Extraction canopy
for a food trailer.
Extraction is treated as an optional comfort by people building their first trailer and as a hard requirement by everyone who inspects one. Over any cooking line producing grease-laden vapour it is required, and the filters are checked as closely as the fan.
The numbers
- Electrical load
- 150–750 W running Motor startup surge — draws several times this for a moment 3.3A at 230V · fits a 13A socket, but leaves 2.24 kW for everything else
- Footprint
- Must overhang the full cooking line, typically by 100mm on each side
- New (indicative)
- €500 – €3,000
- Checked
- 2026-08-01
Power figures are ranges across models commonly sold into the Irish trailer trade — read the rating plate on the actual unit before you build a load budget on them. Prices are indicative guidance bands, not quotes, and no supplier is named or implied.
Sizing and coverage
The canopy must cover the full cooking line with an overhang — typically around 100mm beyond the equipment on each side — so vapour is captured rather than escaping around the edge. Extraction rate should be matched to the appliances underneath: a chargrill and a fryer produce far more than a single griddle. Undersized extraction shows up as grease on the ceiling and condensation running down the walls, both of which an inspector will read correctly.
Grease filters are the part that gets checked
Baffle filters catch grease and must be cleaned regularly — weekly in heavy use. A clogged filter both stops working and becomes a serious fire risk, since accumulated grease in a duct is what turns a small flare-up into a trailer fire. Baffle filters are cleanable and reusable and should be part of your routine, not something you deal with when someone complains.
Power and the gas interlock
An extraction fan draws 150–750 W depending on size, plus a startup surge from the motor. Where a gas interlock is fitted, extraction is not optional in a practical sense either: the gas will not flow unless the fan is running, which is precisely the point. Include the fan in your power budget — it runs for the entire service, unlike appliances that cycle.
Questions
Is extraction a legal requirement in a food trailer?
Over a cooking line producing grease-laden vapour, yes. A canopy with grease filters is required in a commercial trailer and environmental health officers check both that it exists and that the filters are clean.
How often should grease filters be cleaned?
Weekly in heavy use. A clogged baffle filter stops working and becomes a serious fire risk — accumulated grease in a duct is what turns a flare-up into a trailer fire. Baffle filters are cleanable and reusable, so this is routine maintenance rather than a replacement cost.
How much power does an extraction fan use?
150–750 W depending on size, plus a motor startup surge. Budget it at full rating because it runs continuously through service rather than cycling like a fryer or bain marie.