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Author More about kitchen venting hoods
Una

2008-02-06, 3:25 am

Anticipating a new roof in the near future, we've been looking into
also adding a venting hood over the range oven combo. The range is
on an inside wall and has a basic residential grease trap "hood".
We like high-temperature stir frys, deep frys, and (ultra messy)
fried onion and chili pastes.

In another thread someone mentioned a downdraft venting range. Do
they really work? That might be a good solution, venting down and
under the kitchen floor (in a crawlspace ... except there is some
ductwork there already)) and out the wall near ground level. The
other option is a standard vent, up through a cabinet, crawlspace,
and roof.

Someone here mentioned venting a hood down under the floor; how is
that done? Where would the vent pipe go?

Is it necessary to have the fan at the intake point, or can it be
installed somewhere inline or at the exit to the outside?

Thanks,

Una

Una

2008-02-06, 3:25 am

Una <una@att.net> wrote:
>In another thread someone mentioned a downdraft venting range. Do
>they really work?


Does such a thing exist, in the usual format of oven under cooktop?

Una
JoeSpareBedroom

2008-02-06, 9:26 am

"Una" <una@att.net> wrote in message news:fobd8v$se1$1@doliolum.localnet...
> Anticipating a new roof in the near future, we've been looking into
> also adding a venting hood over the range oven combo. The range is
> on an inside wall and has a basic residential grease trap "hood".
> We like high-temperature stir frys, deep frys, and (ultra messy)
> fried onion and chili pastes.
>
> In another thread someone mentioned a downdraft venting range. Do
> they really work? That might be a good solution, venting down and
> under the kitchen floor (in a crawlspace ... except there is some
> ductwork there already)) and out the wall near ground level. The
> other option is a standard vent, up through a cabinet, crawlspace,
> and roof.
>
> Someone here mentioned venting a hood down under the floor; how is
> that done? Where would the vent pipe go?
>
> Is it necessary to have the fan at the intake point, or can it be
> installed somewhere inline or at the exit to the outside?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Una
>



Have you ever noticed the grease on the huge fan covers outside of
restaurant kitchens, especially where stir frying is done?

Companion question:

Can you imagine lying on your back in your crawlspace, trying to disassemble
and clean filthy, greasy ducts?

I think this explains why you would not want ducts going down, in your
situation. Actually, any sort of ductwork for kitchen venting is a horrible
idea, and this is why a range should never EVER be on an inside wall.


Norminn

2008-02-06, 9:26 am

Una wrote:

>Anticipating a new roof in the near future, we've been looking into
>also adding a venting hood over the range oven combo. The range is
>on an inside wall and has a basic residential grease trap "hood".
>We like high-temperature stir frys, deep frys, and (ultra messy)
>fried onion and chili pastes.
>
>In another thread someone mentioned a downdraft venting range. Do
>they really work? That might be a good solution, venting down and
>under the kitchen floor (in a crawlspace ... except there is some
>ductwork there already)) and out the wall near ground level. The
>other option is a standard vent, up through a cabinet, crawlspace,
>and roof.
>
>

We have both kinds of vents, as the cooktop is an old JennAire electric
with interchangeable grill/burner
set. Our downdraft is very powerful and probably would not work with
gas. The fan is centered,
between burners, and there is a "well" that is lower than the fan and
collects a lot of grease. There is
also a steel mesh filter before the fan. We are on first floor, slab,
so duct goes along inside of
cabinet, through my broom closet, and then out. I hate the whole
contraption, because
it is a glob of grease. I like to grill outdoors. The ductwork for the
downdraft vents right
next to our front door. Odd arrangement, but it is a condo. No sign of
grease on the outside,
and we use it a lot. I do stir-frying, but the whole point of that is
to use minimal grease. Chinese
stir-fry was invented to conserve scarce fuel - the cooker has a small
bottom to concentrate heat
and uses liquid in the food to cook by steam.

>Someone here mentioned venting a hood down under the floor; how is
>that done? Where would the vent pipe go?
>
>Is it necessary to have the fan at the intake point, or can it be
>installed somewhere inline or at the exit to the outside?
>
>Thanks,
>
> Una
>
>
>

Mark

2008-02-06, 9:26 am

My in-laws have a gas JennAire with the center vent and it works fine.

"Norminn" <norminn@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:13qj93gch1q45c7@corp.supernews.com...[color=darkred]
> Una wrote:
>
> We have both kinds of vents, as the cooktop is an old JennAire electric
> with interchangeable grill/burner
> set. Our downdraft is very powerful and probably would not work with gas.
> The fan is centered,
> between burners, and there is a "well" that is lower than the fan and
> collects a lot of grease. There is
> also a steel mesh filter before the fan. We are on first floor, slab, so
> duct goes along inside of
> cabinet, through my broom closet, and then out. I hate the whole
> contraption, because
> it is a glob of grease. I like to grill outdoors. The ductwork for the
> downdraft vents right
> next to our front door. Odd arrangement, but it is a condo. No sign of
> grease on the outside,
> and we use it a lot. I do stir-frying, but the whole point of that is to
> use minimal grease. Chinese
> stir-fry was invented to conserve scarce fuel - the cooker has a small
> bottom to concentrate heat
> and uses liquid in the food to cook by steam.
>

JoeSpareBedroom

2008-02-06, 9:26 am

"Mark" <mwl@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:47a9b43e$0$1078$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> My in-laws have a gas JennAire with the center vent and it works fine.



The success of such a system depends to some extent on what kind of cooking
is being done. The OP said "We like high-temperature stir frys, deep frys,
and (ultra messy) fried onion and chili pastes." At some point which is
tough to determine in a discussion like this, any system will be unable to
handle the mess. And/or, the ductwork will get atrociously filthy and begin
to stink.


John Grabowski

2008-02-06, 9:26 am


"Una" <una@att.net> wrote in message news:fobd8v$se1$1@doliolum.localnet...
> Anticipating a new roof in the near future, we've been looking into
> also adding a venting hood over the range oven combo. The range is
> on an inside wall and has a basic residential grease trap "hood".
> We like high-temperature stir frys, deep frys, and (ultra messy)
> fried onion and chili pastes.
>
> In another thread someone mentioned a downdraft venting range. Do
> they really work? That might be a good solution, venting down and
> under the kitchen floor (in a crawlspace ... except there is some
> ductwork there already)) and out the wall near ground level. The
> other option is a standard vent, up through a cabinet, crawlspace,
> and roof.
>
> Someone here mentioned venting a hood down under the floor; how is
> that done? Where would the vent pipe go?
>
> Is it necessary to have the fan at the intake point, or can it be
> installed somewhere inline or at the exit to the outside?
>


I had customers a while back who had a cooking style similar to yours. They
had just remodeled their entire kitchen and the type of hood exhaust fan
that they got was for "Chinese kitchens" I don't remember the brand, but
they told me it worked very well for their lifestyle.

Commercial kitchens usually have the exhaust fan outside or on the roof, but
the type of fan that they use may be too powerful and unattractive for
residential use.

Una

2008-02-06, 1:25 pm

High temperature stir frying and deep frying is minimally greasy, if
you use a good high temperature oil. However, when you add the food
ingredients to a stir fry there will be some rapid boiling in oil and
that causes steam with some oil carried along with it. At least it
is not burned oil.

Maximum grease load results from grilling (we do that outdoors) and the
European technique of searing a hunk of meat before pot roasting. Oh,
and any paste fried in oil; that generates a lot of oily steam and it
is a key technique in some Indian and Mexican dishes.

JoeSpareBedroom <dishborealis@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Can you imagine lying on your back in your crawlspace, trying to disassemble
>and clean filthy, greasy ducts?


Yes. And I would much rather do it under the house than under the roof!

I used to live in a house with a downdraft cooktop (oven was on a wall)
and it was only fairly effective. Certainly better than an underpowered
recirculating hood. But we have a standard range: cooktop over oven.
Short of a total remodel of the kitchen, the range will have to stay
where it is, on an inside wall. On the whole, I am favoring a straight
vertical vent through the roof, with a high-power "Chinese" style fan.
Can I get a closing cap? Or would the fan be strong enough to lift a
hinged cap without too much compromise of the exhaust? How drafty are
these through-the-roof vents?

To vent a hood down, I would have to open the wall cavity, and maybe
also build a box out from the wall, so the range would protrude out of
the counter by a few inches. And the outlet would be at knee height
right beside our entrance.

Good brainstorming here!

Una

EXT

2008-02-06, 1:25 pm

NuTone/Broan make exhaust fan and motor that fit on the roof to allow a
larger power unit and quieter operation, I have had one for many years and
they work great for our type of cooking.

"John Grabowski" <jgrabows1@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:47a9b6d1$0$15160$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>
> "Una" <una@att.net> wrote in message
> news:fobd8v$se1$1@doliolum.localnet...
>
> I had customers a while back who had a cooking style similar to yours.
> They had just remodeled their entire kitchen and the type of hood exhaust
> fan that they got was for "Chinese kitchens" I don't remember the brand,
> but they told me it worked very well for their lifestyle.
>
> Commercial kitchens usually have the exhaust fan outside or on the roof,
> but the type of fan that they use may be too powerful and unattractive for
> residential use.



Tony Hwang

2008-02-06, 1:25 pm

EXT wrote:
> NuTone/Broan make exhaust fan and motor that fit on the roof to allow a
> larger power unit and quieter operation, I have had one for many years and
> they work great for our type of cooking.
>
> "John Grabowski" <jgrabows1@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:47a9b6d1$0$15160$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>
>
>
>

Hi,
If you do that kind of cooking, then go to a restaurant supply outfit.
They have stainless hood and fan for commercial use at various size.
Pick one and do it right first time and forget. Most Chinese folks
have this kinda set up in their kitchen.
Phisherman

2008-02-06, 1:25 pm

On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:28:00 GMT, Tony Hwang <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote:

>EXT wrote:
>Hi,
>If you do that kind of cooking, then go to a restaurant supply outfit.
>They have stainless hood and fan for commercial use at various size.
>Pick one and do it right first time and forget. Most Chinese folks
>have this kinda set up in their kitchen.



Yeah, and be prepared to shell out $1000 for a used one.
NA

2008-02-06, 1:25 pm

On Feb 6, 12:37 pm, Phisherman <no...@nobody.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:28:00 GMT, Tony Hwang <drago...@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yeah, and be prepared to shell out $1000 for a used one.


The one I have cost me $220 including shipping from Ebay. It was a
brand new unit, made in Canada. Both motors were made in Japan with
lifetime warranty - I don't know how to apply though as it does not
come with a phone number or address. Rated 680 ft^3/m. Good
workmanship. It has been worked great so far. Except it is noisy,
particularly when both fans are on high.

Oh, yes, I am a Chinese. We do lots of cooking.
John Grabowski

2008-02-06, 5:25 pm


"EXT" <noemail@reply.in.this.group> wrote in message
news:47a9d6cf$0$47200$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.octanews.com...
> NuTone/Broan make exhaust fan and motor that fit on the roof to allow a
> larger power unit and quieter operation, I have had one for many years and
> they work great for our type of cooking.



It has been so long since I have seen one of those that I completely forgot.



>
> "John Grabowski" <jgrabows1@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:47a9b6d1$0$15160$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>
>


John Grabowski

2008-02-06, 5:25 pm


"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:pxiqj.3421$Sa1.3190@news02.roc.ny...
> "Mark" <mwl@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:47a9b43e$0$1078$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
>
> The success of such a system depends to some extent on what kind of
> cooking is being done. The OP said "We like high-temperature stir frys,
> deep frys, and (ultra messy) fried onion and chili pastes." At some point
> which is tough to determine in a discussion like this, any system will be
> unable to handle the mess. And/or, the ductwork will get atrociously
> filthy and begin to stink.
>


The "Chinese hood" that I referred to in my other post had some sort of
unique filtration on it which made it compatible with that type of cooking.

Una

2008-02-06, 5:25 pm

The NuTone website recommends min 1 CFM per 100 BTU; is that BTU of the
highest BTU element, the total BTU of all elements, or the total BTU you
are likely to use at one time?

Can the "out the back" rectangular duct be run inside a wall? 3.25x10in
should fit in most walls, if framing is at least 2x4 and 12in or greater
on center. That would involve a turn, from horizontal to vertical, but
would save the cabinet over the range.

Una

captmike

2008-02-06, 8:25 pm

Typically, the most efficient and quietest systems are ducted to a
roof fan where the motor is in the roof mount. We just did our
kitchen over and used a 10" OD round duct fitted to a Wolf
commercial-style (but residential design) hood and roof duct. The
setup is 900CFM and we have a five-burner gas rangetop. I honestly
forget what the BTUs are, but another concern is having the hood not
too far from the source of the heat/steam/grease/etc. and of course
not too close either. I don't think you can build a very efficient
system within the confines of a 2X4 wall. If you had 2X6 that might
help. BTW, the hood we have is Wolf Pro Hood 36":

http://www.wolfappliance.com/Ventilation/ProWallHood

The Range is the following:

http://www.wolfappliance.com/GasCoo...CT36GGasCooktop

I have to also note that my wife absolutely loves this setup. Cleaning
the solid stainless steel hood louver modules is easy... lift the
module and pull it out of the frame, pop in dishwasher and the
reinstall. Same as in my son's restaurant.

On Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:23:04 GMT, una@att.net (Una) wrote:

>The NuTone website recommends min 1 CFM per 100 BTU; is that BTU of the
>highest BTU element, the total BTU of all elements, or the total BTU you
>are likely to use at one time?
>
>Can the "out the back" rectangular duct be run inside a wall? 3.25x10in
>should fit in most walls, if framing is at least 2x4 and 12in or greater
>on center. That would involve a turn, from horizontal to vertical, but
>would save the cabinet over the range.
>
> Una

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