Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Harat Al Sham
In Harat Al Sham, old downtown Jeddah, traditional restaurants and cafés occupy tight shops in historic buildings with open kitchens facing the dining area directly. We balance hood and make-up air in tight quarters and protect coils from humidity, grease, and sea salt.
- 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
Harat Al Sham is a historic neighbourhood with narrow, closely built structures and low ceilings. Restaurants and cafés occupy small shops with completely open kitchens facing the dining area with no separation. The humid air, sea salt, and heavy cooking steam cause rapid corrosion of coils and pipes. We focus on very precise pressure balancing in tight space and advanced coil protection against humidity and salt, plus close coordination with the shop owner before visiting because access is limited.
Harat Al Sham sits in historic downtown Jeddah, marked by narrow, old buildings clustered around popular markets near the coast.
Most restaurants here use small split units or window ACs, with very tight manual ducts.
The AC setup in Harat Al Sham
- 1
Small split with light air divider
A small split unit with an air curtain or light divider at the kitchen door to reduce smoke and steam drift straight to diners.
- 2
Manual make-up air from a small window
A manual make-up air vent from an exterior window balancing hood exhaust, with a simple filter for salt and humidity removal.
- 3
Coils with rust-resistant coating
Aluminium coils with protective coating against sea salt and moisture, plus robust extra filters.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Harat Al Sham
- 1
Contact the shop owner in advance
Full coordination with the shop owner to set the best time and notify them we may need to cut power temporarily.
- 2
Confirm nearest safe parking spot
Streets around Harat Al Sham are very tight. Tell us the nearest safe parking spot before we arrive.
- 3
Confirm outdoor unit location
Verify safe outdoor space on an exterior wall or small courtyard for the unit, and let us know of any obstacles or heritage restrictions.
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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.
My kitchen is completely open to the dining area in a tiny space, how do you balance air?
We fit a light air divider or air curtain at the kitchen door and balance the hood with a small make-up air unit to achieve balanced extraction, not direct smoke to diners.
Humidity and sea salt cause rust fast, how do you protect the coils?
We use coils with corrosion-resistant aluminium coating and install extra filters to remove salt and moisture from the air.
The street outside is very narrow, how do you bring equipment in?
We carry equipment by hand and coordinate with the shop owner on the nearest parking spot and best entry time before arrival.
Do low ceilings prevent installing outdoor units?
Yes, many old buildings here have limited roof space. We mount the unit on the exterior wall or in a small courtyard after site assessment.
