Extraction & Ventilation
Commercial kitchen extraction and ventilation systems remove heat, grease, steam and odours from cooking lines, protecting staff, meeting fire-safety and building-control requirements, and keeping food-hygiene inspectors satisfied. This category suits any pub, restaurant, hotel or dark kitchen running gas or electric cooking equipment, and sizing comes down to matching the system’s extraction rate (m³/h) correctly to the appliance heat load and kitchen volume rather than just the ducting diameter. Sub-categories cover canopies, fans, ducting, filters and pre-packaged Smart Vent canopy systems — the parts of a complete extraction installation.
Key specifications
Across the system, canopies run in modular sections of 1000-2400mm with extraction rates from 1,500 to 5,000+ m³/h, fans from around 0.25kW to 3kW+, and ducting from 150mm to 500mm diameter, with baffle filters typically in 500mm x 500mm or 500mm x 400mm modules.
Extraction & Ventilation — FAQs
What extraction rate do I need for a commercial kitchen canopy?
As a general guide, UK commercial kitchens typically need 25-30 air changes per hour, translating to canopy extraction rates from roughly 1,000 m³/h for a small servery to 4,000+ m³/h for a full-size cookline — a specialist survey confirms the exact figure for the appliance run.
Do I need planning or building control sign-off for kitchen extraction?
Most commercial extraction installs need building control notification and, if venting to an external wall or above neighbouring premises, may need planning consent — check with your local authority before installing ducting runs.
What ducting diameter is standard for catering extraction?
Typical UK commercial kitchen ducting runs from 150mm diameter for smaller single-appliance extracts up to 400-500mm for main canopy risers, in galvanised or stainless steel construction to meet fire-resistance standards.