Cooking smells are one of the most common reasons for kitchen extraction complaints and planning conditions. We design filtration and discharge so your kitchen is a good neighbour.
Kitchen odour is controlled by capturing grease at the canopy, adding filtration stages where planning requires them, and discharging at a suitable high level so cooking smells disperse. The right combination depends on what you cook and what the local council requires. Cool Stream designs odour control as part of the complete extraction system.
If your kitchen is close to homes, offices or other tenants, odour is more likely to be controlled by planning and environmental health than by the kitchen's own opinion of itself. The scheme drawings we provide include the filtration systems required and odour control, and we liaise with the architect, other services and the Environmental Health Officer.
Odour control is part of the whole extraction design: a well-placed canopy captures more at source, grease filtration protects what follows, and a properly designed high-level discharge disperses what remains. Where more is needed, additional filtration stages can be added.
Odour is made of tiny droplets of grease and volatile compounds from heated food, especially frying, grilling and charcoal cooking. The more you capture at source, the less has to be cleaned from the air later, which is why canopy design and grease filtration are the first layer of odour control. The second is the discharge itself: a high, vertical, well-designed outlet disperses what remains. HSE notes that high-level discharge is often needed to prevent nuisance to neighbouring properties, and that rain caps and downward discharge should be avoided.
| Stage | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baffle filters | Remove grease droplets at the canopy | First line of defence; also protects the ductwork |
| Further grease and particle filtration | Captures finer droplets | Used where planning requires a higher standard |
| Carbon filtration | Adsorbs odour compounds | Needs replacement and regular checking |
| Other treatment stages | Additional odour reduction, depending on the site | Specified case by case |
Which stages you need is a design decision, informed by what you cook, how big the kitchen is and what the planning authority asks for. We do not promise the elimination of odour; the objective is to meet the requirement set for the site and prevent nuisance.
For new restaurants, takeaways and changes of use, councils frequently attach conditions about odour and noise. Our planning guide explains how the process usually works. We design as part of a complete kitchen extraction system, so canopy, ductwork, fan and discharge all support the odour strategy.
What does the planning authority require for this site? Which filtration stages are proposed and why? Where will the system discharge and how high? How will the filters be maintained and how often must they be changed? What happens to performance if the filters are neglected? Clear answers show the design has been thought through; vague ones suggest odour control is an afterthought.
Odour control stops working when filters are saturated, so it needs a maintenance routine as much as any other plant. Ask us about maintenance that suits your system via our service and maintenance team.
It depends on the location and the planning conditions. Premises close to homes or other occupiers are the most likely to be required to control odour. Ask your local council, and we will design to their requirements.
Common elements include grease filtration at the canopy, higher-grade filtration, carbon filtration and high-level discharge. The right combination depends on what you cook and the site.
The aim is to reduce odour to the level the planning authority requires and prevent nuisance. No system should be sold as eliminating all odour.
Often. A high-level vertical discharge disperses odour above neighbouring windows, which is why HSE says high-level discharge is often needed.
Yes, where there is space for the filtration and the fan can handle the added resistance. We survey first.
Wherever your site is, we survey, design, manufacture and install. Find your nearest area, or call 07759 696007.
