlyrequiresvelocityingreaseductstoexceed500ft./min.The
UniformMechanicalCode,ontheotherhand,requires1,500to2,500ft./min.
Someareasofthecountryrequirehoodairflowtobe100cfm/sq.ft.ofhoodopening.However,mosthood
manufacturersnowhavetheirhoodsULtestedandratedforspecificairflowperlinearfoot.Thisoftenlowersthe
requiredairflowtolessthan50cfm/sq.ft.
Youshouldbesafeifyousimplyreadthehoodsrequiredairflowfromthemanufacturersengineeringdata,or
fromthenameplatedata,andbalancethesystemtomatchwhatisspecified.
MakeupAirRequirements
Makeupairdeliveryiscriticaltotheperformanceofthehood.Beforedeterminingtheamountofmakeupair
necessary,youmustfirstcalculatetherequiredfreshairneededintherestaurant.Takethemaximumseating
capacityoftherestaurant,multiplythatby70%,thenmultiplythatnumberby20cfmperperson.Thisisthe
amountoffreshairthatshouldbebroughtintotherestaurantthroughtheHVACequipment.
Heresaruleofthumbtocalculatethemakeupaircfm:Takethehoodexhaustcfm,subtracttherequiredfresh
aircfm,thenaddbathroomexhaustcfmandabout250cfmbuildingpressurizationairflowforatypicalsized
restaurant.
BalancingProcedures
Havethesystemcleaned.Ifthehoodandgreaseductshavebeeninuse,requiretherestaurantownertohave
thesystemcleanedbeforeyoubegintesting.Agreasysystemisveryunpleasanttoworkon,andyouroddsofa
successfulbalancearereduced.Thesystemshouldbebalancedwiththeappliancesbelowthehoodturnedon,
sothetemperatureoftheairisnearwhatitwillbeunderactualoperatingconditions.
Gatherandrecordnameplatedata.Recorddesigninformationfromtheplans,andthencollectequipmentand
motorinformationfromthefieldtobesuretheproperequipmentwasinstalled.Besuretomeasureandrecord
thehoodsize,greasefiltersize,andtheexhaustductdimensions.Listallrequiredairflows.Makeasketchofthe
floorplan,hoods,greasefilters,registers,grilles,andequipmentlocations.
Visualinspectionandstartup.Checkthatallductworkisconnected,filtersandcontrolsareinstalled,andthat
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allgrillesandregistersareinplacewithdampersopen.Thesystemshouldhavebeenpreviouslystartedupand
checkedout.Drillstaticpressureandtemperaturetestholes.Startuptheexhaustandmakeupairsystems.
Initialtesting.Beforemeasuringairflowthroughtheequipment,measurebuildingpressures.Besureall
systemskitchenexhaust,makeupair,heating,cooling,andbathroomexhaustfansareoperatingwhen
thistestisperformed.Attacha25footlengthoftubingtoalowpressuremanometer,andplacethetubeina
protectedareaoutsideoftherestaurant.Besurenottopinchoffthetubing.Theopenportwillreadthepressure
intherestaurant.Readthedifferencebetweentheindoorpressureandoutdoorpressureonthemanometer.
Buildingpressurerevealsthesumofalltheairflows.Apositivepressuremeansthetotalmakeupairexceeds
thetotalexhaustair.Thegoalisfortherestauranttohaveapositivepressureof.02in.to.04in.w.c.
Measuremakeupairflow.Iftheairisdeliveredthroughregistersandtheairflowiswithinthecapacityofyour
airbalancinghood,measureeachoftheregistersandaddthemtogethertofindthetotalairflowforthemakeup
air.Often,theairisdeliveredthroughthekitchenhoodorthroughahighcapacityregisters.Thesemustbe
measuredusinganairflowtraverseattheregister,or,betteryet,intheductdeliveringairflowtotheregister.
Partofmeasuringmakeupairisdocumentingtheamountoffreshoroutsideairenteringtheairconditioningand
heatingsystems.Thiscanbedonebytraversingfreshairinletsorbyusingtemperaturecalculations.
Measuretheexhausthoodairflow.Exhausthoodairflowmeasurementrequirespracticeandatouchofart.
Youneedtocomparethemeasurementsyoulltakeheretoothersystemvaluesthatyoulltakeduringfinal
testingtoverifythatyourairflowreadingiscorrect.
AverageVelocityXFilterAreaXCorrectionFactor=cfm.
Addthecfmthrougheachofthegrillestogethertodetermineexhaustairflowthroughthehood.
Anotheroptionistomeasurethepressuredropsthrougheachgreasefilterandinterpretitsairflow.Compare
yourpressuredropreadingoneachgreasefiltertothepressuredrop/cfmdataprovidedbythegreasefilter
manufacturertodeterminethefilterscfm.
NewmethodsofmeasuringairflowofferedbyselectmanufacturersincludeULlisted,calibratedvolumedampers
andairflowmeasuringpressureportsthatmakereadingairflowabreeze(punintended).Thesearevaluablenew
inventionsthatsignificantlyincreasethereliabilityandaccuracyofreadingkitchenhoodairflows.
Anairflowtraverseinthegreaseductmayseemtobetheidealwaytomeasureexhaustairfromakitchenhood,
butbecareful.TypeOnehoodsrequireaminimum16gaugeweldedgreaseduct.Manystatesrequirethatthese
bewrappedinafireretardantjacket,orenclosedinasheetrockchase.Thisisafireratedshaftthatmustnotbe
penetrated.Iftheductissoenclosed,atraverseisntpossible.
Tocalculatethevelocityinthegreaseduct,dividethehoodcfmbytheareaoftheductinsquarefeet(Velocity=
cfm/AreaoftheDuct).
Contactlocalcodeofficialstodeterminewhatvelocityisrequiredinyoursystem.
Finalequipmenttesting.Onceyouveachievedrequiredairflowthroughtheexhaustandmakeupairsystems,
youmustmeasurepressure,electrical,andrpmvaluesateachpieceofequipment.Thisisdonetoverifythe
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equipmentisoperatingproperlyandwithinspecifications.
Pressureistakenbydrillingtestholesinductworkandfanhousings.Remember,thegreaseductcantbe
penetratedforapressuretest.Trya18in.pieceofstainlesssteelorcoppertubingslidbetweentheexhaustfan
andthecurbattachedtoyourmanometer.Thismethodworksespeciallywellifthefanishinged.
Measureelectricalvaluesoneachmotorincludingvoltageandamperage.ComparetheampreadingtotheFLA
listedonthemotornameplatetoverifythemotorisntrunningoverfullloadamps.
Measuremotorandfanspeeds.Usethisinformationwithhorsepowerandthestaticpressurereadingstoplot
airflowonthemanufacturersfanperformancecharttoverifyyourairflowreadings.Recordpulleyandbeltsizes
andmodelnumbers.
Completethebalancing.Thereareafewfinaltestsyoucanperformthatwillmakeabigdifferenceinsystem
performance.
Smoketestingusingtitaniumtetrachloride,incense,oramatchmakesairvisibleandallowsyoutoseetheair
patternsenteringandexitingthekitchenhood.
Watchairpatternsfromnearbymakeupairregistersandadjustflowpatternsasneededsotheydontdisturb
theexhaustairpatterns.Therearetimesadditionalairflowisnecessarytoensureadequateperformance.
Remember,greasefilterswillloadupandreduceairflow,soifthesystemisntrunningwellnow,itneverwill.
Checkthecontrolsettingsandsequence.Alltooften,wefindthemakeupairunitheatingbecauseitscold
outside,whilethecoolingsystemisrunninginthekitchenbecauseitstoohotindoors.Checksettingsandtake
thetimetoeducatethesystemownersandoperatorsonhowtousethekitchenventilationsystem.
CheckforaclearpathforthefreshairtopassfromtheHVACsystemsinthediningroomintotheexhausthood.
Buildingpressurescanchangedrasticallyifairwaysbecomeobstructed.Alsocheckcarbonmonoxidelevelsin
thekitchenunderallpossibleconditionstoverifythenegativepressurefromtheexhaustfanwontpull
combustiongassesfromtheappliancesorflues.
Educateyourcustomersaboutsimilarhazardstheymayencounterifthesystemisusedimproperly,suchas
shuttingdownthemakeupairunitonacoldday.
Completeareportforyourcustomer,alongwithanycommentsorrecommendationsthatmaybeappropriate.
Includetraverseforms,instrumentcalibrationrecords,andcopiesofyourcertificationsorinformationonyour
company.
TheImportanceofAssurance
AirbalancinganddiagnosingkitchenexhaustandotherHVACsystemsassuresyouandyourcustomerthatthe
systemisperformingasitshould.Bothofyoucanknowthejobhasbeendoneright.Airisinvisible.
Measurementistheonlywaytoverifythatasystemisworking.
TestingisthenextlevelintheadvancementoftheHVACindustry.Itcanprovidewhatourcustomerswant,and
getustheprofitweneed.
RobFalkeispresidentofNationalComfortInstitute(NCI)anationaltrainingcompanyprovidingmorethan100
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publicandprivatetechnicalandsalesseminarsannuallyfortheHVACindustry.Robcanbereachedbyphone
at800/6337058andbyemailatrobf@ncinstitute.com.VisittheNCIwebsiteatwww.ncinstitute.com.
CallNationalComfortInstituteforanocostKitchenExhaustBalancingReportandcompanion
balancingprocedureinMicrosoftExcelformat.

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