I was wondering what people might suggest for adding some proper ventilation to my kitchen.
I like to do some pretty serious cooking from time to time–problem is, my standard-issue 1984 condominium kitchen has no ventilation whatsoever. Worse, it’s basically open to the living room. I saute with great caution and serious frying is just out of the question because, even with windows open and fans running, I risk ending up with specks of grease stuck to any furniture that’s metal or glass–which is practically everything. An afternoon of cooking is followed by an hour and a half with the Windex and dust rags.
I’ve got a fairly new Whirlpool microwave above the stove with a built-in vent that COULD be hooked up to an exterior vent, but is presently just set to recirculate. So of course, even running full blas it doesn’t really do crap. I’d hate to get rid of it since the kitchen is tiny and over the stove is the only place a microwave will go without taking up precious space.
I’m on the top floor, and there’s an attic above, so I ought to be able to run a duct up and out. The building has a flat roof, but since there are some level changes, there should be a vertical surface to exit through somewhere up there. The problem with this, it seems, is that the venting could get to be too long to be effective–like it would almost require a fan at the far end to pull air though.
Otherwise, I once spied a filter unit in a photo that looked like it could work beautifully for my kitchen. It seemed to be a blower/filter housed in a stainless steel box that sat on top of the kitchen cabinets, pulling air up through the vent below. Has anyone seen one of these? Know of a manufacturer?
Replies
Fan Tech makes good remote units, though mostly used for bath and laundry from what I've seen. You really should try to get the exhaust out of the building, filters just do not work that well. If you can get out a sidewall is your current unit strong enough to handle your cooking skills??
Zephyr makes good powerfull hoods that can be had for between $500 -$800, or some really over the top stuff for those with too much disposable $$$.
my impression is you're in a condiminium. Do you know what they allow you to do to the outside, (of your unit)?
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG
Well, there are difficulties with going right out a side wall. Our wing of the building is brick, and not just any brick--paving brick. Not something I'd be keen on trying to cut through. Plus, the building is on the historic register, so even a minor visible exterior change would have to be approved.It would likely be much easier to find an appropriate location to exit a vent up on the roof. There's all kinds of stuff going on up there. All the AC compressors are on the roof. I've never followed the duct work, but our bathroom fan exhausts somewhere up on the roof structure.
didn't make myself clear.do you need permission from the condominium association to go through roof or wall?
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG
Permission from the board shouldn't be a problem. I'm more concerned now with finding a workable solution.I've been wondering--could a remote unit be used in tandem with the vent I already have on my microwave?
You should be able to go directly up and out through tthe roof. Assuming of course there are no framing members in the way.
You present microwave has the setup, all that is needed is the ducting and a roof jack . Sheet metal shop or HVAC shop for the ducting, and careful flashing at the roof, or find a roofer willing to do a smal job like that .
Shortest , straightest is the best.
It's a flat roof. I haven't been up there myself, but I think it's foam. I feel a little less than cavalier about punching random holes in a flat roof.
I would then contact an HVAC shop and ask them to look at the job.