Ventilation systems play a much bigger role than simply removing stale air. In commercial kitchens, they help control grease, smoke, and heat while supporting fire safety and meeting building code requirements. In homes, properly sized exhaust systems reduce moisture, improve indoor air quality, and help prevent problems such as mold, condensation, and lingering odors.
The challenge is that the term “Ace Ventilation” is used by several unrelated companies and products, making it difficult to compare options based on the name alone. Whether you’re evaluating a contractor, selecting an exhaust fan, or planning a commercial kitchen ventilation system, the same principles apply: the system must be correctly sized, installed, and matched to the space it serves.
This guide explains the factors that matter most when choosing a ventilation system. You’ll learn the differences between commercial and residential ventilation, how airflow requirements are calculated, what to expect in a professional installation quote, and the common mistakes that can lead to poor performance or costly code issues.
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust: Type I vs Type II Hoods
The type of hood you need is decided by what’s cooking underneath it, not by preference or budget.
Type I hoods handle grease-laden vapor and smoke. <cite index=”46-1″>They’re required over fryers, ranges, griddles, convection ovens, tilt skillets, and broilers, and they’re equipped with grease filters to capture airborne grease particles.</cite>
Type II hoods handle heat and moisture only — no grease, no smoke. <cite index=”48-1″>They go above dishwashers and appliances that produce heat or moisture without grease or smoke, and above appliances that produce combustion byproducts without grease or smoke.</cite> Coffee brewers, steamers, and dishwashers fall here.
Sizing: The Numbers That Actually Determine Your Quote
CFM (cubic feet per minute) is the volume of air the hood must remove to keep smoke, heat, and grease vapor from spilling into the kitchen. Two things drive it: hood length and the duty rating of the equipment underneath.
| Equipment Duty | Examples | Exhaust Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Ovens, ranges, kettles | <cite index=”46-1″>50 CFM per square foot of hood area</cite> |
| Medium | Griddles, fryers, standard ranges | Higher than light duty — confirm with your local code table |
| Heavy | Charbroilers, woks, high-heat equipment | Higher still |
| Extra-heavy | Solid-fuel cooking, mesquite grills | Highest tier |
A few numbers to sanity-check any quote against:
- Static pressure for single-story buildings <cite index=”45-1,46-1″>typically runs between 0.625″ and 1.0″ water column</cite> — this affects fan selection, not just ductwork.
- Capture velocity at the hood face should land <cite index=”50-1″>between 75 and 150 feet per minute</cite>. Below that range, effluent escapes past the hood edge before it’s captured.
- Makeup air should be supplied at roughly <cite index=”51-1″>90% of your exhaust CFM</cite>, with the remaining draw coming from adjacent spaces — this is what keeps cooking odors from migrating into the dining room.
Quick Sizing Checklist for Commercial Kitchens
- Confirm hood type (I or II) matches every piece of equipment underneath it, not just the primary one
- Get the duty rating for each appliance, not just the kitchen as a whole — the heaviest-duty equipment under a shared hood sets the requirement for that whole hood
- Ask your installer for the makeup air percentage, not just exhaust CFM — a system that only spec’s exhaust is incomplete
- Confirm your local jurisdiction’s amended CFM minimums before signing a contract
- Request compliance certificates and shop drawings as part of the quote, not an add-on
Residential Exhaust Fans: A Different Set of Numbers
Home ventilation — bathroom fans, kitchen range hoods, laundry exhaust — doesn’t carry the same life-safety weight as commercial kitchen systems, but undersizing still causes real problems: trapped moisture, mold, and lingering odors.
For a range hood, a widely used rule of thumb: <cite index=”52-1″>at least 100 CFM for every 10,000 BTUs of stovetop output. A 100,000 BTU stove needs roughly a 1,000 CFM hood.</cite> <cite index=”52-1″>For electric stoves, multiply the stove’s width in inches by 10</cite> — a 42-inch electric range calls for a hood rated around 420 CFM.
For a bathroom or general room fan, <cite index=”52-1″>multiply the room’s cubic footage by 15 air exchanges per hour, then divide by 60</cite> to get the required CFM. A 100-square-foot bathroom with 8-foot ceilings (800 cubic feet) needs roughly 200 CFM.
Feature options that actually matter, not just marketing add-ons:
| Feature | What it solves | Worth it if |
|---|---|---|
| <cite index=”42-1″>Humidity sensors</cite> | Fan runs only when moisture is actually high | You forget to run the fan manually |
| <cite index=”42-1″>Motion detectors</cite> | Fan shuts off automatically in empty rooms | You want energy savings without thinking about it |
| <cite index=”42-1″>Built-in heater</cite> | Adds quick infrared heat while venting | You’re in a cold climate and use the bathroom fan year-round |
| <cite index=”42-1″>Integrated light</cite> | Saves ceiling space vs. separate fixtures | You’re working with limited ceiling area |
Mounting configuration matters more than most buyers realize. <cite index=”43-1″>Sidewall exhaust fans mount directly to exterior walls for horizontal venting, while vertical discharge fans push air upward through ceiling ducts.</cite> If your bathroom shares a wall with the exterior, sidewall venting is usually the shorter, more efficient duct run — ask your installer which option fits your layout before defaulting to whatever’s standard for them.
Whole-Building Ventilation: HRV and ERV Systems
Beyond single-room exhaust, some homes and multifamily buildings need continuous, code-mandated fresh air exchange — this is where HRV (heat recovery ventilator) and ERV (energy recovery ventilator) systems come in. <cite index=”40-1″>Multifamily building codes based on ASHRAE 62.2 require unitary HRVs and ERVs serving each dwelling unit to meet a maximum fan efficacy of 1.0 watts per CFM.</cite>
If you’re using a range hood as your kitchen’s exhaust point in a code-regulated building, <cite index=”40-1″>it must meet a minimum capture efficiency or airflow rate that depends on the stove’s fuel type and the unit’s floor area.</cite>
Duct sealing is a code requirement that’s easy to overlook: <cite index=”40-1″>central ventilation ducts serving more than six dwelling units can’t leak more than 10% of the central fan’s airflow rate at 50 Pa, and units serving six or fewer are held to a 6% limit.</cite> Ask any HRV/ERV installer for their duct leakage test results before final sign-off — this is a pass/fail code item, not a nice-to-have.
What a Legitimate Installer Quote Should Include
Regardless of which company you’re comparing — a local contractor, a manufacturer, or a hardware retailer’s install service — a complete quote covers the same ground:
- A site inspection before the quote, not a phone-estimate — <cite index=”37-1″>reputable commercial installers provide a free site inspection before designing a system</cite>
- Design work matched to your specific space, since <cite index=”37-1″>no two commercial kitchens are identical and a hood sized for one space may lack capacity or the right form factor for another</cite>
- Written compliance documentation — <cite index=”37-1″>shop drawings and compliance certificates for your local council or building department</cite>, not a verbal assurance
- For residential HRV/heat pump work, confirm certification — <cite index=”44-1″>look for HRAI certification or your region’s equivalent trade credential</cite> on top of general licensing
- Clear scope on what’s included: <cite index=”44-1″>bathroom fan, dryer, and range hood venting are often separate line items from HRV or heat pump installation</cite>, even when bundled under one contractor
Decision Framework
| Your situation | Priority |
|---|---|
| Commercial kitchen, new build or renovation | Get duty ratings for every appliance first, then hood sizing — never the reverse |
| Existing kitchen failing inspection | Ask specifically what CFM/linear foot your AHJ requires — it’s likely above the base code table |
| Bathroom with persistent moisture/mold | Recalculate CFM using the room’s actual cubic footage — most builder-grade fans are undersized for the room they’re in |
| New home or major renovation in a code-regulated building | Confirm whether HRV/ERV is required, and get duct leakage test results in writing |
| Comparing multiple contractor quotes | Compare CFM, static pressure, and makeup air numbers line by line — not just total price |
FAQs
Is “Ace Ventilation” one company?
No. It’s a name used by multiple unrelated ventilation businesses and product lines across different regions. Verify which specific company you’re getting a quote from, and check their licensing/certification independently rather than assuming the name implies a single national brand.
How much CFM do I actually need for a home bathroom fan?
Use the room’s cubic footage: multiply length × width × height, multiply that by 15 (air exchanges per hour), then divide by 60. Round up, not down — undersized fans run constantly and still underperform.
Do I need a Type I or Type II hood?
Type I if any equipment under it produces grease or smoke — even occasionally. Type II only if every piece of equipment under that hood produces heat or moisture and nothing else.
What’s the difference between exhaust CFM and makeup air?
Exhaust CFM is air being removed. Makeup air is the replacement air brought back in — without it, exhaust fans fight negative pressure and lose efficiency. A quote that only lists exhaust CFM is incomplete.
Is a bigger CFM number always better?
No. Oversized commercial exhaust can pull excessive conditioned air out of the building, increasing energy costs. Match CFM to the actual duty rating and hood dimensions — don’t buy headroom you don’t need.