Too much heat and moisture in a commercial kitchen can lead to multiple problems beyond discomfort. If your kitchen generates an excessive amount of heat, it will remain extremely hot and steamy even during the winter season. If you operate a restaurant, it is your utmost duty to keep both heat and moisture under control to avoid a wide range of problems. Doing this means customers will not choose another restaurant over yours and your employees will be happy. That is exactly why you should take all the essential steps required to run your commercial kitchen in a proper manner and keep customers coming in large numbers.
In this article, we will talk about how enormous heat and moisture can hurt your restaurant and your business bottom line as a result. Plus, we will discuss the use of Type II Condensate Hood, which is an ideal solution to the problem and how its installation will keep the kitchen cool.
How Uncontrolled Temperature Hurts Your Restaurant
The working environment inside a commercial kitchen is very fast-paced. Whether it is the chefs, assistants or the staff, it is a challenge for everyone to perform their role in a safe and comfortable manner.
While kitchen workers already have to perform their duties without any delay, a hot and humid environment puts extra strain on them. Elevated temperature or too much heat makes it really hard for employees to work. Such an uncontrolled, high-temperature environment takes a toll on the ability of kitchen workers. As a result of this, the workers face a number of comfort and health issues. Not only workers, but a great deal of heat in the kitchen also affects the entire restaurant. Customers are discouraged from visiting your restaurant due to poor temperature control. Diners always look for a cool and comfortable place to eat. If you plan for your business to attract more and more customers and grow, you should never ignore the kind of environment you provide to customers in your commercial restaurant.
Excessive heat and humidity often leads to a condition called heat stress in employees affecting them in several ways such as:
- Difficulty to concentrate
- Muscle cramps
- Heat rashes
- Acute feeling of thirst
- Fainting
- Fatigue, nausea, vomiting
- Headache
- Heat stroke
Being a responsible employer, you should always ensure safety and good health of all your workers as well as those who dine at your restaurant. This is essential to keep your business running in a hassle-free manner.
Elevated temperature is bad for the safety of food products too. If the temperature inside the kitchen is very high, it can lead to the growth of microorganisms, affecting a number of food items. If used, these food products may cause different types of food-borne illnesses in customers. If you plan to run your business smoothly and avoid penalties or even closure, you should always invest in a top quality commercial kitchen ventilation hood system, installed by experts.
Install Type II Condensate Hoods
When it comes to controlling elevated temperature and moisture in a commercial kitchen, you can take several essential steps. Taking some small steps such as turning off the kitchen equipment when not in use, not allowing liquids to boil and using localized fans in excessively hot areas will be of help. But one major step you can take to deal with the problem of extreme heat and moisture in the kitchen is the installation of a Type II Condensate Hood.
At Hood Builder in Denver, CO, we specialize in the installation of high quality Type II Condensate Hoods. Our restaurant services including range hood installation, HVAC air balancing and hood repair are known for their highest standards and top quality among commercial restaurant owners.
Keep on reading to find out more about a Type II Condensate Hood and how it will improve the ventilation of your commercial kitchen. You can also get in touch with one of our experts for further details.
What is a Type II Condensate Hood?
Referred to as Oven Hoods or Condensate Hoods, Type II Hoods are a special model designed to remove heat, moisture and odors. These vent hoods are not installed over grease-producing cooking appliances.
If you already have the commercial kitchen hood system installed, you can use the Type II hood as an add-on. This type of range hood is installed over non-grease producing appliances such as light-duty ovens, pasta cookers, toasters, hot dog cookers etc. As far as the local building codes are concerned, it is not always mandatory to use a Type II hood. But using these hoods, in addition to your main ventilation system, will help you keep the kitchen environment cool and comfortable. These hoods are basically used to improve ventilation in a confined kitchen.
Benefits of Type II Condensate Hoods
Once installed, Type II hoods will bring your kitchen a host of benefits, which in turn will make the overall restaurant environment better and more comfortable for visitors and diners. If you think your ventilation system needs improvement, you should definitely consider installing these vent hoods.
Given below are some of the key benefits that installation of Type II Condensate Hoods brings to a commercial restaurant kitchen.
Reduce Temperature
The main purpose of installing a Type II Hood is to control elevated temperature in a commercial kitchen. As soon as you install these hoods, you will see a comprehensive reduction in the amount of heat.
Remove Moisture
Too much moisture is a common problem in many restaurants. To find out whether you have this problem, all you need to do is remove the exhaust fan cover and look in it. Due to an excessive amount of moisture, you will face a number of issues over time such as corrosion of cooking equipment and growth of mold. Too much moisture can also take a toll on the building itself.
One surefire way to get rid of all these issues is to remove excess moisture through the installation of Type II Condensate Hoods.
Decrease Load on Kitchen HVAC
The kitchen ventilation system operates for hours on end to keep the kitchen air quality good and fresh. The HVAC or the makeup air system takes a great deal of load to perform its function. If you plan to reduce this load, installing Type II Condensate Hoods is a great idea. In this way, you will not just reduce the load on the ventilation hood system but you will also extend its lifespan.
Prevent Mold Growth
If the environment in the kitchen remains extremely hot and humid, food products will not be safe. There are many food items that need to be stored at a certain temperature. If the temperature exceeds or there is too much moisture, it will increase the risks of mildew and mold growth. This will damage the food items and result in a wide range of illnesses through contaminated food.
To prevent the growth of mildew and mold, you should definitely keep the temperature and moisture in your kitchen under control.
Reduce Slip Hazards
Safety of kitchen workers is a top priority for every restaurant owner. Due to excess moisture, the floors of the kitchen also remain wet. When humidity goes out of control, it is not just the kitchen floor, but floors in the dining area also remain wet. Also, the floors do not dry fast after mopping. Such safety hazards are always the reason for slips and falls that are common in many kitchens.
Installation of Type II Condensate Hoods will help you bring the moisture and humidity in the commercial kitchen under control.
As you can see, using Type II Condensate Hoods will help you get rid of several issues in the commercial kitchen. If you already have a commercial vent hood system installed, you should definitely think about adding oven hoods or condensate hoods, as they are commonly known. Don’t hesitate to enquire more about these hoods from one of our specialists at Hood Builder in Denver, CO.
Know the Ventilation Hood Codes and Regulations
When it comes to installation of vent hoods, it is important to follow the local building codes in your area. If you plan to avoid hassles and penalties, you should always get the commercial kitchen ventilation system and hoods installed in a proper manner while adhering to the rules and regulations.
The ventilation hood codes for commercial kitchens are there to ensure your safety as well as those around you. Before installation of condensate hoods, you might have a number of questions in your mind. It is always a good idea to have full clarity before starting to use the hoods. While you should read all associated rules and codes between the lines, you should also get in touch with an expert to find out more in this regard. You will need clearance from your local inspector for the installation of the Type II Condensate Hoods in your kitchen.
Find out from one of our vent hood building experts as to how you should use the Type II Hoods while remaining code-compliant.
Maintain Proper Ventilation in Your Restaurant
It must be reiterated that the kind of environment you have in your kitchen will affect the environment of the entire restaurant. When you open a new restaurant or operate one, the first thing you should focus on is maintaining proper ventilation in the kitchen. Since a commercial kitchen generates a great deal of heat, steam and smoke on a constant basis, not paying serious attention to its ventilation will lead to a number of problems that will ultimately drive away customers. That is why you should always seek the help of professionals to plan out an ideal vent hood and air-conditioner unit design and then get the installation done in a proper manner. Accuracy during installation will ensure you get the most out of the vent hood system.
Think of Type II Condensate Hoods as an additional but highly efficient model that completes your commercial kitchen HVAC system. This is a surefire way of controlling excessive heat and moisture in the kitchen.
By getting rid of too much heat and moisture, you will turn your commercial kitchen into a safe and comfortable space for your employees and guests. In addition, you will also significantly reduce the risk of fire. That is exactly why it is highly recommended that you install Type II Hoods over those cooking appliances that do not produce grease in your commercial restaurant kitchen.
Talk to a Vent Hood Design Specialist
Now that you have understood how using Type II Condensate Hoods can benefit your commercial kitchen and restaurant, it is time you find out more about your local vent hood codes and get the hoods installed by an expert. If you still have a question or want to schedule the installation of condensate hoods in your kitchen, head over to Hood Builder in Denver, CO. Our experts will explain everything about these hoods as well as the difference between Type I Hoods and Type II Condensate Hoods so that everything is clear to you as crystal. It is time to get excessive heat and moisture out and make your kitchen a safe and comfortable working space while improving the ventilation of your entire commercial restaurant.
For your free consultation and quote, you can give our office a phone call or write us an email using the contact form on our website.