Commercial kitchen extraction & ventilation in Cape Town.

Commercial kitchen ventilation

Air-Flow Systems helps commercial kitchen projects in Cape Town and the Western Cape bring extraction, filtration and related services together.

We assess the cooking equipment, canopy, duct route and discharge together.

Services to discuss

Kitchen extraction canopies; EMEX and VENTPRO ventilation products; UV and carbon filtration; ENVIRO options; fire-suppression coordination; cold and freezer rooms; and air-conditioning. Availability and the final scope are confirmed for each project.

Design and project coordination

Share the kitchen layout, site constraints and drawing requirements. A competent professional must provide any required engineered design or sign-off.

Start with a useful brief

Tell us your suburb, business type, whether this is a new or existing kitchen, the cooking equipment and fuel type, and the problem or outcome you want to address. Plans, dimensions and clear site photographs help shape the next discussion.

Capture starts with the kitchen

A canopy is one part of a complete extraction system. Its arrangement needs to suit the cooking line, the room and the route out of the building.

Choose the right arrangement

The supplied range includes wall-mounted and island canopies, display canopies, steam or dishwasher canopies, supply-air / return-jet options and low-level arrangements. These are different applications, not interchangeable selections.

Consider more than the canopy

Review the cooking equipment, canopy position, grease separation, duct route, fan, replacement air, discharge location and access for cleaning. Noise and neighbouring spaces also need to be considered at the design stage.

Specify the actual installation

Dimensions, stainless-steel specification, lighting, filters and other accessories are confirmed for the selected model and site. Drawings and a project quotation should define what is included before work proceeds.

Prepare for the discussion

Provide a plan or sketch, equipment dimensions and fuel types, ceiling information, possible duct routes and photographs of the cooking line and building exterior. Identify any existing extraction or ventilation concerns.

Recirculation and external discharge

ENVIRO reference material describes recirculation and low-level external discharge as separate configurations. The distinction matters before a system is selected.

Recirculation: a restricted application

The supplied document limits recirculating units to light cooking without gas-fired equipment. It also requires adequate fresh-air provision and consideration of the cooking heat load. Filtration does not remove the need to assess the room environment.

Low-level discharge: a different route

Low-level discharge sends treated air outside. The supplied brochure allows gas-fired equipment in this configuration, excluding open-flame grilling. Review the outlet, cooking process, fuel, neighbouring spaces and site conditions separately from recirculation.

A sequence of treatment stages

The system combines grease separation, particle filtration, carbon odour filtration and a fan. Capacity and filter replacement requirements depend on the selected unit.

What we need to assess

Share the equipment and fuel list, cooking intensity, available floor or ceiling space, fresh-air provision, possible outside-wall access and any odour or smoke concerns. The appropriate professional must confirm the design and approval requirements.

UV technology in the wider system

The EMEX product literature describes UV treatment alongside mechanical grease separation in commercial kitchen extraction. Suitability depends on the complete system.

What the reference describes

Grease filters provide the first separation stage. UV treatment acts on part of the remaining cooking effluent within the extraction system.

Integration comes first

Review the cooking process, airflow, canopy configuration, duct route, discharge and any additional filtration needs together. A UV component should not be selected independently of the ventilation design.

Installation and servicing

The technology involves UV and ozone. Selection, controls, access and servicing require a competent specialist and current manufacturer instructions.

Bring the right project information

List cooking equipment and fuel types, describe smoke or odour concerns, and provide available drawings and photographs. For an existing installation, identify the model and its current service documentation where available.

Plan fire protection with the cooking line

The supplied ANSUL R-102 overview describes a restaurant fire-suppression system for cooking appliances and associated extraction equipment. The actual hazards drive the design.

Protection is appliance-specific

The reference covers cooking appliances together with associated hoods, ducts and plenums. The system design must be checked against the equipment, layout and current manufacturer requirements by the appropriate qualified specialist.

Two configurations in the reference

The R-102 overview describes appliance-specific nozzle arrangements and overlapping protection arrangements. These are design options to assess, not permission to move or replace appliances without a specialist review.

Coordinate early

Share the equipment schedule, fuel types, canopy and duct drawings, and the intended kitchen layout. Confirm the specialist design, installation, commissioning and ongoing service responsibilities within the project scope.

For an existing system

Provide the system identification, available commissioning and service records, and details of any equipment or layout changes. Ask the responsible specialist to assess whether the installed protection remains appropriate.

One kitchen, a coordinated system

The VENTPRO reference range brings together canopy arrangements, replacement air, filtration and supporting components for commercial kitchen ventilation.

Match the canopy to the duty

Wall and island extraction canopies serve different layouts. Display canopies address serving areas; condensate canopies address steam where grease is not the main requirement. The chosen application determines the specification.

Account for replacement air

Supply-and-extract arrangements incorporate make-up air into the canopy concept. The wider building air balance, cooking load and comfort requirements need to be considered with the extraction design.

Select treatment for the problem

The reference includes UV options and ecology units using particle collection and carbon treatment. Smoke, grease and odour are different concerns; treatment stages and discharge arrangements should be assessed for the site.

Coordinate the supporting components

Filters, lighting, controls, ducting, fans, attenuation and fire-protection provisions form part of the wider project discussion. Confirm the selected components, access arrangements and specialist responsibilities in the agreed scope.