# Vent hood suggestions



## veganhunter (Feb 26, 2017)

My son is opening a restaurant in a building I own. Were working on the vent hood at least getting some pricing together. For what he is doing he can get by with a class 2 hood there quite a bit less money than a class 1. While money is a concern I pose the question to myself that down the road he may want to alter his particular specialty to more and that would require a stage one. The other factor is if he decided that this isn’t for him or he cant make it work having the restaurant set up for a broader application may make leasing it not only easier but worth while for me. 

Another option would be to have the actual hood built in a manner that fires suppression could be added and what ever else is needed to meet the specs for class one hoods but not have it installed now. This is a little more money than a class 2 hood but quite a bit less than a class 1 hood. 

And do any of you have any recommendations. I’m capable of a complete install myself if I can find a company that can handle the unit for me. Were kind of in the middle of no where anyway and getting a contractor out here to do it will addd a lot to the costs.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

As I recall, you need to use a type I hood over cooking appliances because they produce grease laden vapors. The use of gas fired appliances will require a fire suppression system, otherwise with electric it's generally not required. (But check your local codes.)

A type II hood is used over dishwashers, combi-ovens and other appliances that only produce steam, water vapor and heat. Some pizza ovens can use a type II also. 

So, I can't think of any restaurant where you could use a type II exclusively except for maybe a small pizza place. 

Make-up air is another aspect that has to be considered. Unless you are at some location where you can keep the windows and doors open all year round with no regard for heating or A/C, you need to provide make-up air. That's usually another blower. 

Considering all this, trying to DIY the installation without at least engineering by a company that knows kitchen exhaust systems is just going to cause you big problems. It also should be balanced by them after the installation so that your doors don't get sucked in.


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## veganhunter (Feb 26, 2017)

I probably should have clarified more details, it is an electric Pizza oven not even going to have a griddle or cooktop. The oven manufacturer spec a class 2 hood the building and health department are ok with class 2 as well. For me long term its easier to just put in a class one now so he can ad things if needed. 

I’m working with a few online places that spec them for needs including return air or heat exchangers. I’m well aware of how this works and will for sure have this covered. Dealt with it with my auto shop for exhaust and hood over the parts washer and given that the building has two gas operated appliances the heater and water heater, its vital have the proper return air. However when its alll said and done that may all have been overkill given the complete loss of air this crappy 1960 building is sealed up it will probably flow more air than the exchanger. If it was a different time I would doze the whole building in and start over but that is not an option. 

I have called a number of companies in Portland that engineer and install these but have yet to hear back from them which tells me what’s I already know from my dealings with being out in the middle of nowhere that no one wants to even deal with it so I am most likely left to the install which is fine. I can telll you from looking at most places hoods out here there are many places that do not meet code nor did they invest much in this area. We want something that works well and looks great its in a highly visible area. 

I’m as good a construction contractor as most better than a lot and also one of my employees wife’s works for a sheet metal company so I have access to have anything custom made, I’m anal retentive and cant stand paying for crappy workmanship to begin with and I’m already getting the vibes that anyone thats really good at this is overly busy and has no desire to come out here so I will most likely end up with some hack that just cost me a lot of money and do sub par work. I also must like having done something on my own its what makes me tick so to say. 

So its really a matter of option on where or not the class one hood is worth the extra cost I have not yet seen any of the quotes that may answer all my questions. And love to know if any of you have had good luck with a particular on line company theres quite a few of them I dont need the cheapest and I also dont want to pay for things that have no value I dont know who makes the best components.


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