Venting a kitchen stove
#11
I will be doing some kitchen remodeling soon including installing a new range hood to vent outside.
I’ve found that I should have about 400cfm+ for my gas stove. I’m sure that what I have now is much less than that (just a little fan on the wall that vents outside).

At any rate, it seems to me that a better venting system would draw air in from outside into the stove area, which would then exhaust with the heat, grease, and steam from the stove-top and oven. Without such, at a rate of 400+cfm I’m either causing a vacuum in my house (reducing the venting efficiency), or am otherwise exhausting my air conditioned household air (increasing my energy consumption to heat or cool the house).
I found some information about this for a furnace, but not yet about a kitchen stove.

Anyone know anything about doing this? Where would I look to get more information?

Thanks
Ray
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#12
Never heard of a kitchen hood that would provide it's own form of make up air. From my understanding...it's like a little open widow with a fan in it...pulling your heated/cooled air right along with it. You shouldn't be creating a "vacuum" in your house. Plenty of leaks in a standard home, plus if your home is newer, there is a chance you have an intentional make up air duct already. Another way to look at it...in the winter you would love the heat from the stove...but not the moisture/smells....you only lose out on the heat. But in the summer, don't look at it as losing air conditioned air...but think of the 1000s of BTUs of heat coming off the stove (and moisture) that you don't want IN the house...so it's good to exhaust it. Just need to teach whomever will be operating the hood that it isn't required during all phases of cooking...

Just my $.02

Kevin
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#13
I would love to see makeup air for residential kitchens and laundry rooms but that isn't going to happen for a very long time.

In commercial kitchens there is a make up air unit which brings air in from outside and heats or cools it and then provides that air through vents to the kitchen. They have to have it because of the massive air exchanges.

I have never seen anything done in residential kitchens. Now an hrv on the ac system will bring in air from outside but isn't really the best solution needed and as of this time there isn't one.
For now you will be sacking air in through the weakest links in your house. Here that usually means bucking hot air into the house around light fixtures since the attic is under pressure in the summer.

We do very little cooking inside in the summer because the heat load is so high from it and ac units just aren't sized to keep up. Personally I think every kitchen should have its own minisplit unit to keep it cool and not upset the temp in the rest of the house and cause back rooms to get too cold because the unit is running to pull heat out of the kitchen. IE more efficient to have a unit in the kitchen.

If you do find any info on adding makeup air to a residential kitchen let me know as I'd be interested.

Oh and the added heat In the winter is nice but the fumes from cooking often irritate the lungs. I end up cracking the kitchen window to keep from pulling air from who knows where.
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#14
What Terre said, but I would add that I have a 4-speed hood with a very powerful fan and large duct. I run it on low speed, which you can barely hear, when boiling water or cooking things that mostly just give off heat and vapor (plus it's a NG cook top) when the A/C is on. I leave it off in the winter, as the heat and vapor are welcome. But for smokey, smelly, and/or greasy, it can pull a lot of air (nothing gets around it on high, even from the front burners), so having some flow rate choices is a good thing. And yes, we crack the kitchen door when a lot of air is needed, as it's best (IMO) to bring in the makeup air where it's needed rather than pulling air in through the windows and cracks and crevices all over the house.
Tom

“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
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#15
There is need need to concern oneself with loss of energy efficiency in need and usage of a kitchen or bath fan exhaust. The biggest problem is inadequate ventilation of cooking heat, fumes, smoke or derri air.
Any free advice given is worth double price paid.
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#16
Yes, the extra heat is welcome in the winter, but the extra other stuff we can do without regardless of season. Plus we've had to clean enough grease off the walls and ceiling in our kitchen that I don't want to do that again. We used to have a ceiling fan in the kitchen and that thing would get heavily caked and require cleaning at least a couple times a year.

A few times a month my wife will get into doing some heavy cooking. A few times a year she makes huge batches of lasagna (no, I'm not giving any away here , but if I could spare some for the great advice I get here, I would ).
When these things occur the heat gets to be a lot and opening the back door next to the stove is still not adequate given the weak exhaust we currently have and if it's during the heat of summer it doesn't help with the heat in the house. We do a lot of outdoor grilling all year, but still need adequate exhaust for the stove when it's needed. Being that I'm about to do some kitchen remodel, it's the best time to take care of this.

I know I would not actually generate a "vacuum", but it would still fight to pull air through the house from wherever and I'd rather not do that and lose the energy even if it's being pulled through with ease.

I guess I'll just look into options to install some sort of an air inlet that can be actuated along with the exhaust fan, or on a separate switch.
If anyone has any specific ideas on that I'd appreciate it.

Thanks
Ray
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#17
If you have the opportunity to increase the width of your range hood by 6" over the width of the range capture will be much improved. The larger the exhaust pipe the more quiet its operation will be which is a major issue IMO. A 400cfm kitchen exhaust fan is pretty minimal with equally minimal results. Large ranges, ones with high output burners or demanding usage all benefit with 500 - 1000+ cfm blowers which is something your needs may require.

Exhaust fans with more speeds provide the cook better control too so many have four speeds and twin blowers. Although everybody likes to save money on appliances, saving money on a range hood will be quickly noticed and have a lasting effect. If you are shopping at places like Best Buy or Sears for range hoods you're in the wrong type of outlet, try an appliance specialty store. Look for brands like Zephyr.
Any free advice given is worth double price paid.
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#18
Good point. I always put in a hood wider than the stove. I have a 36" over our 30" stove. Would have liked bigger but not in the budget.

Oh and please please don't boil your ribs.
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#19
Okay - what's up with boiling ribs?
Why the hell would anyone boil ribs?
What is this referring to?
Ray
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#20
It is a known fact that thooks boils his ribs.



Al
I turn, therefore I am!
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