Restaurant & cafe HVAC
Restaurant & cafe HVAC in Southern Housing
In Southern Housing, small local restaurants and cafés in mid-size buildings benefit from affordable yet powerful AC systems. We design solutions balancing effective cooling with kitchen fume removal, caring for coils and filters in the humid southern environment.
- 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
Southern Housing is a relatively modern residential district with high population density and mid-size retail, most restaurants and cafés here are local in character, serving neighbourhood residents. The buildings are fairly new in standard but conventionally designed, and AC systems are usually simple and reliable. Kitchens are typically small and linked to the dining room, so grease and fumes spread easily without strong extraction and effective filters. Intense southern heat and humidity load coils and systems heavily, so we focus on selecting powerful units and keeping maintenance regular.
Southern Housing is a modern, densely populated residential zone in south Jeddah, designed for local residents and families.
Most restaurants in Southern Housing run simple split units with a ceiling extraction fan for the kitchen.
The AC setup in Southern Housing
- 1
Simple split with ceiling fan
One or two split units cool the dining area, with a simple ceiling fan drawing fumes from the open kitchen.
- 2
Grease filter and direct extraction
A grease filter on the extraction opening protects coils from grease, and fumes exit directly outdoors without long ducts.
- 3
Replacement air from window or wall vent
A simple opening in the wall or window supplies air to the kitchen, maintaining positive pressure and stopping dining-room air being pulled in.
Before the visit
Before our visit in Southern Housing
- 1
Confirm roof access and outdoor unit position
Ensure there is safe roof or outer wall access for installing the outdoor unit and extraction fan.
- 2
Send photo of restaurant and kitchen space
A photo showing dining-room size, kitchen position, doors and windows helps us pick the right unit and filter capacity.
- 3
Agree on monthly maintenance schedule
Set a fixed monthly day for filter, coil and pan cleaning, and make sure access time and keys are available for the service team.
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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.
The kitchen is very close to the tables, is cool air enough to counteract heat and smell?
Cool air alone is insufficient, so we fit a strong extraction fan and grease filter, and direct the cool air to move against fume spread.
Southern humidity is very high, do the coils rust?
Copper and aluminium coils tolerate humidity, but mould buildup on coils and pan reduces performance, so we recommend monthly regular cleaning.
Do we need monitoring devices or sensors?
We fit a simple thermostat and pressure gauge on the extraction fan so you can spot performance drop and request maintenance service in time.
Can we add extra ducts to cool the small dining area more evenly?
Yes, if the dining room is long or irregular, we add simple extensions from the indoor unit to distribute air more evenly.
