Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Al Karamah
Restaurant and cafe HVAC in Al Karamah, south Jeddah, tackles harsh heat and dust-laden desert winds. Alrabih balances kitchen extraction with distributed cooling, protects coils from dust and grease, and ensures guest comfort in clean, cool air.
- 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.
Split AC installation
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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 Karamah is a relatively modern residential and commercial district with detached, spread-out buildings and open spaces, and restaurants and cafes here are typically of reasonable size with separate kitchens and decent ceilings. The southern location and proximity to the desert means strong winds laden with fine dust that spreads quickly in open spaces, and dust clogs air filters and coils faster than in northern areas. We select very strong air filters and metal ducts that disassemble easily for regular cleaning without service disruption.
Al Karamah sits in south Jeddah near the desert, a modern district of detached buildings spread across open spaces.
Most restaurants and cafes here use multiple split units with heavy-duty air filters, because desert dust requires more frequent maintenance.
The AC setup in Al Karamah
- 1
Powerful split units with heavy-duty filters
Desert dust requires high-capacity filters that are easy to disassemble and clean, with powerful split units to handle the cooling load.
- 2
Exhaust ducts designed for easy maintenance
Exhaust ducts are designed with angles and joints that allow easy disassembly for regular cleaning of grease and dust without service disruption.
- 3
Heavy-duty fasteners against wind and dust
Outdoor units and pipes are secured with heavy-duty metal fasteners and protective frames to withstand strong desert winds and direct dust exposure.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Al Karamah
- 1
Photograph the kitchen and outdoor space
Photos show dust exposure, wind direction, and available space for safe unit and filter installation away from wind pressure.
- 2
Identify sheltered locations for outdoor units
Choose locations near walls or structures that shield the outdoor unit from strong winds as much as possible.
- 3
Tell us kitchen location and external space layout
We need to know distance and directions to position exhaust ducts and pipes safely away from direct dust and wind exposure.
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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.
Desert dust clogs the filters very quickly, how often should we clean them?
In Al Karamah we recommend checking filters every two weeks and cleaning or replacing them as needed, especially in spring and summer when winds and dust are heavy.
Strong winds affect the outdoor units, do they need extra protection?
Yes, we mount outdoor units with strong wind-resistant fasteners and locks, and may add a protective metal frame around the unit to shield it from strong winds and direct dust exposure.
Kitchen grease and dust together clog the ducts, is there a quick-clean solution?
We design exhaust ducts with angles and access points that allow easy disassembly and quick cleaning, and recommend monthly inspection and cleaning of coils and ducts of accumulated grease and dust.
Copper piping is exposed to sun and strong winds, how do we protect it?
We wrap pipes with thick thermal insulation and strong external protection, and secure them with heavy-duty wind-resistant metal fasteners to prevent movement or loosening.
