Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Al Manarat
In Al Manarat, far north Jeddah, new cafés and restaurants are spreading rapidly through modern residential areas. The HVAC system must separate kitchen smells and heat from the seating zone, with constant protection of coils against cooking grease.
- 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 Manarat has grown rapidly in recent years, with most new cafés and restaurants installed in modernized residential buildings with open layouts between flats and commercial units. This means the system needs sensitive pressure balance because neighbouring flats may suffer from cooking odours if pressure is not managed carefully. The coils here also face heavier grease exposure because new restaurants often lack strong ventilation initially.
Al Manarat lies in far north Jeddah, a fast-growing modern residential zone with new cafés and restaurants in mixed-use buildings.
Most new restaurants here lack central AC when they open, so we design a system from scratch with balanced extraction.
The AC setup in Al Manarat
- 1
New central AC system with balanced extraction hood
New restaurants in Al Manarat typically need a complete system from scratch, so we install a central unit supplying cool and make-up air to balance hood pressure.
- 2
Advanced washable grease filters with regular cleaning
We use high-efficiency washable filters and schedule weekly or monthly maintenance depending on restaurant size.
- 3
Outdoor unit placed away from neighbouring flat windows
We carefully position the outdoor unit away from neighbouring residents' windows to avoid noise and moisture issues.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Al Manarat
- 1
Confirm building approval and neighbouring owner consent
Get written approval from the building association or owners for hood and outdoor unit installation before confirming with us.
- 2
Specify proposed locations for hood and outdoor unit
Tell us exactly where the hood can be mounted (kitchen ceiling or wall) and where the outdoor unit can sit (roof or balcony away from flats).
- 3
Coordinate with restaurant on suitable installation times
Agree on installation days and times that do not clash with restaurant opening or initial kitchen setup.
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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.
Does kitchen smell reach the neighbouring residential flats?
Yes, if pressure is not balanced between the restaurant and neighbouring buildings, smells can spread through doors and windows. We prevent this by designing make-up air to keep restaurant pressure lower.
The restaurant is new and had no AC from the start, do you design the whole system?
Yes, we design the entire AC and ventilation system from scratch, coordinating hood location, outdoor unit placement, filters and ducts to ensure harmonised operation from day one.
The building is residential and the restaurant is newly added, are there installation restrictions?
There may be restrictions from the building association or neighbouring owners, so we coordinate with you to ensure ducts and the outdoor unit meet owner requirements and regulations.
Grease clogs filters fast in new restaurants, how often do they need cleaning?
It depends on restaurant size and cooking types. We recommend at least monthly maintenance for filters and coils initially, then adjust frequency based on actual build-up.
