The upgraded models of the Qube, which are available in AC as well as EC, is our most popular set of centrifugal box fans and come with significant design enhancements that make them easier to install and maintain. The new EC variants offer better energy efficiency and performance, as well as control and integration into building management systems.

Meanwhile, the restaurant market is showcasing signs of resilience against the widely expected post-pandemic downturn, and new ventures and smaller venues are being planned by big restaurant chains. According to Lumina Intelligence’s Operator Data Index, the UK restaurant market reached valuation of £18.6bn in 2023, with a 4.4% growth rate in the same period.

David Millward, Group Product Manager at Elta Group, said: “We’ve been listening to feedback from our customers and also looking closely into the hospitality and restaurant market, and can see that there is a gap for high quality, long-lasting, energy efficient ventilation equipment in the commercial kitchen space.

“That’s why we’ve honed the design and features of our already well-received Qube centrifugal box fans. Our newest models are designed to meet the needs of specifiers and contractors working on designing and fitting new commercial kitchens, able to fit into ever-tighter footprints while still being able to offer the high extraction and performance expected from our fans.”

The Qube fans are suitable for extracting air up to 120°C in temperature. They come in various box sizes of 500, 670, 820, and 1,020mm. The fan’s box panels are double skinned with an infill to reduce noise transfer, and the panels are interchangeable to support quicker, simpler installation and to access the fan components inside for maintenance. The units as a whole are lighter and balanced to also help contractors with carrying and fitting the fans.

A key feature on the new Qube range is that they now have redesigned connections to connect the fans to other ventilation ancillaries, such as bolt-on filter boxes, making them more adaptable and flexible. Meanwhile, all the fan’s components are now enclosed within the box, whereas previous models of the Qube had the fan motor outside of box. This further helps with space and kitchen configurations where space might be limited.

We have also introduced new gas interlock systems alongside the Qube. Gas interlock systems provide a failsafe by limiting the gas flow to appliances until the ventilation system is on, and is a mandatory requirement in commercial kitchens.

Besides being ideal solutions for commercial kitchens, the Qube fans can also be used in general buildings and ventilation extraction, such as in offices, schools and industrial buildings.

David said: “We know everybody is paying a much closer eye to reducing energy usage in a bid to be more sustainable and lower their operational expenses. Our EC versions of our Qube fans help with this objective, allowing operators to commission the fans so they move and extract air efficiently.

“Besides our standard versions, being a UK manufacturer with our various plants and factories across the country, we are well positioned to provide a quick turnaround on our fans, and for those specifying ventilation systems for kitchens, we provide everything under one roof to simplify the purchasing process. We can also customise the Qube fans, ancillaries, and controls to suit bespoke needs. Simply talk to us and we can come up with a solution to fit the project.”

For more information on our Qube fans, please visit: https://eltauk.com/qube/

Pizza Hut has been around for a long time (45 years in the UK), so it’s no surprise that some of its restaurants are located in older buildings. But with dated buildings comes dated ventilation systems, and several sites were experiencing breakdowns and occasional temporary restaurant closures. Businesses in the leisure industry simply cannot afford for this to happen, never mind customers who have their minds set on doughy goodness!

Myself and the GFMS Services Limited team set about reviewing the ventilation systems across Pizza Hut sites that had a track record of extraction system failures. One particular restaurant that stood out was located at Royale Leisure Park, on Western Avenue in London. This is a busy site, receiving plenty of customers who’ve built up an appetite at nearby shops.

Food for thought

A busy restaurant means a busy kitchen, with deep fat fryers and ovens producing a tremendous amount of heat, fumes, and vapour. Ventilation is clearly very important, and the restaurant’s 15-year-old system was definitely in need of an upgrade.

The existing fan, which featured a forward curved impeller, needed to be replaced.  The design of the old ventilation system meant that it was operating at a lower pressure and high-volume flow, resulting in increased power consumption. This, coupled with numerous failures, was costing the site a significant amount of money.

Taking the heat

Enter the Elta QUBE Centrifugal Box Fan, chosen primarily for its high efficiency backward curve impeller. Thanks to its high-performance capabilities, it could easily cope with the demands of the busy kitchen, reducing energy costs by up to 10%.

The unit is also lightweight, slim, and waterproof, making it ideal for installations on roofs, as was the case with this project. Thankfully, the installation of the fan was completed from start to finish in just four and a half hours, minimising downtime and maximising pizza time.

Since introducing Elta’s QUBE Centrifugal Box Fan, Pizza Hut has experienced absolutely zero downtime. This has allowed it to keep its doors open to happy customers, saving thousands in energy bills and potential lost earnings from closure.

Marcus Sawkins, Project Manager at GFMS Services Limited

The single fan was fitted in an outside courtyard area to provide extraction power to three canopies in the main kitchen of the TV celebrity’s world-famous restaurant which overlooks the ancient but busy fishing port of Padstow, Cornwall and the Camel Estuary. Being typical of many Cornish buildings, the restaurant’s kitchen is situated halfway below ground-level and with 16 guest rooms above the restaurant, noise levels of the extractor fan were a big consideration.

Ventilation and air conditioning sub-contractor for the project, Partridge Ventilation working on behalf of M&E contractor EIC South West fitted the single fan to service the three kitchen canopies but was ably assisted by Elta representative Mark Butler. Mark programmed the fan’s inverter controller on site to restrict extractor performance in order to reduce noise levels for the comfort of guests in the rooms above.

Elta is part of the £85 million Elta Group, a family of businesses with operations in six countries on four continents which, together with a network of international distributors, provides quality fans and related air movement equipment to customers worldwide.