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Spring Air Products

Variable Volume Kitchen Exhaust

Spring Air Systems commercial kitchen variable speed exhaust controls have been designed to provide the most energy efficient kitchen available. The variable exhaust system automatically adjusts the exhaust volume to match the amount of heat and smoke rising from the cooking appliances. Modulating the exhaust to match the rate of cooking reduces the exhaust and supply air that must be heated or cooled. There could be energy savings as high as 50% of your annual fresh air heating and cooling bill. Payback is typically 1 to 2 years. The variable speed exhaust control can be retrofitting on your existing commercial kitchen or provided with your new kitchen exhaust system.

There are two systems available:

  • Semi-Automatic Tru-Flo

    The control measures the exhaust duct temperature to vary the amount of exhaust from the hood. As the duct temperature increases the exhaust volume modulates to the maximum value. If the exhaust volume does not increase fast enough to provide adequate smoke ventilation an override is manually activated to drive the exhaust to the maximum value. This system is available for one exhaust fan, one supply unit and up to two hoods.

  • Automatic Melink Intelli-hood

    The I/O processor receives a signal from the duct temperature sensor to vary the amount of exhaust from the hood. As the duct temperature increases the exhaust volume increases to the maximum value. In addition optical sensors with air purge units are located in each hood. When the optical sensor detects smoke the exhaust volume automatically increases to the maximum value. There is an override pushbutton on the keypad that also drives the exhaust to the maximum value. This system is available with multiple hood and exhaust fan combinations with one I/O processor as well as multiple I/O processors.

Should the operator fail to turn on either system each will activate automatically when the exhaust duct reaches a set temperature. NO MORE ACCIDENTAL FIRE SUPPRESSION DISCHARGE.

When the exhaust system is operating at lower volumes the noise level from the hood is also significantly reduced.

The Supply Unit

One supply unit is connected to the variable speed system. The exhaust and supply must modulate in unison to provide maximum energy savings. When the supply unit has indirect gas fired heating or direct gas fired heating or DX cooling the supply unit must have an internal bypass damper to modulate the fresh air supplied to the kitchen space. When the supply unit has no heating, or has evaporative cooling the supply fan motor can be directly modulated using a variable speed drive. Spring Air SFA supply units with gas heating and/or DX cooling are available with a very economic integral bypass damper to modulate the fresh air supplied to the kitchen to match the exhaust air.

The systems are simple to install and easy to operate. You could save from 30 to 50 percent of your annual energy bill to heat and cool fresh air. The amount of savings varies depending on the location of your restaurant.

NOTE: PRIOR TO ANY VARIABLE SPEED INSTALLATION THE INSTALLER MUST SEEK THE APPROVAL OF THE AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION.