Keeping your restaurant's kitchen staff comfortable is essential for productivity, and air conditioning plays a key role in providing this comfort. However, commercial restaurants present unique conditions for air conditioning and installation because they are hot, humid, and with assorted odors. Commercial kitchens must also meet health and safety codes. Here are the reasons your restaurant's kitchen needs specialized commercial AC installation and how it can be customized to meet those needs.

1. Commercial Kitchens Get Very Hot

Commercial kitchens and commercial cooking equipment get very hot during peak operation. This can create uncomfortable working conditions for restaurant staff and unpleasant dining experiences for customers. Your local commercial AC contractor must design the AC to deliver conditioned air at all workstations to ensure everyone is at peak efficiency. 

2. Food Preparation Produces High Moisture 

A commercial kitchen is a high humidity environment because of the steam generated in food preparation. Evacuating this moisture is necessary to prevent organic growth like mold. It also prevents corrosion of kitchen equipment. The ventilation should include an evaporative system to control moisture levels. 

3. Grease and Smoke Require Evacuation 

Commercial kitchens can become very uncomfortable if smoke and grease are not controlled. The smoke can also spread to the customer areas, giving your brand a bad image. Therefore, commercial AC installation design for such a space must provide the evacuation of smoke and grease. A kitchen hood is often installed for this purpose, so the ventilation system must incorporate this appliance. 

4. Different Foods Produce Overpowering Odors

In addition to creating an unpleasant, alienating atmosphere for your restaurant's guests, volatile odors can also present sanitation issues and create food-safety concerns. The commercial air conditioning contractor should design ventilation fans to remove these odors at strategic points. It also prevents making customers uncomfortable with powerful odors. 

5. Restaurant Kitchen Ventilation Must Meet Code

Ventilation codes are designed to ensure safety in the workplace, and for a commercial kitchen, they also ensure food health safety is observed. Failure to meet these standards can have serious consequences. Your restaurant's commercial air conditioning installation must meet these codes to remain legally operational. 

It's almost impossible to run a commercial kitchen without a proper air conditioning and ventilation system; it is illegal because it endangers the kitchen staff. An optimized air conditioning and ventilation system keeps your kitchen safe, productive, and efficient. Contact AC services to explore a commercial AC installation that will work for your restaurant's kitchen.