Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Al Hamra
In Al Hamra, west Jeddah, diverse restaurants and cafés sit in residential and mixed-use buildings. HVAC here needs sensitive pressure balancing because neighbouring flats can be affected by cooking odours, with protection against grease and coastal humidity.
- 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 Hamra is a relatively older residential district mixing flats and small shops, with restaurants and cafés scattered across ground and upper floors of residential buildings. This means HVAC must maintain lower pressure in the restaurant so cooking smells do not spread to flats above, and drain systems must handle coastal humidity. Coils and pans face both grease and mould, so frequent maintenance is essential.
Al Hamra lies in west Jeddah near the coast, an older residential district mixing flats, shops and small restaurants.
Small restaurants here typically lack a separate strong hood, so they need a hood added plus balanced make-up air from an AC system.
The AC setup in Al Hamra
- 1
Strong hood with make-up air for small restaurants without extract
Most small Al Hamra restaurants lack hoods, so we fit strong extraction and separate make-up air from a balanced AC system to keep pressure low.
- 2
Sloped ducts and enhanced drain pans for humidity
We use properly angled and insulated ducts with drain pans fitted with check valves and low-point drains, to avoid water pooling and mould in high-humidity conditions.
- 3
Advanced grease filters and monthly maintenance
We fit high-efficiency grease filters and recommend monthly maintenance to clean filters, coils and pans, preventing odours and mould.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Al Hamra
- 1
Coordinate with building management and residents on hood and unit approval
Get approval from building management and neighbouring flat owners on hood and outdoor unit placement before confirming the visit.
- 2
Position hood exhaust away from upper-floor windows
Choose the hood exhaust opening away from upper-floor windows to prevent smell and smoke spread to flats above.
- 3
Ensure outdoor unit placement avoids water and moisture exposure
Confirm the outdoor unit will be in a dry location away from moisture and standing water near the building or near drainage pipes.
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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 restaurant is on ground floor with flats above, does cooking smell reach residents?
Yes, if pressure is not balanced or the hood is weak. We fit a strong hood and make-up air to keep restaurant pressure lower, so smells exit outside not up to flats.
The restaurant is old with no hood at all, do you install one from scratch?
Yes, we coordinate on hood location (kitchen ceiling or external wall) and install a complete system with ducts, filters, strong hood and balanced make-up air.
Humidity is very high and the AC unit is on ground floor near ground level, are there leak problems?
Yes, humidity can cause drain pan leaks if pans are not properly sloped or check valves are blocked. We fit enhanced pans and clean them regularly to prevent leaks and mould.
Can the outdoor unit be moved if the street is too narrow?
Yes, we can place the unit on the roof or in a yard if the street is very narrow, but we need to coordinate with building management and neighbours for approval.
