What Is Make-Up Air And Why Does It Matter?

Proper air circulation is an important component of designing and operating a restaurant. To truly understand how to implement effective circulation, one has to understand the concept of make-up air.

Make-up air is fresh, outdoor air that replaces the air in the building, . As the restaurant continues its normal operations, the air in the building becomes contaminated from various sources, most notably kitchen equipment. Thus, it is important to flush out those contaminants by introducing make-up air into the establishment. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as opening a door or window, as one might do at home. Thankfully, there are appliance solutions for that.

Make-up air units supply fresh outdoor air to the building they are installed in. Typically, they are found on rooftops or ceilings. They essentially recycle air in the building, ensuring comfort within the kitchen and restaurant environment. As air is exhausted from the building, the make-up unit replaces it directly with air from the outside.

Rooftop units are best used to complement make-up units. Rooftop units mix the air from within the building and the air from outside. The air mixture is tempered to a reasonable temperature and released back into the building. Depending on the size of the establishment, it may be prudent to use multiple make-up air units in conjunction with rooftop units to ensure proper circulation.

Dedicated outdoor air units are larger than either of the two previous units, while combining their functions. These units are also capable of temperature and humidity control for greater comfort and can even be adjusted to fit the occupancy of a given building. Dedicated outdoor units are typically more cost-friendly than using the former two units, and can be used to great effect on their own.

Published by:
Christian Dantes

REWrite Blog