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The Importance of Tempered or Heated Makeup Air Units

In a busy commercial kitchen, airflow isn’t just about comfort; it’s critical to performance, safety, and staying up to code. As your exhaust hood pulls out heat, smoke, and grease-laden air, that air has to be replaced to keep your space balanced. That’s where a makeup air unit comes in.

And in colder climates, bringing in untreated outdoor air can create just as many problems as it solves. That’s why tempered or heated makeup air units play such an important role in modern kitchen ventilation systems.

Here’s what you need to know, straight from the experts at HoodMart.

What Is a Makeup Air Unit and Why Does It Matter?

A makeup air unit is a critical part of any commercial kitchen ventilation system. Its job is simple: replace the air being exhausted by your hood with fresh, clean air from outside.

But here’s where it gets important: without proper makeup air, your kitchen can quickly run into serious issues, including:

• Negative air pressure, making doors hard to open and close
• Poor ventilation performance
• Temperature imbalances
• Smoke and grease lingering in the air

In short, if your exhaust system pulls air out, your make up air unit puts it back, keeping your kitchen balanced, safe, and comfortable.

Why Heated Makeup Air Units Are Essential in Cold Climates

In colder regions, pulling in outside air creates a new challenge: that air is ...