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We’re remodelling our kitchen and putting the cook stove/range out on a peninsula of cabinets–basically it’ll be in the center of the kitchen. A range hood over the range would obstruct views out the back window and…well we just don’t like range hoods… We’re considering buying a downdraft range, but I’ve heard that the exhaust fans are not all that effective. Has anyone tried putting in an auxillary downdraft fan that would be more effective than the built-in types?
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the downdrafts are not only ineffective.. they are also noisy....
tough choice , huh ?
*Heat goes up. Steam, gease, odors do too. Sorry. An intermediate option would be one of the cooktops that have a downdraft that rises up 8-10" behind the burners when you want and lowers flush when not in use. I have found them to be more effective than the flush downdrafts by a fair bit. Especially if you put the frypan or pasts pot on the back burner closest to it.To answer your question, yes you could put an auxillary fan on a downdraft. I'd get inside the cooktop and check the ratings on the switch or relay that turns on the fan. If it has extra capacity, I'd just come off that. If not, I'd get a relay with the appropriate coil voltage (120 or 240? check it) and power the aux fan from the new relay. The aux fan might most easily be mounted under the cooktop in the cabinet but if you want to keep it quiet or just don't have the room there, it could be located anywhere along the duct run. Put it somewhere it can be serviced. Grease and gunk will build up on it. Use rigid metal duct work and run it so as minimize run length and especially bends. Consider using a duct one size larger for less restricted flow. But any of these tricks is still going to be working against the natural convection and it will still be a poor performer compare to a range hood. -David
*Several manufacturers make a down draft system where the main blower is at the roof or wall. 500 to 1000 cm are available. A Jennair re told me that the dusting has to be designed in accordance with their instructions as too much airflow is as bad as not enough. Something about depositing grease in the ducts.Kelvin
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We're remodelling our kitchen and putting the cook stove/range out on a peninsula of cabinets--basically it'll be in the center of the kitchen. A range hood over the range would obstruct views out the back window and...well we just don't like range hoods... We're considering buying a downdraft range, but I've heard that the exhaust fans are not all that effective. Has anyone tried putting in an auxillary downdraft fan that would be more effective than the built-in types?