Sizing a soot scrubber for a wood-fired oven or charcoal grill

Artur Cokaj · 21 October 2026

Flow rate, temperature, fuel and flue gas route: the information to collect before choosing a scrubber for pizzerias and kitchens with grills.

Sizing a soot scrubber starts with the installation's actual conditions: flue gas quantity and temperature, fuel, operating pattern and the route to the discharge. Pipe diameter is useful information, but on its own it is not enough to choose the machine. A pizzeria's wood-fired oven and a charcoal grill may require different assessments even if their connections have the same diameter.

Ovens and grills: describe the process before the machine

For a pizzeria, identify the oven, fuel and chimney connection. For a steakhouse with a grill, hood and extraction data are also needed: the stream to be treated may include air drawn from the room and cooking aerosols. Describe ignition, service and peak-load conditions, without assuming operation is always steady.

For wood or charcoal applications, the assessment includes the chimney and the discharge of combustion products. The scrubber is one part of the system; the proposal must be coordinated with the installation design and the checks applicable at the installation site.

What to send for a technical assessment

Make, model and data sheet of the cooking appliance, including fuel type and consumption where available.
Flow rate to be treated, stating whether it was measured, specified in the design or estimated, and the corresponding temperature.
A drawing of the flue gas route showing diameters, lengths, changes in level, bends and terminal position.
Details of the existing hood and extraction fan, including available performance curves or technical data sheets.
Operating hours, appliances operating simultaneously, photographs and available space for installation and maintenance.
The problem observed: soot deposits, visible smoke, carry-over, odours or inadequate flue gas evacuation.

Flow rate and pressure must be assessed together

Flow rate states the volume of gas to be treated per unit of time. The reference temperature must be specified because volume changes with stream conditions. Fan assessment, meanwhile, considers the total resistance along the route, including that introduced by the scrubber. A larger connection diameter does not, on its own, demonstrate that the machine has sufficient capacity.

The ETC calculator supports flow rate and duct calculations. Results must be incorporated into the combustion process assessment and compared with the documented equipment characteristics.

The EPA technical reference on particulate control using wet scrubbers describes the operating variables in the scrubbing process. These principles help explain sizing; specific documentation is needed for the proposed machine's performance.

Compare documented configurations

For NEWSCRUB AH solutions from ETC Group S.r.l., selection must refer to the data sheet for the proposed configuration. Check the intended application, connections, water availability, drains, accessibility and operating conditions. The pages on wood-fired ovens and soot treatment applications provide initial guidance.

Technical documentation must then support the selection. The guide to water-based scrubber operation explains the scrubbing process. For an application assessment, send ETC Group a layout, photographs and the available data, so missing information can be identified before supply.