THE CLEAN AIR REFERENCE
Clear answers. Better-informed decisions. Understand the systems, standards and service terminology behind a cleaner commercial environment.
Explore the glossaryKNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT
Whether you manage a kitchen, a venue or a commercial building, the right terminology makes it easier to compare service scopes, understand an inspection and ask the right questions.
50 plain-English definitions across four topics. Each includes what it means in practice.
Understand capture, filtration and the path from the cooking surface to the discharge point.
An opening in ductwork that allows technicians to inspect and clean the internal surfaces.
Access needs to suit the duct layout. Inaccessible sections should be identified in the service scope rather than assumed to be clean.
A filter medium that adsorbs certain gaseous compounds associated with cooking odours. It is different from a filter that captures grease droplets or smoke particles.
Carbon is normally protected by upstream grease and particulate filtration. Its capacity is finite: replacement should follow the manufacturer’s requirements and operating conditions, rather than assuming washing will restore it.
A metal grease filter that changes the direction of airflow to help separate grease droplets from the exhaust air.
A filter is one part of the system: grease can still collect behind it, in the plenum, ductwork and fan.
The hood above cooking equipment that captures heat, smoke, steam and grease-laden air.
The canopy, filters and connected exhaust path should be considered together when planning a clean.
How effectively a hood collects cooking emissions and keeps them from escaping into the kitchen.
Visible smoke spilling beyond the hood can indicate an airflow, make-up air or equipment-layout issue. Cleaning alone may not resolve a design problem.
A grease-separation device that uses swirling airflow and changes in direction to separate droplets from the exhaust air.
Performance depends on the design and airflow. Collected grease needs a clear drainage path, and the separator does not remove all fine smoke particles or gaseous odours.
A control system that adjusts kitchen exhaust and replacement-air rates in response to cooking activity, using inputs such as temperature or optical sensors.
Reduced fan speed must still provide suitable capture and containment. Sensor condition, minimum airflow settings and the balance with make-up air need specialist commissioning and maintenance.
A component that separates entrained water droplets from the air leaving a wet scrubber or other water-based exhaust treatment system.
It helps limit water carry-over into downstream equipment. Fouling, blocked drainage or damaged elements can affect performance; it is not the same as a misting hood.
An integrated unit that combines treatment stages to reduce cooking emissions. Depending on the design, these may include grease separation, electrostatic or mechanical particulate filtration, and odour treatment.
The name alone does not identify what is fitted. Confirm each stage, the contaminants it targets, access requirements and the maintenance program; smoke removal and gaseous odour control are different functions.
An electrically powered air cleaner that charges fine grease and smoke particles and collects them on oppositely charged surfaces. Kitchen exhaust systems may use one or more collection stages.
Collection cells need manufacturer-approved cleaning, drying and inspection. High-voltage components require safe isolation and discharge before access. An ESP alone does not remove all gaseous cooking odours.
The location where extracted air leaves the building, commonly at a roof-mounted outlet. Its position and configuration affect where heat, smoke and odours travel.
Nearby air intakes, windows, neighbouring properties and roof conditions matter. Filtration does not replace a suitably designed discharge arrangement; recurring nuisance may require an engineering assessment.
The passage that carries extracted air from the hood towards the fan and discharge point.
Grease accumulation inside the duct can be hidden from view. Cleaning only visible canopy surfaces does not establish that the whole system has been cleaned.
The powered equipment that moves air through the kitchen exhaust system.
Grease build-up can affect fan operation. Inspection and cleaning should consider safe isolation, access and the fan’s condition.
The chamber behind the grease filters that collects air before it enters the exhaust duct.
It is different from a building’s HVAC supply or return plenum. Grease can accumulate here out of sight behind the filters.
Small grease droplets suspended in the air produced during cooking. Droplet size varies, so different filtration stages capture different portions of the emissions.
A canopy filter can capture larger droplets while finer grease and smoke continue downstream. A clean visible filter does not establish that the duct or treatment unit is free of grease.
A service in which used grease filters are replaced with cleaned filters as part of a planned program.
Filter servicing does not replace inspection and cleaning of the hood, plenum, ductwork or exhaust fan.
A channel designed to collect grease draining from filters or canopy surfaces.
A gutter can accumulate grease even when the filter faces appear clean. Include it in the inspection and maintenance scope.
A kitchen canopy grease filter with a cellular or honeycomb-style internal structure that directs airflow through passages to help separate grease droplets. Construction varies by manufacturer.
It is not interchangeable with every baffle or mesh filter. Check the specified size, orientation, airflow characteristics and cleaning method; keep the internal passages and drainage clear without damaging the filter.
An exhaust hood with integrated water sprays or misting nozzles. Depending on its design, the water helps cool exhaust air and reduce grease, smoke or ember carry-over, including in some solid-fuel cooking applications.
Nozzle condition, water supply, controls and drainage all need attention. A misting hood is not automatically a certified fire-suppression system and does not replace downstream inspection or required cleaning.
An exhaust-treatment unit that brings cooking emissions into contact with water, often through sprays or a wetted collection surface, to capture contaminants. Some designs use additional treatment stages.
Check spray nozzles, water quality, pumps, drains and any demister against the manufacturer’s instructions. Grease and wastewater need appropriate handling. Do not assume a scrubber removes every gaseous odour or replaces duct cleaning.
Replacement air supplied to balance air removed by the exhaust system.
Insufficient replacement air can affect hood performance, comfort and pressure balance. An airflow assessment may be needed.
A filter made from layers of metal mesh that intercept grease droplets as exhaust air passes through. It differs from a baffle or honeycomb-style separator.
Grease can lodge within the mesh and restrict airflow. Suitability for the particular hood and cooking process must be confirmed; different filter types should not be substituted simply because they fit the opening.
A device designed to intercept or reduce the passage of sparks and embers from cooking equipment, particularly some solid-fuel appliances, into the exhaust path.
Use equipment specified for the cooking system and maintain it as instructed. An arrestor is not a guarantee that no ignition can occur and does not replace grease removal or other required fire-protection measures.
A specialist treatment stage that uses ultraviolet light and, in some designs, generated ozone to help treat grease-related compounds or cooking odours within the exhaust system.
Not every UV lamp generates ozone, and performance depends on the design, exposure and maintenance. UV and ozone can be hazardous: shielding, interlocks and specialist servicing matter. Physical cleaning remains necessary.
A canopy with an integrated wash system that cleans specified internal surfaces or grease-separation components, usually during a programmed cleaning cycle. It is different from a hood that sprays water during cooking.
Confirm exactly which surfaces the wash cycle reaches. Check detergent dosing, nozzles and drainage; an automatic cycle does not establish that connected ductwork, fans or every concealed surface has been cleaned.
A dedicated fire-protection system that discharges a suitable wet-chemical agent through positioned nozzles to control fires involving specified cooking equipment and associated hood areas.
Servicing belongs with qualified fire-protection personnel. Changes to appliances or their position may affect coverage. Keep nozzles unobstructed and distinguish this system from ordinary water-misting or wash-down equipment.
The components that move, condition and distribute air throughout a building.
A component that captures airborne particles as air passes through it.
Filter type, fit and condition matter. A dirty or poorly fitted filter can affect airflow and allow particles to bypass it.
Equipment that moves and conditions air, usually incorporating fans, filters and heating or cooling components.
The AHU is only part of the system. Connected ducts, drains and other components may also need assessment.
The tray and drainage pathway that collect and remove water produced at a cooling coil.
Standing water or blocked drainage can support microbial growth. A clean coil without clear drainage may leave the underlying issue unresolved.
A diffuser distributes supply air into a room; a grille covers an air opening, commonly at a return or exhaust point.
Dust at an outlet may justify inspection, but its appearance alone cannot identify the condition of the entire duct system.
The network of passages used to distribute supply air, return air or exhaust air.
An assessment should distinguish between loose dust, adhered contamination and moisture-related problems.
Heat-exchange components that warm or cool the air passing through an HVAC system.
Dust and contamination on coil surfaces can impede heat transfer and airflow. The cleaning method needs to suit the coil construction.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning: the systems used to manage indoor temperature, air movement and ventilation.
Comfort cooling and adequate ventilation are related but different needs. A cool room is not necessarily receiving enough outdoor air.
A chamber that connects an air handling unit with supply or return ductwork.
A supply plenum sends conditioned air towards occupied spaces; a return plenum collects air travelling back to the unit.
The difference in air pressure across a component such as a filter, coil or treatment unit. It describes the resistance that airflow encounters.
A rising reading can indicate loading or fouling, but interpretation depends on airflow and the equipment’s baseline. Use the manufacturer’s operating limits rather than a universal replacement threshold.
Return air travels from occupied spaces back to the HVAC system; supply air travels from the system into those spaces.
Knowing which pathway is affected helps define the inspection area and avoid treating an isolated symptom as a whole-system issue.
The process of supplying and removing air to help manage indoor pollutants, moisture and odours.
Recirculating air is not the same as introducing outdoor air. Ventilation performance depends on the building, occupancy and system operation.
Know what a finding means—and what requires further investigation.
A community of microorganisms attached to a surface within a protective layer they produce.
Biofilm can occur on damp HVAC components. Effective remediation considers the contamination and the moisture conditions that allow it to return.
The presence of biological material or microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, in an environment or system.
Different organisms and conditions require different responses. An observation or test result needs to be interpreted in context.
Fungal growth or material that may occur where suitable moisture and nutrients are present.
Colour alone cannot reliably identify mould species or health risk. Addressing moisture is central to reducing recurrence.
The condition of air inside a building, influenced by ventilation, pollutants, moisture and occupant activities.
IAQ is not a single measurement. The assessment approach should reflect the symptoms, building use and suspected sources.
Work intended to remove or manage contamination and address the conditions contributing to it.
A useful scope identifies the affected area, method, access limitations and how the outcome will be checked.
Sampling a defined surface for laboratory analysis to investigate the material or microorganisms present.
A surface swab is not a whole-building air-quality test. Results depend on where, when and how the sample was collected.
The use of ultraviolet-C light in a suitably designed system to help control microorganisms.
Effectiveness depends on factors including dose, placement and exposure. UV-C presents safety risks and is not a substitute for required physical cleaning.
The language behind a well-defined scope and a traceable service record.
An Australian Standard covering mechanical ventilation in buildings, including relevant commercial kitchen ventilation design requirements.
Design requirements are different from routine cleaning and maintenance requirements. Confirm the applicable edition, building approvals and system design with an appropriately qualified professional.
An Australian Standard for routine service of fire protection systems and equipment, including relevant kitchen exhaust provisions.
Requirements should be checked against the applicable standard, equipment, site conditions and obligations. Do not use a glossary to set universal cleaning frequencies.
The Australian Standard addressing operation and maintenance of building air-handling and water systems for microbial control.
It is distinct from the kitchen exhaust provisions of AS 1851. Confirm the applicable edition and requirements for the building and system.
Health, safety, environment and quality: the disciplines used to manage safe work, environmental impacts and service quality.
A structured HSEQ system supports consistent work planning and documentation; it is not, by itself, a claim of third-party certification.
Inspection assesses condition; cleaning removes contamination; verification checks the work against the agreed scope.
These are different activities. Before-and-after photos and service notes help explain what was completed and any limitations.
A service report records completed work, observations and supporting evidence; a client portal provides access to those records.
Clean Air’s client portal automatically updates reports and photos with each completed service, keeping the service history together.
BEFORE YOU BOOK A SERVICE
Confirm the components covered—not just the visible surfaces—and identify any access limitations.
Ask which findings need cleaning, further investigation, repair or a change to the maintenance program.
Agree on the service notes, photos and outstanding items you will receive for your site records.
YOUR SITE. YOUR QUESTIONS.
Talk to Clean Air about your commercial kitchen exhaust, HVAC or indoor air quality requirements.