Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Al Faisaliyah
In Al Faisaliyah, central Jeddah, restaurants and cafés operate in tight spaces among closely built residential and commercial blocks. We design HVAC that extracts kitchen smoke efficiently without pulling air from the dining room or disturbing neighbouring buildings.
- Pressure balance
- Make-up air
- Coil protection
Clients We're Proud to Serve
Organisations and companies that trusted Alrabih with their projects.
When your restaurant needs a specialist
- 1
Kitchen smells reaching diners
When the extract hood pulls out more air than is replaced, the kitchen goes negative and draws air from the dining room, bringing smells with it. The answer is calculating the volumes and delivering make-up air close to the hood.
- 2
Dining room stays warm despite the AC
A full dining room in Jeddah's humid summer raises heat and moisture load noticeably. Design must account for peak occupancy, and the right diffuser layout achieves even cooling across tables, not cold near the duct and warm in the corners.
- 3
Repeated breakdowns in kitchen AC units
Grease vapour from the burners settles on evaporator coils and blocks airflow, raising pressure and stressing the compressor. Placing the unit away from grease currents and scheduling coil cleaning reduces this damage significantly.
Who it's for
Opening a new restaurant that needs a full HVAC system
We design the cooling and make-up air system from scratch to match your kitchen and dining layout before you open.
Ask on WhatsAppYour restaurant is running but smells are reaching the tables
We survey the existing system, measure pressure between kitchen and dining, then correct the fault by adding make-up air or adjusting the air balance.
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What the work covers
- Kitchen and dining pressure survey
- Make-up air for hood
- Diffuser layout for dining
- Ductwork to SMACNA standards
- Air balance commissioning
How we work
How we work
- 1
Site and kitchen survey
We visit, measure the spaces, review the existing extract hood and burner positions, and find where negative pressure is occurring before any design work.
- 2
Design and equipment selection
We design the make-up air and cooling systems together, and select units from Carrier, YORK, General, Midea, Gree or Smart Gold to suit the space and the load.
- 3
Duct fabrication and installation
We fabricate ducts in our workshop from G90 galvanised sheet to precise sizes, install the units, and run Mueller copper in runs of up to 30 metres without welded joints, insulated with Armaflex.
- 4
Balancing and handover
We run the system and adjust dampers until the kitchen sits at slight negative and the dining room at slight positive, confirming that doors open easily and no kitchen smell crosses to the guests.
Integrated design or separate units with no balance?
| Alrabih | The usual way | |
|---|---|---|
| Make-up air | Calculated and delivered to the hood | Usually not addressed |
| Dining pressure | Slight positive, no smell transfer | Negative, pulls kitchen air in |
| Coil protection | Unit placed away from grease | Repeated breakdowns |
| Cooling spread | Diffusers sized for full occupancy | Uneven, warm corners |
| Kitchen ductwork | Fabricated in-house from G90 sheet | Off-the-shelf sizes, poor fit |
Everything your AC needs, from one team
From system design and duct fabrication to installation, commissioning and maintenance.
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Some of our work
Ductwork, rooftop units and diffusers, from work we've completed in Jeddah.
Customer reviews
What our customers say
- Muhammadramzan 2641
“MashaaAllah. Services are so good. Behaviour and kindness 100/100. Prices are less then Market. Fully recommended”
- shahzeb armani
“Wow. Prices are so comfortable. Outstanding services. People are so talented and nice”
- Tawfik AlyawerLocal Guide
“U can find all u need for air conditioning”
Your satisfaction matters to us! If you had a great experience with us, we'd love a 5-star rating and a kind review.
Worked with us? Leave a reviewService areas
We come to you anywhere in Jeddah
From Al Shiraa and Al Yaqout in the north to Al Thaghr and Al Quraiyat in the south, with our base in Al Aziziyah.
What sets this district apart
Al Faisaliyah's buildings are mixed in age and style, some older and some newer, standing close together. Restaurants and cafés occupy floors in mixed-use buildings, limiting the space for outdoor units and hood louvers. The central zone's humidity and coastal proximity raise suspended dust and salt levels, and balancing kitchen extraction with fresh-air supply becomes more critical in tight spaces next to residential flats.
Al Faisaliyah sits in central Jeddah, a mixed-use zone of buildings varying in age, close to the sea, blending residential flats and shops.
Most Al Faisaliyah restaurants operate on space-limited roofs or mid-floor levels, demanding careful hood and unit placement to avoid neighbour complaints.
The AC setup in Al Faisaliyah
- 1
Compact duct hood with balanced return pull
Cramped Al Faisaliyah restaurants need compact hood sizes with balanced return air to pull smells without creating negative pressure in the dining space.
- 2
Outdoor unit on a wall or balcony
Due to limited shared roof space, outdoor units mount on exterior walls or private balconies, requiring careful piping and refrigerant routing.
- 3
Coils and filters protected from salt and corrosion
Coastal salt and airborne brine require salt-resistant coils and piping, plus regular cleaning to flush salt and moisture deposits.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Al Faisaliyah
- 1
Bring building management approval and permits
Since the building is shared, we need written approval from building management or owners before installing the hood or outdoor unit.
- 2
Specify the proposed outdoor unit location
If the restaurant has no private roof, tell us the proposed wall or balcony location before we visit so we can confirm safety and efficiency.
- 3
Tell us about neighbour complaints or current issues
If there are complaints about odour, noise or hot air from the current unit, let us know before the visit so we can focus on fixing the root issue.
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FAQ
Questions about Restaurant & cafe HVAC
What is the difference between make-up air and kitchen air conditioning?
Make-up air replaces the volume the hood extracts, its purpose is pressure balance not necessarily cooling. Kitchen air conditioning tackles burner heat and lowers temperature for the staff. Both may be needed, and the site survey determines which your kitchen requires.
Do outdoor seating areas need a different approach in Jeddah?
Yes. In Jeddah's heat and humidity, fans alone are not enough during peak months. The right option depends on whether the space has an open roof or a partial enclosure and how large the area is. We assess the spot and propose suitable units after the survey.
How are AC coils protected from kitchen grease?
The first step is design: we position kitchen units in airflow paths away from the grease rising off the burners. In preventive maintenance contracts we schedule pressure coil cleaning before build-up raises stress on the compressor, because early cleaning is simpler and less costly than a repair.
Can existing ductwork in an operating restaurant be repaired or does it need replacing?
The decision follows a duct inspection: we look for air leaks, grease build-up inside, and sheet corrosion from Jeddah's salty air. If the structure is sound we seal joints with Foster sealants and re-insulate with Kimmco. If not, we fabricate new sections in our workshop and replace the damaged runs.
Does a packed dining room during peak season affect how the AC performs?
Yes, every person in the room adds heat and moisture, and this is significant in Jeddah's summer. Design therefore accounts for full occupancy load, not average attendance, and diffusers are positioned to deliver even cooling across all tables. The exact layout is confirmed after the site survey.
The building is shared between flats and shops, how do you avoid problems with residents?
We position the hood and outdoor unit so hot or humid air does not blow toward neighbouring windows. We coordinate with building management before installation and carefully test airflow directions to keep everyone comfortable.
The street is narrow and the building is mixed-use, how do you bring equipment and refrigerant?
We set up close to the restaurant's own entry or the building's main door, coordinate with management and neighbours about working hours and deliveries, and run refrigerant lines carefully to keep passages clear.
Coastal humidity and salt are near, does this cause problems for pipes and coils?
Yes, salt and humidity accelerate corrosion. We specify salt-resistant pipes and coils and recommend regular inspection and outdoor coil washing to flush salt buildup.
Mid-floor levels have no roof access, where does the outdoor unit go?
If the restaurant has no private roof, we mount the outdoor unit on a balcony or exterior wall after coordinating with building management and neighbours. We choose the spot so it does not disturb anyone and maintains cooling performance.
