What type of hood must be used for commercial cooking appliances to be exempt from certain venting requirements?

Type I hoods are specifically designed for use with commercial cooking appliances that produce significant amounts of grease and smoke, such as fryers, charbroilers, and griddles. These hoods provide a higher level of protection because they are equipped to capture and remove heat, smoke, grease, and odors through adequate ventilation.

The design of Type I hoods allows them to comply with health and safety codes, thus providing exemptions from certain venting requirements that would otherwise apply to less specialized systems. This makes them essential in commercial kitchens, where controlling grease and fires is critical for both safety and compliance with local codes.

Other types of hoods, such as Type II, Type III, and Type IV, are intended for different applications and do not offer the same level of protection or the same exemptions from venting requirements that a Type I hood provides. Type II hoods are typically used for venting non-grease producing appliances, while Type III and IV hoods cater to specific applications with unique requirements that do not include the broad protections offered by a Type I hood.