517.3 Hoods for Solid-Fuel Cooking — 2025 California Mechanical Code
California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-25 · California
CBSC: official editions, supplements and errata
Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.
Cite as: 2025 California Mechanical Code (Title 24, Part 4) § 517.3 · Effective January 1, 2026 · Official source: Building Standards Commission
Hoods shall be sized and located in a manner capable of capturing and containing all the effluent discharging from the appliances. The hood and its exhaust system shall comply with the requirements of Section 508.0 through Section 513.0. [NFPA 96:15.3.1, 15.3.2]
517.3.1 Separation. Except as permitted in Section 517.3.1.1, exhaust systems serving solid-fuel cooking equipment in buildings, including gas or electrically operated equipment, shall be separate from all other exhaust systems. [NFPA 96:15.3.3]
Exception: Cooking equipment not requiring automatic fire-extinguishing equipment (per Section 513.0) shall be permitted to be installed under a common hood with solid-fuel cooking equipment that is served by a duct system separate from all other exhaust systems. [NFPA 96:15.3.5]
517.3.1.1 Equipment with Solid Fuel for Fla- voring. Gas-operated equipment utilizing solid fuel for flavoring that meets all the following conditions shall not be required to have a separate exhaust sys tem:
(1) The solid fuel holder (smoker box) shall be listed with the gas-operated equipment.
(2) The solid fuel holder shall be located underneath the gas burners.
(3) Spark arresters conforming with Section 517.1.6 shall be provided.
(4) The maximum quantity of solid fuel consumed shall not exceed 1 pound (0.45 kg) per hour per 100 000 Btu/h (29 kW) of gas burner capacity.
(5) The gas-operated equipment shall be protected by a fire suppression system listed for the equipment, including the solid fuel holder.
(6) Gas-operated equipment with integral solid fuel holder(s) intended for flavoring, such as radiant charbroiler(s), shall comply simultaneously with the requirements of UL 300 that address the gas radiant charbroiler(s) and mesquite wood charbroiler(s).
(7) A fire suppression system nozzle(s) shall be installed to protect the solid fuel holder.
(8) The fire suppression system shall be designed and installed to protect the entire cooking operation.
(9) Each solid fuel holder shall be limited to a size of 150 cubic inches (2.5 L), with no dimension to exceed 20 inches (508 mm).
(10) A maximum of one solid fuel holder for each 100 000 Btu/h (29 kW), or portion thereof, of burner capacity shall be permitted.
(11) Solid fuel shall be immersed in water for a continuous period of at least 24 hours immediately prior to being placed in the cooking equipment.
(12) The inspection frequency shall be the same as for solid fuel cooking operations in Table 514.3.
[NFPA 96:15.3.4]
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