Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Sha'na
In Sha'na, east Jeddah, small restaurants and cafes of all kinds need healthy HVAC that pulls fumes and replaces air efficiently. We balance the system for guest comfort and health compliance.
- 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
Sha'na is a mixed residential neighbourhood with many ground-floor shops and small to medium-sized restaurants of relatively good quality. Many attract customers from the surrounding area, so they need higher hygiene and ventilation standards. The balance between extracting fumes and supplying fresh air is crucial here to avoid guest complaints and meet health inspection requirements.
Sha'na is an east-side residential district with dense small shops and varied restaurants in the ground floors of residential buildings.
Restaurants here need precise balance between extracted and supplied air, and health inspections require grease filters and safe drain water discharge.
The AC setup in Sha'na
- 1
Balanced extraction and supply system
Sha'na restaurants need a balanced system that extracts fumes strongly while supplying fresh air at the same rate to avoid negative pressure.
- 2
Health-grade grease filters
Heavy-duty metal filters that meet health inspection standards and are easy to clean regularly.
- 3
Safe drainage system for water and grease
A separate drain line directs cleaning water and excess grease to a safe grease trap away from direct sewage.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Sha'na
- 1
Bring health inspection notes or requirements
If there are notes from a previous inspection, tell us so the new design meets all their requirements.
- 2
Show kitchen layout and external venting points
Explain the kitchen layout, available space and possible discharge points for air and water.
- 3
Schedule visit and future maintenance timing
Agree with us on an initial visit time and a maintenance schedule that meets the required health standards.
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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.
Complaints of dampness and mould in the restaurant, is weak ventilation the cause?
Often yes. If extraction is weak and replacement air is insufficient, humidity builds up. We check flow rates and may upgrade the extraction unit or improve drainage.
Health inspectors required ventilation upgrades, how do you modify the system?
We check the inspector's specific requirements and design a system that meets the required extraction and supply rates, with effective grease filters and safe water disposal.
East-side humidity is high, does it affect the restaurant's air freshness?
Yes, high outdoor humidity increases the system load. We fit stronger extraction units with improved drainage, and recommend regular maintenance to prevent mould in filters and ducts.
Will the building's power handle an advanced ventilation system?
We check the power first and give you clear advice. We may recommend line strengthening or load distribution across separate circuits to ensure stability.
