Kitchen Ventilation & Air Balancing
Your hood system is costing you thousands a year.
Poorly balanced kitchen exhaust pulls heated and cooled air straight out of your building. Smoke spills into the dining room. Energy bills climb. Health inspectors write you up. We fix all of it in one visit.
The Problem
Most commercial kitchens are bleeding energy and don't know it
Conditioned Air Loss
Your exhaust hood pulls air out of the kitchen. If makeup air isn't balanced to match, your HVAC is heating or cooling air that goes straight out the roof. That's $3,000-8,000/year in wasted energy for a typical restaurant.
Smoke & Heat Spillage
When the hood can't capture cooking effluent, smoke and grease-laden air spill into the kitchen and dining room. Customers see it. Staff feel it. Health inspectors flag it.
Negative Pressure
Doors that are hard to open, cold drafts in winter, pilot lights blowing out — these are signs your kitchen is under negative pressure. The exhaust is pulling more air out than the makeup air unit is pushing in.
What We Do
Test. Adjust. Balance. One visit.
Kitchen Air Balancing
We measure exhaust CFM, makeup air volume, face velocity at the hood, and static pressure throughout the system. Then we adjust dampers, fan speeds, and makeup air settings until the system is properly balanced. You get a written report with before/after numbers.
Contact us for a quote
Exhaust Fan Service & Repair
Belt replacement, motor swaps, bearing lubrication, complete fan replacements. We service upblast, utility, and inline exhaust fans from every major manufacturer. If your fan is screaming, vibrating, or barely moving air — we fix it.
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Makeup Air Unit Service
Your MAU is supposed to replace the air your exhaust pulls out — at the right temperature. If it's undersized, misconfigured, or broken, your kitchen is either freezing in winter or an oven in summer. We diagnose and repair all MAU brands.
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Energy Savings Assessment
We'll show you exactly how much energy your ventilation system is wasting and what it costs you per month. Most restaurants save $200-500/month after proper balancing. Hotels and institutions save significantly more.
Included with every air balance
Our Work
Real kitchens. Real equipment. Real results.
Active kitchen — CaptiveAire hood in operation
Island canopy hood installation
Rooftop exhaust fans — multi-fan system
Makeup air unit — rooftop install
Upblast exhaust fan — new install
VFD drives — demand-controlled ventilation
Complete kitchen ventilation system
Custom BBQ pit — specialty ventilation
Institutional kitchen — full build
The Numbers
What a balanced kitchen saves you
Real data from the U.S. Department of Energy and field studies on commercial kitchen ventilation.
25-50%
HVAC energy reduction from proper makeup air balancing
$3,000-8,000
Annual energy wasted by a poorly balanced restaurant kitchen
2-3 mo
Typical payback period on an air balance service visit
57%
Average fan energy reduction with demand-controlled ventilation
Who This Is For
If you run a commercial kitchen, this is for you
Restaurants
- Smoke spilling out of the hood during cooking
- Dining room smells like the kitchen
- Energy bills higher than they should be
- Uncomfortable temperatures for staff
Hotels & Institutions
- Multiple hoods need coordinated balancing
- Banquet kitchen ventilation issues
- Guest complaints about kitchen odors
- Energy cost reduction targets
New Buildouts & Renovations
- Certificate of occupancy requires air balance
- GC needs a ventilation sub who shows up
- Architect specs require documented CFM readings
- Hood system just installed — needs commissioning
Pricing
Per-system pricing — no hourly surprises
Tell us how many hoods you have and we'll give you an exact quote before we show up. Every service includes a written balance report and energy assessment.
How It Works
Four steps to a balanced kitchen
Schedule
Tell us how many hoods you have and what issues you're seeing. We'll quote it on the spot.
Measure
We measure exhaust CFM, supply air volume, face velocity, and static pressure at every point in the system.
Adjust
We adjust dampers, fan speeds, and makeup air settings. Then we run a smoke capture test to verify the hood is working.
Report
You get a written report with before/after readings, energy savings estimate, and any recommended repairs.
FAQ
Common questions about kitchen air balancing
How do I know if my kitchen ventilation needs balancing?
If you see smoke escaping the hood during cooking, feel cold drafts in winter, have doors that are hard to open, notice pilot lights blowing out, or your dining room smells like the kitchen — your system is out of balance. Any one of these signs means you're also wasting energy.
How long does an air balance take?
A single-hood restaurant kitchen takes 3-4 hours. A two-hood system takes 5-6 hours. Larger kitchens (hotels, hospitals) may take a full day. We do all the work during business hours — no overnight visits needed.
Will this actually lower my energy bills?
Yes. The U.S. Department of Energy has documented 25-50% HVAC energy reductions from proper kitchen air balancing. For a typical restaurant, that can mean significant monthly savings. The service typically pays for itself within a few months.
Do I need this for a health inspection?
Proper hood capture is required by NFPA 96 and enforced by local health departments and fire marshals. If your hood isn't capturing smoke, you can be cited. An air balance report documents compliance.
What brands of hoods and fans do you work on?
All of them. CaptiveAire, Greenheck, Accurex, Halton, Larkin, and every other commercial kitchen ventilation manufacturer. We also service all makeup air unit brands.
Can you also fix my exhaust fan while you're there?
Absolutely. If we find a failing motor, worn belt, or damaged fan during the balance, we can repair or replace it on the same visit. Most common parts are on the truck.
Service Area
Where we offer kitchen ventilation service
Get Started
Stop losing money through the roof
Tell us about your kitchen and we'll give you an exact quote. Most kitchens can be scheduled within the week.