Clearing the Air – A Guide to Kitchen Ventilation

Few things are better in life than walking into your home and smelling the mouth-watering aroma of a home-cooked meal. What's not so great is when those odors linger long after the dinner dishes have been washed and put away.

source: Kitchen Aid

Smoke, moisture, grease and heat released as you cook can spread throughout your home, creating build up on walls, ceilings, cabinetry and fabrics causing surface discoloration, griminess and smelliness. Also gas appliances emit nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, both hazardous gases that can affect your family’s health.

Having a good kitchen ventilation system will carry these contaminates away, eliminating odors and maintaining a healthy indoor air quality.

Types of Venting - External or Re-Circulating

Kitchen ventilation systems, also known as vent hoods or range hoods, can be externally vented or recirculating and can be installed in several ways: underneath a cabinet, hanging down from the ceiling or in the countertop.

External is the most common and preferred method because it vents odors to the outside, but in some building situations external venting isn’t possible, making re-circulating the next best choice.

Recirculating ventilation recycles air through an activated charcoal filter and returns it to the kitchen. Recirculating vents are less expensive to purchase and install than vented hoods, but they're harder to keep clean and noisier.

While most recirculating systems still require ducts even though they don’t vent to the outside, some recirculating systems are ductless, however these are not as powerful and should not be used with high heat output appliances such as professional style ranges.

Regardless of which type you choose, it’s important to remember that proper care and maintenance is essential for optimum performance. Learn more about maintaining your kitchen vent hood.

Size and Power

When deciding what type of vent hood to buy for your kitchen one of the most important things you will need to consider is the size of your range or cooktop and how much heat it puts out?

The size of your vent hood must be at least as wide as or wider than your range or cooktop, and the power (or CFMs) needs to be able to handle the heat output of your cooking appliance.

Hoods come in standard widths of 30”, 36”, 42”, 48”, 54” and even 60” or wider. Usually the width of the vent hood should be at least as wide if not wider than your range or cooktop.

The larger the hood, the more effective it will be at capturing and removing steam and odors, so if you have the space and budget go for a wider hood. For example, consider a 42" wide hood over a 36" range - the extra width will catch more airborn contaminents.

Vent hood power or capacity is measured by how many cubic feet of air is moved per minute known as CFMs. The Home Ventilating Institute, a non-profit association of manufacturers of residential ventilating products, recommends a ventilation rate of 100 CFM for every linear foot of range - so, if you have a 3 foot wide range, you need a range hood with at least a rating of 300 CFMs. For gas ranges, a good estimate is to have 1 CFM for every 100 BTUs.

The best way to be sure you're getting enough venting power for your range or cooktop is to check the manufacturers specifications which will list the minimum number of CFMs recommended for adequate ventilation. The specifications will also recommend at what height the bottom of the hood should be installed – typically anywhere from 24” to 36” above the burners.

Styles of Kitchen Vent Hoods

The type or style of vent hood you choose will also depend on your kitchen cabinet layout. If you have upper cabinets above your range or cooktop you may choose a hood that mounts underneath an upper cabinet. If there are no cabinets above you can choose from several wall mount styles.

There are also downdraft vents that are mounted in the base cabinet, and ceiling-mounted hoods, which are great for cooking appliances located in an island or peninsula.

You can even design a custom hood where the exterior matches your cabinets or other design features in your kitchen or home.

Learn more about Kitchen Vent Hoods - Plenty of Styles to Choose From!

Learn more about Kitchen Ventilation – Blowers, Ducting, Filters and Lighting.