Fast food restaurant air conditioning has to manage the heat produced by cooking equipment while keeping customer areas comfortable. When a burger restaurant in Auburn, NSW, needed repairs to its permanent HVAC system, the kitchen and front-of-house areas were left without proper cooling.
Daytime temperatures were forecast to climb above 30°C throughout the week. The restaurant needed a temporary air conditioning solution that could be installed quickly and operate safely while staff continued cooking and customers remained on site.
Aircon Rentals supplied 4.5kW mobile spot coolers, positioned them where cooling was needed most and ducted the rejected hot air away from staff and customers.
Project Overview
Location: Sydney
Application: Temporary restaurant air conditioning
Project type: Permanent HVAC repair and maintenance
Areas cooled: Kitchen and front-of-house
Weather conditions: Temperatures forecast above 30°C
Equipment supplied: 4.5kW mobile spot coolers and flexible hot-air ducting
The Challenge
The restaurant’s permanent air-conditioning system needed repairs during a stretch of hot summer weather.
Kitchen staff were already working beside cooking equipment that produced considerable heat. Losing the air conditioning raised concerns about staff comfort and heat exposure during long shifts. The dining area also needed to remain comfortable for customers.
Closing the restaurant or reducing trading hours while waiting for the permanent system to be repaired was not the restaurant’s preferred option.
Equipment placement brought another complication. One unit needed to sit near the entrance to the children’s play area. The installation team had to consider customer traffic, exposed services, the hot-air discharge route and how staff and customers would move around the equipment throughout the day.
The Temporary Restaurant Cooling Solution
Aircon Rentals assessed the areas requiring immediate cooling and selected 4.5kW mobile spot coolers for the kitchen and front-of-house.
Spot coolers suited the job because they allowed the team to direct cooling towards the areas most affected by the breakdown. The restaurant did not have to wait for extensive temporary ductwork or a larger central system to be installed.
The units were delivered, positioned and operating within hours.
Hot air produced by the coolers was captured through flexible ducting and discharged away from customers and staff.
Portable air conditioners do not make heat disappear. They remove it from the cooled area and reject it somewhere else. If that rejected heat is released straight back into the dining room, the setup loses much of its effectiveness.
Managing both sides of the system, the cool-air supply and the hot-air discharge, allowed the temporary installation to work as intended.
Safe Equipment Placement
One temporary air-conditioning unit needed to operate near the entrance to the restaurant’s children’s play area, which required more planning than a standard installation.
The Aircon Rentals installer considered where the unit should sit, how customers would move around it and where the ducting could run without creating an unnecessary obstruction.
The equipment’s moving components remained enclosed, and the unit was positioned to reduce the chance of customers interfering with it.
Rather than releasing rejected heat near the play area, the hot-air duct was directed into the ceiling space. This kept the discharge away from customers and stopped it from being released directly back into the occupied area.
Careful placement addressed the restaurant manager’s concerns while allowing the equipment to provide cooling where it was needed.
Ongoing Maintenance and Support
Commercial kitchens can be demanding environments for temporary cooling equipment.
Heat from cooking appliances, airborne grease and dust can cause filters to become dirty faster than they would in a typical office or retail environment.
Aircon Rentals technicians returned to the site during the hire period to inspect the mobile spot coolers and clean their filters.
Keeping the filters clean maintained airflow and helped the units continue delivering effective cooling while repairs to the permanent HVAC system were completed.
The Outcome
The temporary air-conditioning system provided targeted cooling to the restaurant’s kitchen and front-of-house areas during a week of temperatures above 30°C.
The restaurant remained operational while repairs and maintenance were completed on its permanent HVAC system.
The mobile spot coolers were installed without major disruption, rejected heat was ducted away from occupied areas, and regular filter cleaning supported the equipment throughout the hire period.
Project Results
- Temporary cooling installed within hours
- Kitchen and front-of-house areas supported
- 4.5kW mobile spot coolers supplied
- Rejected heat ducted away from staff and customers
- Equipment carefully positioned near the children’s play area
- Restaurant remained operational during HVAC repairs
- Filters inspected and cleaned during the hire period
- Cooling maintained during temperatures above 30°C
Why Aircon Rentals
Temporary restaurant cooling involves more than delivering portable units and switching them on.
The equipment needs to suit the area, be positioned around staff and customers, and have a suitable route for discharging rejected heat. In commercial kitchens, regular inspection and filter cleaning may also be required because of heat, grease and demanding operating conditions.
Aircon Rentals managed the equipment selection, delivery, installation, heat discharge and ongoing support while the restaurant’s permanent air-conditioning system was being repaired.
Need Temporary Air Conditioning for a Restaurant?
Aircon Rentals supplies portable air conditioners and mobile spot coolers for restaurants, commercial kitchens, cafés, food courts, hospitality venues and retail sites across Australia.
Temporary equipment can support your business during HVAC breakdowns, planned maintenance, equipment replacement or periods of increased cooling demand.
Call 1800 626 996, available 24/7, or request a hire quote.