Unvented range hood-any fix?

[haha]

I looked at a great condo- nice view, quality building, large enough, price reasonable for this area, easy walk to downtown (First Hill for locals)- but the range hood is one of those phoney re-circulating types. This building was built in 1980, so I am surprised that passed code, but there it is.

I cook at least daily, and I don't want my smoke alarms going off every time I put a steak in hot butter. I would even consider running something to the window across the room if it might work, but I can 't really visualize that.

Can you more experienced people think of anything that might work?

Ha

 

[bbbamI]

Unplug the smoke alarm.

But seriously, I don't think I've ever lived in place that had a vented range hood (that was actually vented outside). I do a lot of cookin' too and on a rare occasion or two have smoked things up a bit. I just open a window.

I suppose if the kitchen gets downright foggy, you could put a fan near an open window and that might help.

 

[Dimsumkid]

I'm not sure if there is code for venting the kitchen. I have a bathroom ventless fan that uses a heavier carbon filter, but I decided not to install it.

Is this range hood mounted to an exterior wall? If so, you can break a hole in the wall and put in a vented range hood. You need to check to see if there's anything in the space behind the range hood before you start demolition. I've done this myself and it takes a few hours since I had to go thru two layers of brick, but if you don't have any handyman type skills, you should hire someone. If it's not backed to an exterior wall, then make sure you have space to run some duct behind some space above/thru the cabinets to get to an exterior wall.

I've also seen separate fans run thru a window unit (like glass block where one block is knocked out). I think these look pretty tacky.

 

[JPatrick]

We have a microwave above the cook top which serves as the vent. It recirculates the air and actually does a good job, although I'd rather have it exhaust outside.
Which reminds me, I need to check the filter.

 

[Bestwifeever]

The condo association might not let you break through an exterior wall, even if that was a possibility. We had a "recirculating" range hood many years ago and to me it just made a lot of noise. Today that would be a deal breaker for us.

 

[haha]

We have a microwave above the cook top which serves as the vent. It recirculates the air and actually does a good job, although I'd rather have it exhaust outside.
Which reminds me, I need to check the filter.

This seems to be what this place has. I have never had one that didn't go outside, or to the roof, so I just assumed that this type couldn't work very well. Maybe it will, since yours seems to. When I had a house I created one that vented outside. I had to run a duct across the celing from the range hood on an inside wall. There was none at all prior to this.

Ha

 

[samclem]

If you can't install a conventional hood with ducting up and out (through the roof, or cheat and have it go up to an existing hat vent), then the two other options are a downdraft stove (Jen-aire type--expensive and still not as effective as a real hood) and a vent that goes through the back of the wall. If you go through the back of the wall you can take the vent pipe through the stud bay either up or down and eventually out through the roof or exterior wall.

Basically, if you've got another condo above you and the stove isn't on an exterior wall, it's going to be hard. Otherwise, it's probably not too difficult to get the smoke and moisture vented to the outside.

Remember that you may end up with moisture condensation inside the duct, especially if it is long, not insulated, and it goes through a cold place. In such a case, it is best that the duct slope down so any water can drip to the outside.

 

[Westernskies]

Well, ha, you could always try this:

 

[travelover]

I'd go with a carbon filter and be ready to open a window at times.

Those steaks will kill ya, anyway.

 

[ls99]

If you like the place, make the hood vent to the exterior a condition of purchase. Let the seller sort it out with the condo folks.

 

[HFWR]

Well, ha, you could always try this:

Ha, this is perfect. A Kentucky vent hood!

 

[Westernskies]

Ha, this is perfect. A Kentucky vent hood!

Careful, HFWR, yer gonna get them innovatin' folks in [-]Alabama[/-] [-]Mississipi[/-] [-]Tennnesse [/-] West Virgina all riled up...

 

[JPatrick]

This seems to be what this place has. I have never had one that didn't go outside, or to the roof, so I just assumed that this type couldn't work very well. Maybe it will, since yours seems to. When I had a house I created one that vented outside. I had to run a duct across the celing from the range hood on an inside wall. There was none at all prior to this.

Ha

DW has a habit of resisting the use of the fan because of the noise (not that bad, but--well the kitchen TV) so when the smoke detector activates she turns it on and the mess is cleared up quite fast. It also seems to filter out the associated odor. I have a hyper sensitive sense of smell and I don't seem to notice anything coming from the vent.
This is a Kenmore micro above a JennAir cook top.

 

[Gotadimple]

I'm not sure if there is code for venting the kitchen. I have a bathroom ventless fan that uses a heavier carbon filter, but I decided not to install it.

Is this range hood mounted to an exterior wall? If so, you can break a hole in the wall and put in a vented range hood.

Only if the condo association will let you! As you don't own the exterior walls they generally frown on changes to them unless you get permission.

But to answer your original question, Ha: I have gas throughout and do not have a vented range hood. I have not had a problem with stove top cooking setting off the alarms. My gas fireplace is not vented either, but then I only use it when we have a power outage which is infrequent.

-- Rita

 

[HFWR]

Careful, HFWR, yer gonna get them innovatin' folks in [-]Alabama[/-] [-]Mississipi[/-] [-]Tennnesse [/-] West Virgina all riled up...

I'm from "Kentuckiana"...

 

[TromboneAl]

I agree that you must have a vent that goes to the outside -- especially with low-carb eating.

We were in this situation when we moved in to our current house. We took out the microwave/filter and put in a hood. The ducting goes up through the cabinets, and then along the top of the cabinets to the outside wall. I added a wood partition on top of the cabinets (oak-faced plywood).

So, if you can access an outer wall, there should be a solution. Get a very strong hood fan.

This post was useful to me, because in taking out that part that hides the duct, I found coffee filters and teas that had slipped down through the duct hole.

 

[freebird5825]

There is a pretty comprehensive discussion here

Hoods You Can Trust | Ventilation | This Old House - 1

 

[Lisa99]

There are some higher end vents on the market that you can choose to vent outside or inside.

We cook a lot too and just replaced our microwave/vent with a dedicated vent that vents back into the room after filtering out the smoke and grease. Got it at Lowe's for about $275 and it works wonderfully.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

Maybe you can call the guy who did this "awesome" electrical job:
YouTube - Awesome Electrical "Improvement"

 

[haha]

Maybe you can call the guy who did this "awesome" electrical job:
YouTube - Awesome Electrical "Improvement"

Looks Skookum to me! A real old world craftsman must have been in charge of that job.

Ha

 

[Brat]

You too must read Seattle Bubble!!

Do your BBQing on the deck! I wouldn't buy a condo without a deck that accommodates a BBQ.

Look for a vent in the kitchen area itself. IMHO there should be one as the kitchen is a source of moisture. Find out how they are kept clean. There should be a constant low volume suck although a newer building may have a timer on a building wide system. BTW you don't want so much negative pressure that it pulls air (and moisture) from the outside. One way to test for that is to see if air is leaking into the unit where it shouldn't, are doors pulled inward by air pressure. The buildings that make me wary are the condo conversions. I know of one in Portland where the developer thought that bigger was better when it came to exhaust fans and it pulled moisture through the walls.

 

[calmloki]

Looks Skookum to me! A real old world craftsman much of been in charge on that job.

Ha

Hmm - skookum eh? What's with the Alaska word? Seattle does get a bunch of Alaska migrants - nice to see the word again - my folks homesteaded in AK after WW2.

 

[DblDoc]

Hmm - skookum eh? What's with the Alaska word? Seattle does get a bunch of Alaska migrants - nice to see the word again - my folks homesteaded in AK after WW2.

Its actually a Chinook word used throughout the PNW Skookum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Also see: Chinook Jargon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, for more about the "pidgin" trade language used throughout the PNW. My dad used it a lot and I grew up in BC. I pass over a Skookum creek en route to Aberdeen, WA every month.

DD

 

[haha]

Its actually a Chinook word used throughout the PNW Skookum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Also see: Chinook Jargon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, for more about the "pidgin" trade language used throughout the PNW. My dad used it a lot and I grew up in BC. I pass over a Skookum creek en route to Aberdeen, WA every month.

DD

Yeah, I've heard it all over rural Washington, more on the west side.

Ha

 

[pb4uski]

Our range hood is not vented - never been a problem. Never use it at all for that matter. Perhaps the best solution is to be more careful when you cook! (Just kidding).

I'm actually building a new place right now and the exhaust hood will be along an outside wall. When I talked with my builder about venting the range hood outside he said he rarely did that. I was surprised, but he knows his stuff.