Commercial Kitchen Extractor Fan Company
Extractor Fans That Keep the Air Moving — and the Inspector Happy
A commercial kitchen lives or dies by its airflow. Grease, smoke, and heat have to leave the building fast enough to keep the line safe, the air breathable, and the fire marshal satisfied. That’s the entire job of your extractor fan, and it’s a job most kitchens never think about until it stops working.
CRS Hoods has been sizing, installing, and servicing commercial kitchen extractor fans since 1980. We’re not a fan catalog you scroll through and guess at — we’re the crew that shows up, measures your hood, calculates your CFM, and puts a fan on the roof (or the wall, or inline) that actually matches the equipment underneath it. Every installation is built to satisfy NFPA 96 and the International Mechanical Code, so it passes inspection the first time instead of getting red-tagged the day you’re supposed to open.
WHY YOUR EXTRACTOR FAN MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK
An undersized or failing extractor fan doesn’t just make the kitchen hot and smoky. It creates a chain reaction:
- Grease that should be pulled through the duct settles instead a leading cause of kitchen fires and failed fire marshal inspections.
- Negative pressure builds up, making front doors hard to open, HVAC systems work overtime, and smoke drift back into the dining room.
- Cooking line temperatures climb, slowing down staff and speeding up equipment wear.
- Inspectors shut the kitchen down until airflow is corrected costing you service days and revenue.
A properly selected and installed extractor fan solves all of this quietly, in the background, for years. That’s the standard we build to.
OUR COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EXTRACTOR FAN SERVICES
Extractor Fan Installation
Whether you’re opening a new restaurant, converting a space, or replacing an undersized unit, we calculate your required CFM based on your hood length, cooking equipment (fryers, charbroilers, ranges, ovens), and duct run, then install a fan sized to actually keep up with your kitchen, not just meet the bare code minimum.
Upblast, Centrifugal & Inline Fan Options
Different kitchens need different fan configurations:
- Upblast fans — direct the exhaust vertically away from the roof, ideal for most restaurant grease-duct applications.
- Centrifugal (belt or direct drive) fans — built for high-CFM, high-static-pressure systems in larger or heavy-load kitchens.
- Inline exhaust fans — mounted mid-duct, useful when roof space is tight or fan noise needs to stay away from dining areas.
We’ll walk you through which configuration fits your layout, cooking volume, and building constraints before we ever quote a job.
Exhaust Fan Replacement & Upgrades
Fans wear out. Motors burn up. Belts fail. Older direct-drive and belt-drive units often get replaced with quieter, more efficient direct-drive fans with variable frequency drives (VFDs) giving you speed control, a soft start that extends motor life, and fewer moving parts to break down.
Emergency Exhaust Fan Repair
A dead fan on a Friday night doesn’t wait for a convenient appointment. We diagnose airflow loss, motor failure, wiring issues, and bearing wear fast, and get your kitchen back to code-compliant airflow with minimal downtime.
Make-Up Air Balancing
An extractor fan doesn’t work in isolation; it has to be balanced against make-up air (MUA) coming into the building. We size and install MUA units so your exhaust and supply air work as one system, instead of fighting each other.
Preventive Maintenance
Grease-rated fans need periodic inspection; belts, bearings, wheel balance, and drainage all affect performance over time. Scheduled maintenance catches small issues before they become a failed inspection or a fan replacement.
BUILT FOR NFPA 96 AND IMC COMPLIANCE
Passing inspection isn’t about “getting air moving.” Code officials and fire marshals are checking for specific things, and we build to all of them:
Correct CFM & Static Pressure Match
Your fan has to be sized to your hood and duct run, not just “big enough.” Under-sizing kills airflow; over-sizing wastes energy and creates noise and pressure imbalance.
Grease-Rated, UL/ETL Listed Equipment
Every fan we install meets UL 705 (Supplement SC – Restaurant Exhaust) and ETL listing standards for grease-laden vapor exhaust, not general-purpose ventilation equipment repurposed for a kitchen.
Proper Roof Curb & Clearance Installation
Discharge height, roof curb sealing, and clearance from combustibles all matter to inspectors and to keeping grease and water out of your building.
Continuous, Liquid-Tight Duct Connections
The fan is only as good as the ductwork feeding it. Our external welds are continuous and liquid-tight, which is one of the most common items that fails inspection when done wrong.
WHY RESTAURANTS AND COMMERCIAL KITCHENS CHOOSE CRS HOODS
45+ Years in Commercial Kitchen Ventilation
Installing hood and fan systems since 1980, we’ve seen just about every kitchen layout, code requirement, and fan failure there is.
10,000+ Systems Installed
From single-location restaurants to institutional cafeterias, food halls, and multi-unit chains.
Licensed Across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Maryland
We know the permitting process and code requirements in every state we serve; no guessing, no delays.
End-to-End Service
On-site assessment, CAD-backed fan and duct sizing, professional installation, and a final walkthrough for inspection readiness — handled by one team, not three subcontractors pointing fingers at each other.
Fast Response When Fans Fail
Kitchens don’t get to close for a week while you wait on a callback. We prioritize emergency repairs to get airflow restored fast.
Who We Serve
Restaurants
Fast Food Chains
Cafes & Bakeries
Bars & Pubs
Hotels
Schools & Universities
Hospitals
Food Trucks
HOW IT WORKS
- On-Site Assessment. We evaluate your kitchen layout, cooking equipment, and existing infrastructure.
- System Design. Hood, duct, fan, and MUA are sized together as one coordinated system, not selected piece by piece.
- Fabrication & Installation. Heavy-duty fabrication and licensed installation, coordinated with fire suppression partners.
- Final Inspection Walkthrough. We verify every component meets code before the fire marshal or building inspector arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what size extractor fan my kitchen needs?
Your fan size depends on your hood’s CFM, cooking equipment, duct layout, and static pressure. We calculate the correct size on-site to ensure proper performance and code compliance.
What's the difference between an upblast and a centrifugal exhaust fan?
Upblast fans vent air upward and are ideal for most restaurant kitchens. Centrifugal fans handle higher airflow and longer duct runs, making them better for larger or heavier-duty kitchens.
How often should a commercial kitchen exhaust fan be serviced?
Fan servicing follows the same NFPA 96 schedule as the rest of your exhaust system: monthly for solid fuel cooking, quarterly for high-volume kitchens like charbroilers or 24-hour operations, semi-annually for moderate-volume restaurants, and annually for low-volume kitchens. Routine maintenance helps prevent breakdowns and keeps the system operating safely.
Can you replace my existing exhaust fan without replacing the whole hood system?
Yes. If your hood and ductwork are still in good condition and code-compliant, we can usually replace only the fan after confirming compatibility.
Do you handle emergency exhaust fan repairs?
Yes. We provide emergency repairs to restore proper ventilation quickly and help get your kitchen back to safe, compliant operation.
Which areas do you serve?
CRS Hoods is licensed and actively installing, repairing, and maintaining commercial kitchen extractor fans and hood systems across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.
READY FOR A KITCHEN THAT BREATHES RIGHT?
Whether you need a new extractor fan installed, an old one replaced, or an emergency repair tonight, CRS Hoods brings 45+ years of hands-on commercial kitchen ventilation experience to every job sized right, installed right, and built to pass inspection the first time.
Call 302-653-4111 or fill out the form below.
