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Earlier editions: 20222019

Chapter 5 — EXHAUST SYSTEMS

508.3 Construction of Type I Hoods. The hood or that

California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

portion of a primary collection means designed for collecting cooking vapors and residues shall be constructed of and be supported by steel not less than 0.048 of an inch (1.219 mm) (No. 18 MSG), in thickness, stainless steel not less than 0.036 of an inch (0.914 mm) (No. 20 MSG) in thickness, or other approved material of equivalent strength and fire and corrosion resistance. [NFPA 96:5.1.1]

Exception: Listed exhaust hoods.

508.3.1 Grease Vapor. Wall-mounted exhaust hood assemblies shall be tight fitting against the back wall so as to not permit passage of grease vapor behind the hood, or between the back wall and the hood assembly. [NFPA 96:5.1.13]

508.3.2 Seams, Joints, and Penetrations. All seams, joints, and penetrations of the hood enclosure that direct and capture grease-laden vapors and exhaust gases shall have a liquid-tight continuous external weld to the hood’s lower outermost perimeter. [NFPA 96:5.1.2]

Exceptions:

(1) Seams, joints, and penetrations of the hood shall be permitted to be internally welded, provided that the weld is formed smooth or ground smooth, so as to not trap grease, and is cleanable. [NFPA 96:5.1.3]

(2) Penetrations shall be permitted to be sealed by devices that are listed for such use and whose presence does not detract from the hood’s or duct’s structural integrity. [NFPA 96:5.1.5]

508.3.2.1 Sealed. Internal hood joints, seams, filter support frames, and appurtenances attached inside the hood shall be sealed or otherwise made greasetight. [NFPA 96:5.1.4]

508.3.3 Eyebrow-Type Hoods. Eyebrow-type hoods over gas or electric ovens shall be permitted to have a duct constructed as required in Section 510.0 from the oven flue(s) connected to the hood canopy upstream of the exhaust plenum, as shown in Figure 508.3.3. [NFPA 96:5.1.8.1]

EXHAUST SYSTEMS

FIGURE 508.3.3

TYPICAL SECTION OF EYEBROW-TYPE HOOD

[NFPA 96: FIGURE 5.1.8.1]

508.3.3.1 Duct Connection. The duct connect ing the oven flue(s) to the hood canopy shall be connected with a continuous weld or have a duct-to-duct

connection. [See Figure 511.1.2(2) through Figure 511.1.2(4)] [NFPA 96:5.1.8.2]

508.3.4 Insulation. Insulation materials other than

electrical insulation shall have a flame spread index of 25 or less, when tested in accordance with ASTM E84 or UL 723. Adhesives or cements used in the installation of

insulating materials shall comply with the requirements of this section when tested with the specific insulating material. [NFPA 96:5.1.9, 5.1.10]

508.3.5 Exhaust Hood Assemblies with Integrated Supply-Air Plenums. The construction and size of exhaust hood assemblies with integrated supply air plenums shall comply with the requirements of Section 508.2.3 through Section 508.3.4 and Section 508.5. [NFPA 96:5.3.1]

508.3.5.1 Outer Shell. The construction of the outer

shell or the inner exhaust shell shall comply with Section 508.2.3 through Section 508.3.4. [NFPA 96:5.3.2]

508.3.5.2 Inner Shell. Where the outer shell is

welded, the inner shell shall be of greasetight construction. [NFPA 96:5.3.3]

508.3.5.3 Fire Dampers. A fire-actuated damper shall be installed in the supply air plenum at each point where a supply air duct inlet or a supply air outlet penetrates the continuously welded shell of the assembly. [NFPA 96:5.3.4.1]

508.3.5.3.1 Listing. The fire damper shall be listed for such use or be part of a listed exhaust hood with or without exhaust damper. [NFPA 96:5.3.4.2]

508.3.5.3.2 Actuating Temperature. The actuation device shall have a maximum tem perature rating of 286°F (141°C). [NFPA 96:5.3.4.3]

508.3.5.3.3 Exemption. Supply air plenums that discharge air from the face rather than from the bottom or into the exhaust hood and that are

isolated from the exhaust hood by the continuously welded shell extending to the lower outermost perimeter of the entire hood assembly shall not require a fire-actuated damper. [NFPA 96:5.3.4.4]

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Contents — California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4)
California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4)
  1. Chapter 1 — GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
  4. Chapter 4 — VENTILATION AIR
  5. Chapter 5 — EXHAUST SYSTEMS
    Overview
    1. 503.1 General. Motors and fans shall be sized to provide
    2. 503.2 Fans. Parts of fans in contact with explosive or flammab…
    3. 504.1 General. Where not specified in this chapter, exhaust
    4. 501.1 Applicability. This chapter includes requirements for
    5. 502.1 Exhaust Opening Protection. Exhaust openings
    6. 502.2 Termination of Exhaust Ducts. Exhaust ducts
    7. 504.2 Independent Exhaust Systems. Single or combined mechanic…
    8. 504.3 Domestic Cooking Exhaust Equipment.
    9. 504.4 Clothes Dryers. A clothes dryer exhaust duct shall
    10. 504.5 Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) and Energy
    11. 505.1 General. A mechanical ventilation or exhaust system
    12. 505.2 Incompatible Materials. Incompatible materials
    13. 505.3 Flammability Limit. Unless the circumstances stipulated …
    14. 505.4 Air-Moving Devices. Air-moving devices shall be
    15. 505.5 Generating Flames, Sparks, or Hot Materials.
    16. 505.6 Fire Dampers. Fire dampers shall be permitted to be
    17. 505.7 Fire Detection, Smoke Control, and Alarm Sys-
    18. 505.8 Product-Conveying Duct Classifications. Product-conveyin…
    19. 505.9 Minimum Velocities and Circulation. The velocity and cir…
    20. 505.10 Makeup Air. Makeup air shall be provided to replenish a…
    21. 505.11 Hoods and Enclosures. Hoods and enclosures shall
    22. 505.12 Pharmacies – Compounding Area of Par-
    23. 506.1 Materials. Materials used in product-conveying duct
    24. 506.2 Construction. Ducts used for conveying products
    25. 506.3 Penetrations. Exhaust ducts shall not pass through
    26. 506.4 Condensate. Joints in duct construction shall be liquidt…
    27. 506.5 Fittings. Fittings in Class 2, 3, and 4 systems shall be
    28. 506.6 Explosion Venting. Ducts conveying explosive dusts
    29. 506.7 Supports. Supports shall be of noncombustible materials,…
    30. 506.8 Fire Protection. Sprinklers or other fire-protection
    31. 506.9 Protection from Physical Damage. Ducts and
    32. 506.10 Duct Clearances. Unless the conditions stipulated
    33. 506.11 Clearance Reduction Methods. It shall be permitted to p…
    34. 507.1 Exhaust Systems. Exhaust systems serving Type I
    35. 507.2 Type I Hood Exhaust System Requirements.
    36. 507.3 Listed Devices. Penetrations shall be sealed with
    37. 507.4 Clearance. Where enclosures are not required, hoods,
    38. 507.5 Drawings. For cooking operations in buildings, a
    39. 507.6 Notification of Change. If required by the Authority Hav…
    40. 507.7 Pharmaceutical Compounding Exhaust Dis-
    41. 508.1 Where Required. Type I hoods shall be installed at
    42. 508.2 Listed Type I Hood Assemblies. Listed hood
    43. 508.3 Construction of Type I Hoods. The hood or that
    44. 508.4 Supports. Hoods shall be secured in place to resist
    45. 508.5 Hood Size. Hoods shall be sized in accordance with
    46. 508.6 Solid-Fuel Hood Assemblies. Where solid-fuel
    47. 508.7 Exhaust Outlets. An exhaust outlet within an
    48. 509.1 Grease Removal Devices. Listed grease filters or
    49. 509.2 Installation. The distance between the grease removal
    50. 509.3 Solid-Fuel Grease Removal Devices. Where
    51. 510.1 General. Ducts shall not pass through fire walls.
    52. 510.2 Clearance. Clearance between ducts and combustible
    53. 510.3 Openings. Openings shall be provided at the sides or
    54. 510.4 Listed Grease Ducts. Listed grease ducts shall be
    55. 510.5 Other Grease Ducts. Other grease ducts shall comply with…
    56. 510.6 Exterior Installations. For cooking operations in
    57. 510.7 Interior Installations. In all buildings more than one
    58. 510.8 Underground Installations. Grease ducts installed
    59. 510.9 Termination of Type I Hood Exhaust System.
    60. 510.10 Solid-Fuel Duct Systems. Where solid-fuel cooking equip…
    61. 511.1 Exhaust Fans for Commercial Cooking Opera-
    62. 511.2 Airflow. The air velocity through a duct shall be not
    63. 511.3 Makeup Air. The makeup air quantity shall prevent
    64. 511.4 Common Duct (Manifold) Systems. Master
    65. 511.5 Solid-Fuel Air Movement Requirements. Where
    66. 512.1 Dampers. Dampers shall not be installed in exhaust
    67. 512.2 Electrical Equipment. Wiring systems of any type
    68. 512.3 Other Equipment. Fume incinerators, thermal recovery uni…
    69. 512.4 Solid-Fuel Auxiliary Equipment. Where solid fuel
    70. 513.1 General. Fire-extinguishing equipment for the protection…
    71. 513.2 Types of Equipment. Fire-extinguishing equipment
    72. 513.3 Simultaneous Operation. Fixed pipe extinguishing
    73. 513.4 Fuel and Electric Power Shutoff. Upon actuation of
    74. 513.5 Manual Actuation. All systems shall have both automatic …
    75. 513.6 System Annunciation. Upon actuation of an automatic fire…
    76. 513.7 Special Design and Application. Hoods containing
    77. 513.8 Review and Certification. Where required, complete
    78. 513.9 Installation Requirements. Installation of systems
    79. 513.10 Portable Fire Extinguishers. Portable fire extinguisher…
    80. 513.11 Maintenance. Portable fire extinguishers shall be
    81. 513.12 Solid-Fuel Fire-Extinguishing Equipment.
    82. 514.1 Operating Procedures. Exhaust systems shall be
    83. 514.2 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance. Maintenance of the…
    84. 514.3 Inspection for Grease Buildup. The entire exhaust
    85. 514.4 Cleaning of Exhaust Systems. If, upon inspection,
    86. 514.5 Cooking Equipment Maintenance. Inspection and
    87. 515.1 Cooking Equipment. Cooking equipment shall be
    88. 515.2 Operating Controls. Deep-fat fryers shall be equipped
    89. 516.1 General Requirements. Recirculating systems containing o…
    90. 516.2 Design Restrictions. All recirculating systems shall
    91. 516.3 Interlocks. The recirculating system shall be provided
    92. 516.4 Location and Application Restrictions. The
    93. 516.5 Additional Fire Safety Requirements. In addition to the …
    94. 516.6 Use and Maintenance. Automatic or manual covers on cooki…
    95. 517.1 Venting Application. Venting requirements of solidfuel c…
    96. 517.2 Location of Appliances. For cooking operations in
    97. 517.3 Hoods for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Hoods shall be sized
    98. 517.4 Exhaust Systems for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Where
    99. 517.5 Grease Removal Devices for Solid-Fuel Cook-
    100. 517.6 Air Movement for Solid-Fuel Cooking. Exhaust
    101. 517.7 Fire-Extinguishing Equipment for Solid-Fuel
    102. 517.8 Other Safety Requirements. Metal-fabricated solidfuel co…
    103. 518.1 General. Downdraft appliance ventilation system
    104. 518.2 Ventilation System. The downdraft appliance ventilation …
    105. 518.3 Fire-Extinguishing Equipment. For fire-extinguishing equ…
    106. 518.4 Airflow Switch or Transducer. An airflow switch or
    107. 518.5 Surface Materials. Any surface located directly
    108. 519.1 Where Required. Type II hoods shall be installed
    109. 519.2 Construction of Type II Hoods. Type II hoods
    110. 519.3 Type II Hood Exhaust System Net Airflow. The
    111. 519.4 Type II Exhaust Duct Systems. Ducts and
    112. 519.5 Termination of Type II Hood Exhaust System.
    113. 519.6 Makeup Air. Makeup air shall be provided in accordance w…
    114. 519.7 Independent Exhaust Duct System. Single or
  6. Chapter 6 — DUCT SYSTEMS
  7. Chapter 7 — COMBUSTION AIR
  8. Chapter 8 — CHIMNEYS AND VENTS
  9. Chapter 9 — INSTALLATION OF SPECIFIC APPLIANCES
  10. Chapter 10 — BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS
  11. Chapter 11 — REFRIGERATION
  12. Chapter 12 — HYDRONICS
  13. Chapter 13 — FUEL GAS PIPING
  14. Chapter 14 — PROCESS PIPING
  15. Chapter 15 — SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
  16. Chapter 16 — STATIONARY POWER PLANTS
  17. Chapter 17 — GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE…
  18. Chapter 18 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  19. Appendix A — RESIDENTIAL PLAN EXAMINER REVIEW FORM FOR HVAC SY…
  20. Appendix B — PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED TO PLACE GAS EQUIPMENT …
  21. Appendix C — INSTALLATION AND TESTING OF OIL (LIQUID) FUEL-FIR…
  22. Appendix D — FUEL SUPPLY: MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME PARKS AND R…
  23. Appendix E — SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
  24. Appendix F — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION …
  25. Appendix G — EXAMPLE CALCULATION OF OUTDOOR AIR RATE
  26. Appendix H — PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
  27. Appendix I — INDOOR HORTICULTURAL FACILITIES
  28. Appendix J — CLEAN AIR DELIVERY

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