Commercial & Refrigeration
Make-up air unit service for Miami restaurant kitchens
A kitchen hood pulls a lot of air out of the building. The make-up air unit replaces it; when it fails, the building goes negative, the hood stops capturing smoke, doors slam and hot outside air leaks in everywhere.
Miami service office on SW 117th Ave · We answer 24/7
- Answered 24/7
- Two Miami-Dade offices
- Hood and HVAC together
Updated October 2026
Make-up air unit service in Miami covers the rooftop units that replace the air a kitchen exhaust hood removes: belts, motors, dampers, filters, controls and, on tempered units, the cooling that conditions the incoming air. Our Medley and SW 117th Ave offices check that the make-up air runs whenever the hood runs, so the kitchen doesn't go negative and the dining room AC isn't fighting it.
The job
Why make-up air matters in a Miami kitchen
An exhaust hood can pull thousands of cubic feet of air a minute out of a kitchen. That air has to come back in. When the make-up air unit is off, broken or under-sized, it comes in through doors, windows and every gap, bringing heat and humidity, and the hood can't capture smoke and grease properly.
A working make-up air system keeps the building balanced. In Miami, tempered units that cool the incoming air also take a lot of load off the dining room air conditioning.
What moves the price
What decides the price of make-up air service
The failed part
Belts and filters are small; motors cost more.
Tempered or not
Cooling sections need refrigeration work.
Roof access
Hatches, ladders or lifts.
Interlock and controls
Wiring and control fixes.
Damper repair
Actuators and linkages.
Grease and dirt
Heavy buildup takes longer.
Scheduling
Work around service hours.
What we see on this job
Make-up air for kitchen hoods
The make-up air unit should run whenever the exhaust fan runs, usually through an interlock. We check that the interlock works, that the unit's fan and motor deliver their airflow, and that the supply diffusers put the air where the hood can use it rather than blowing across it and disturbing capture. Signs of trouble are doors that are hard to open or slam shut, smoke rolling out of the hood, a hot, humid kitchen and a dining room that never gets comfortable.
Tempered make-up air
Untempered make-up air brings raw outdoor air straight into the kitchen, which in Miami means hot, humid air most of the year. Tempered units cool and dehumidify it first, which makes the line more bearable for the cooks and eases the load on the building's other air conditioning. We service the cooling section of tempered units the same way we service a rooftop unit: coils, charge, drains and controls, and we check the discharge temperature against the setpoint the kitchen actually needs.
Belts, motors and dampers
Most make-up air failures are mechanical: a belt that slipped or snapped, a motor with worn bearings, a filter packed with grease and dust, or an intake damper stuck shut. We inspect and replace belts and filters, check motor amps and bearings, test the damper actuator and linkage, and clean the intake. These are the parts to put on a regular schedule, because a make-up air unit that stops in the middle of service leaves the kitchen fighting its own hood until someone climbs onto the roof.
What is included
What a make-up air service includes
- Hood interlock tested
- Airflow compared with exhaust
- Belts inspected and replaced when worn
- Motor amps and bearings checked
- Filters and intake cleaned
- Damper actuator and linkage tested
- Cooling section serviced on tempered units
- Discharge temperature checked
- Written notes for the manager
Local conditions
Kitchen ventilation and Florida food licensing
In Florida, public food service establishments are licensed and inspected by the DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants, and new kitchens usually go through a plan review and inspection before opening. A make-up air system that's interlocked with the hood and actually delivering its air is part of a kitchen running the way it was approved, not just a comfort item for the cooks.
Step by step
How a make-up air service call runs
- 1
Check the interlock
Make-up air runs with the hood.
- 2
Measure airflow
Delivered air versus exhaust.
- 3
Inspect belts and motor
Tension, wear, amps and bearings.
- 4
Clean filters and intake
Grease and dust removed.
- 5
Test dampers
Actuator and linkage.
- 6
Service the cooling section
On tempered units.
- 7
Verify balance
Doors, hood capture and discharge temperature.
Warning signs
Signs the make-up air isn't keeping up
Doors hard to open or slamming
The building is negative.
Smoke rolling out of the hood
Capture lost without make-up air.
Hot, humid kitchen
Untempered or failed air supply.
Dining room never comfortable
AC fighting outside air leaks.
Squealing from the roof
Slipping or worn belt.
Unit not running with the hood
Interlock or control fault.
Greasy, clogged intake filters
Airflow restricted.
FAQ
Questions Miami customers ask about make-up air unit service
The building is negative, usually because the make-up air isn't keeping up with the hood.
It should run whenever the hood exhaust runs, usually through an interlock.
Air that is cooled and dehumidified before entering the kitchen.
No. Hood and duct cleaning is a separate trade; we service the make-up air and HVAC.
Belts and filters on a regular schedule, often quarterly in busy kitchens.
Yes, with the rest of the building's HVAC and refrigeration.
Same category
Related commercial work we handle in Miami
Walk-In Cooler and Freezer Repair
Walk-in not holding temperature, door gasket and closer replacement.
Walk-In Cooler Installation
New walk-in coolers and freezers, replacing an old walk-in system.
Commercial Refrigeration Repair
Reach-in coolers and freezers, prep tables and undercounter units.
Kitchen hot and doors slamming? Call the dispatch line
A technician checks the make-up air, the interlock and the balance with the hood.
