Range hood advice needed
So, we have a 36" Viking Range. Not sure what the model is, but it has 4 burners and a griddle. And is from about 1992 (when the previous owner redid the kitchen).
The current hood is a rather elaborate - yet totally ineffective - setup. There is a roof-mounted blower, don't know how many CFMs, but it has to go up through 2 stories and our attic. Also, not totally sure how wide our ducts are....
I've been dealing with the ineffective part by opening a window whenever I cook so as to avoid setting off our smoke alarm. Less than ideal, but not really excited to spend a lot of money.
But... we are getting our roof redone. Rather than have them do all kinds of flashing and whatnot around this ineffective external blower, I'm thinking maybe I should think about this problem in the near-term.
I think we have some kind of custom liner set up right now with an under-cabinet hood. The outside of the hood is stainless with some sort of brass towel-bar looking thing on it. Not loving the brass towel bar. And the liner (inside) isn't great. Has a mesh grate thing and the knobs to turn on the lights and the fan are on the sides of the inside so you always burn your hand on the bulbs....
Do I need 1200 CFM to get all the way up to the roof?
I'd think about getting a 600 cfm 36" hood with an internal blower if not, since that seems like the most economical approach and would allow me to update all three aspects of my current dated setup. But it doesn't look like there are many options for internal blowers with 1200 cfm, so if I really need 1200 cfm, I'd be stuck getting another roof mounted external blower. If I went with the internal blower hood, I'd just have them take out the external blower and just put in a round duct all the way through the roof (or however those things are supposed to be, probably need a cap of some sort, I think the roofer could handle it).
Also, anyone ever tried to use stainless steel paint? Thinking about painting that brass bar, but worried that it will look stupid since it is connected to something that is actually made of stainless steel.
Thanks!
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Well, based on my measuring the circumference of the duct in the attic, I think we have 6" ductwork. And the rectangular duct that is behind the cabinet makes a 90 degree turn back into the wall and presumably makes a 2nd 90 degree turn up once it gets through the wall.... This is an 85 year old house and the range sits on an interior wall, against the dining room, so no way to exhaust through a wall n a way that would look remotely acceptable. Should I just not bother, keep opening the windows and dream of a kitchen remodel someday? Should I consider a no duct kit or are they pointless?
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re: lazyjane75
A six inch (diameter) duct is almost certainly inadequate. When I installed a hood years ago, my recollection is that it was eight inches for a relatively short run. Is it possible to install a larger duct in the space that is used now? That might be sufficient, if the blower is adequate.
I think ductless hoods are useless.
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If the system is ineffective, it could have been improperly sized when installed. For a longer run, a larger duct is needed for equivalent airflow. Bends also contribute to restricting airflow. A ventilation contractor should have taken all this into account, as well as the power of the roof unit. If it was an amateur installation, the duct might be undersized.
Hood suppliers should have guides to specifying the duct work properly. According to Vent-A-Hood, the dual blower unit (600 cfm) is sufficient for professional-style residential ranges, if properly ducted.
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The first thing I'd look at is, is there a way to get outside without having to go up through two stories and an attic, that's an extremely long run and the longer the run the greater the loss in velocity of air. Also, how far above the stove top is the hood? It shouldn't be more than 30 inches. My son's hood is on an inside wall, but the laundry room is on the other side of the wall so he went into the laundry room and then out the wall on the first floor. The duct work was boxed in and covered in wall board, so there is just an obtrusion in the laundry room. If you are on an outside wall, go out between the joists if they run the right direction, anything to get a shorter run of duct. Lastly, your doucts should be no less than 8 inches and perhaps larger for that kind of air movement.
