A commercial kitchen pulls a large volume of air out through its hood every minute the line is cooking. That air has to be replaced, or doors whistle, pilot lights struggle and the hood stops capturing smoke. Heat Wave, Inc. installs kitchen hoods, exhaust fans and makeup air units as one system, and installs energy recovery ventilators where a building needs fresh air without the energy bill that comes with it.
Kitchen hoods and exhaust
We set the hood over the cook line, run the grease duct to the roof and mount the exhaust fan on its curb. Hood, duct and fan are installed to the equipment maker's instructions and the local code, with access for cleaning where the duct changes direction. We install CaptiveAire hood systems, and other makers to the engineer's submittal. We work alongside the fire suppression contractor, the electrician and the general contractor so inspections are not held up by one missing piece.
Makeup air
The makeup air unit brings in outside air to replace what the hood removes, tempered so the kitchen is not flooded with cold air in January or hot air in July. We size and place it with the hood so the two run together, and we set the balance so the space holds a slight negative pressure: smoke and cooking odour stay in the kitchen and out of the dining room.
Energy recovery ventilators (ERV)
Hotels, offices and other occupied buildings need a steady supply of fresh air. An energy recovery ventilator exchanges heat and moisture between the air leaving the building and the air coming in, so less energy is spent conditioning it. We install ERVs on rooftops and in mechanical spaces, duct them to the rooms they serve and set them up with the rest of the HVAC system.
Restaurants and hotels
Kitchen work usually arrives inside a larger job: a restaurant upfit in a retail centre or the kitchen of a new hotel. Because we also do the rooftop units and the rest of the mechanical scope, the general contractor deals with one mechanical contractor instead of two.