Every cubic foot of air a kitchen hood or exhaust fan pulls out of a building has to be replaced. If nothing brings it back in, the building goes into negative pressure and pulls air in wherever it can: around doors, through flues and down chimneys. A make-up air unit replaces that air on purpose, filtered and heated, so the exhaust works the way it was designed to and the building stays comfortable and safe.
Ask About Make-Up AirWho needs make-up air
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens. Hoods move large volumes of air. See HVAC for restaurants.
- Shops, garages and light industrial spaces with exhaust fans or process exhaust. See shops, warehouses and light industrial.
- Any building where exhaust was added later, such as a new tenant with a kitchen, a renovation or a change of use, without the supply air to match.
What we do
- Assess the exhaust and ventilation. We look at how much air is leaving the building, where it’s leaving and what’s replacing it, then recommend a solution.
- Install the make-up air. Sized to match the exhaust, with gas connections made by our licensed gas technicians. As part of Lancaster Group, the electrical can be coordinated by the same team.
- Fabricate the curbs, transitions and ductwork in our own sheet metal shop, so the unit fits the building.
- Maintain and repair make-up air units from any manufacturer, 24/7 when something fails. See commercial HVAC repair.
Make-up air and the rest of your HVAC
A make-up air unit works alongside the building’s heating and cooling, not instead of it. In a restaurant, for example, the rooftop units keep the dining room comfortable while the make-up air replaces what the hood removes. Getting the two to work together matters: too little make-up air and the building goes negative; too much, or air that’s too cold, and the kitchen and dining room are uncomfortable. That’s why we look at the whole building, not just the hood. See rooftop units.
Doors hard to open, or a hood that won’t draw? Call 905-388-3333 or ask about make-up air.
