The addition of side panels, end panels and ceiling enclosures or field wrappers is a simple, inexpensive, but highly effective way to improve the look and performance of your commercial kitchen vent hood as well as save money on operational costs. The ability of the commercial kitchen exhaust hood to capture and contain smoke, grease-laden cooking vapors, convective heat, moisture and other products of cooking processes is one of the most important factors in choosing options for your hood system. So, what exactly are panel enclosures and how do they work?
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood Capture and Containment
First let’s talk a little bit more about what hood capture and containment is. Hood capture is the process of getting the effluent plume into the hood reservoir. Commercial kitchen exhaust hood containment is the process of getting that effluent plume to stay in the commercial kitchen exhaust hood and keep it from spilling out into the adjacent area.
The standard for minimum capture and containment is defined as “the conditions of hood operation at which the exhaust flow rate is just sufficient to capture and contain the products generated by the appliance in idle or heavy-load cooking conditions, or at any intermediate prescribed load condition.”
How Enclosure Panels Benefit Commercial Kitchen Vent Hoods?
Side panel and end panel enclosures are basically stainless steel metal panels. While they are simple in design, they play a central part in optimizing the design and operation of commercial kitchen hood systems.
Restaurant kitchen hood systems consume a large amount of energy, much of which is used to exhaust contaminated air from commercial kitchen vent hoods. Installing enclosure panels can considerably reduce your energy needs and operating expenses. When side panels are added to the commercial kitchen vent hood, they significantly improve and assist in the capture and containment of smoke, heat, and effluent grease vapor and moisture produced by cooking operations. Vertical end panels also help mitigate the negative effect that cross drafts or airflow diffusers often have on the performance of the commercial kitchen exhaust hood.
When side panels are added to the commercial kitchen vent hood, they significantly improve and assist in the capture and containment of smoke, heat, and effluent grease vapor and moisture produced by cooking operations.
Side panels provide all of these benefits by basically extending the side of the vent hood. This extension of the commercial kitchen exhaust hood means better encapsulation of cooking fumes being generated by the equipment the hood is serving. The effectiveness of even the highest performing ventilation hood can be further improved with the simple addition of enclosure panels. In addition, end panels may also allow your equipment to be located closer to the edge of the vent hood.
How Commercial Kitchen Vent Hood Side Panels Save You Money?
Because the commercial kitchen exhaust hood can better capture and contain the effluent plume, the exhaust airflow is reduced along with the amount of energy used. A study by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) estimates that adding side panels, also called end panels, field skirts, or wings, to a commercial kitchen hood would “allow a 10 percent reduction in exhaust flow while achieving the same current hood capture performance.”
The way that enclosure panels allow this reduced exhaust rate is that as more of the replacement make-up air is drawn across the front of the cooking equipment, the effluent flume capture is improved. In decreasing the airflow, air tempering energy use is also reduced, providing even further cost savings.
An easy way to illustrate the obvious benefits of adding side panels is to consider a fireplace and chimney. Can you imagine a fireplace in your home without a back or sides? It just wouldn’t be done. Consider a line of cooking appliances with an exhaust vent hood above it. The ventilation system is not a whole lot different than that of a typical fireplace. Without the addition of side panels and a ceiling enclosure field wrapper, the capture and containment capabilities of the hood are less than optimal.
According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, installing vertical side panels will allow a 10% reduction in exhaust flow while achieving the same current hood capture performance.
ASHRAE’s laboratory testing showed that the addition of commercial kitchen exhaust hood enclosure panels demonstrated reductions in capture and containment airflow rates up to 100 cfm/ft (155 L/s·m) of hood by the application of partial side panels on 10 ft (3 m) wall-canopy hoods. On average, a reduction of 30% was determined for more than 90 tests of different hoods and appliance loading (heavy, medium, light-duty) with and without some configuration of a side panel.
Why Don’t Side Panel Enclosures Come Standard with Commercial Kitchen Vent Hoods?
So why don’t commercial kitchen vent hoods come standard with enclosure panels? With all the benefits and cost savings offered by side panels, end panels and ceiling enclosure panels or field wrapper, you might be wondering why they don’t just come standard on commercial kitchen ventilation hoods.
While the advantages are well documented, the adoption of vent hood panel enclosures has been slow in the restaurant and commercial kitchen industry. Even with numerous examples of the kind of dramatic results that side panels can effect, many end users are not aware of the benefits. However, as ASHRAE put it, “The data speaks for itself.”
Want to see what commercial kitchen vent hood enclosure panels look like? Check out this short video!
Ceiling Enclosure Panels / Field Wrappers
Side panels might look nice but their biggest advantage is improved performance and cost savings. Ceiling enclosure panels, also called field wrappers, and backsplash panels are more about aesthetics. If you have an open kitchen design, these are options that provide a more polished look to your kitchen hood.
Ceiling enclosure panels are sheets of metal used to cover gaps between the top of the commercial kitchen vent hood and the ceiling. They extend above the top of the hood to hide exposed ductwork, plumbing, wiring, and other hardware. Ceiling enclosure panels aren’t just about good looks though. For some hood systems, they will also offer an increase in performance because they help seal the rear of the hood system.
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood Backsplashes
Backsplashes are another type of panel that is added to hood systems. However, it is not optional. Installing a vent hood backsplash is required by the NFPA 96 Fire Code which states that “Protection shall be provided on the wall from the bottom of the hood to the floor, or to the top of the non-combustible material extending to the floor, to the same level as required in 4.2.1.”
One of the biggest reasons backsplashes are required is to aid in the ability to properly clean condensed grease from the surfaces surrounding cooking equipment. Keeping your commercial kitchen vent hood and exhaust system clean of fat, oil, and grease buildup is one of the most important and basic steps toward reducing your risk of a kitchen fire. Vent hood backsplashes also serve as general protection for the wall behind your cooking appliances.
Wrapping It Up
We understand that every commercial kitchen has its own unique needs. That’s why HoodFilters.com makes it easy to configure a ventilation hood system that matches your exact specifications. Side panels, end panels, ceiling enclosures (field wrappers), and backsplashes are all options you can add on that will help ensure your exhaust hood system suits your specific needs.
Ready to shop? Check out our complete selection of commercial kitchen exhaust hood systems. Free shipping comes standard on all ventilation equipment! Our hood and fan packages are a great way to start building the hood system you need at the price you want. Don’t forget to add side panels!
If you have any questions, call 877.394.9731 to speak with one of our product specialists. You can also live chat with us online. If you aren’t sure what size system you need, email us the details and measurements of your kitchen and we’ll help you figure out the best hood system for your space.