Factors of extract air cleaning in professional kitchens

Achieving a high level of extract air cleanliness plays a major role in reducing cleaning and maintenance costs and increasing fire safety of the premises. Additionally, clean extract air can be utilized with heat recovery ventilation systems.

Differences in used cooking methods and other kitchen devices as well as grease, humidity, and other airborne impurities set great demands for the cleaning of professional kitchen exhaust air. In most cases, relying on a singular cleaning technology is not sufficient for attaining a high enough filtration rate. This highlights the need for solutions that combine several complementary cleaning technologies, each contributing to a different aspect of air cleaning.

Mechanical filtration / impact filtration

Mechanical filtration efficiently filters out large grease particles resulting in the cooking process. The heavy particles are sieved out of the extract air that travels through an impact or a cyclonic filter. This is a widely used method in the kitchen hoods. However, it is inefficient against smaller grease particles.

UV-C

UV-C is a commonly used, conventional “germicidal” cleaning technology. It uses longer wavelength of 254 nm ultraviolet light that actively works against micro-organisms, molds, fungi, and bacteria.

Vacuum UV

For further refining the filtration rate of professional kitchen ventilation, a shorter wavelength ultraviolet light can be used. Vacuum UV is highly efficient in dissolving small grease particles into natural compounds, such as oxygen, carbon-dioxide, and water.

In addition, vacuum UV provides a significantly high UV intensity. It has proven to be the only way to keep the extract air ducts clean. The dissolving rate is identical to water cleaning system.

Ozone

The combination of mechanical filtration and two different wavelengths of UV light yields high results. The overall filtration rate can be enhanced using ozone. Ozone is naturally produced in the photochemical reaction, where ozone effectively dissolves whatever is left of the grease particles and deodorizes air in the ducts.


CleanMaster combines all four cleaning techniques

Climecon was among the first manufacturers to provide safe and efficient UV cleaning technology for professional kitchen conditions. Safety is our top priority, and CleanMaster solutions are equipped with two-fold safety-mechanics. Our hood and ceiling ventilation solutions are praised for their long-lasting impact. And this is why, after two decades, CleanMaster continues as the choice of kitchen professionals.

Read more about CleanMaster

News

Get to know: Esa Huuskonen, Director of Selection Programs

Over the course of 17 years, Esa Huuskonen has built up strong and diverse experience from within the company. He has been involved in nearly every aspect of ventilation design and product development – from leading projects and software development to improving product energy efficiency and performance. Alongside these responsibilities, he has taken on an important role in managing product data within design programs and key systems, where the accuracy and up-to-date nature of technical information are essential.

Read more

We have published our 2025 Sustainability Report

Climecon has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, providing an overview of the company’s key achievements and development initiatives in environmental responsibility, social responsibility, and good governance. During the year, we made significant progress in our climate work.

Read more

More performance without compromise – The advantages of nozzle ducts in HVAC design

Nozzle ducts have established themselves in ventilation design as a solution that combines efficiency, occupant comfort, and an appearance appreciated by architects. From an HVAC designer’s perspective, their key strength lies in their ability to simultaneously solve several air distribution challenges: handling large air volumes, draught-free ventilation, low noise levels, and space-efficient implementation.

Read more