Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Al Marsa
In Al Marsa, west Jeddah, restaurants and cafés line the seafront and cluster in coastal malls drawing many tourists and visitors. The ventilation must withstand high humidity, salt and sea air, with precise balance between cool air and kitchen odours.
- 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 Marsa is a modern coastal district with upscale restaurants and event halls right on the seafront, and the high humidity and salt in the sea air corrode pipes and condensers rapidly. Seaside restaurants need powerful AC systems to handle intense summer heat and constant humidity, with hoods specially built to resist salt deposits and rust. Pressure balance between kitchen and dining area is critical here because windows opening to the sea allow strong winds that disrupt the balance.
Al Marsa sits on Jeddah's western seafront, a modern coastal district of upscale restaurants and event halls right on the water.
HVAC systems here need salt and humidity-resistant materials, and hoods are often made from stainless steel to withstand the harsh coastal environment.
The AC setup in Al Marsa
- 1
Central HVAC with salt-resistant materials
Seaside restaurants in Al Marsa use central cooling units made from stainless steel or coated materials to resist salt and high humidity.
- 2
Heavy-duty kitchen hood with salt protection
Hoods here are stainless steel with advanced acoustic lining, since salt speeds rust and strong winds create noise that disturbs guests.
- 3
Make-up air system for open window losses
Open windows to the sea lose large amounts of cool air, so we install a chilled make-up air system to preserve comfort.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Al Marsa
- 1
Check outdoor unit location and salt exposure
Pin down the outdoor unit location exactly and ensure it is as far as possible from direct sea spray and strong winds.
- 2
Confirm which windows open to the sea
Tell us how many windows open to the sea, their sizes and positions in the hall, since each one affects the air balance.
- 3
Clarify the current hood type and condition
Tell us if there is already a hood and its condition, since we may need to upgrade or replace it with a better salt-resistant model.
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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.
Sea salt and humidity damage AC units, how do you protect them?
We use salt and humidity-resistant materials in pipes and condensers, apply protective coatings to metals, and schedule regular cleaning to maintain performance.
Open windows to the sea cause pressure problems, how do you solve that?
We design a make-up air system to compensate for losses from open windows, and fit wind-resistant covers on air outlets to block the direct impact of sea breezes.
Seaside restaurants need very powerful cooling, are you equipped?
Yes, we install high-capacity cooling units and powerful hoods to handle intense heat and humidity together, with regular maintenance to ensure efficiency in the coastal environment.
Hoods collect salt and debris from the sea, how do you clean them?
We clean hoods and filters regularly with specialist solutions that remove salt and sea debris without damaging stainless steel.
