Best Kitchen Ventilation Solutions

Remodeling your kitchen involves lots of planning and decision-making, like designing a layout, choosing cabinet styles and finishes, and picking out new appliances. Another important consideration that’s easy to overlook is planning an effective kitchen ventilation solution to get rid of HOGS: heat, odors, grease, smoke and steam. Here’s how to ensure that your remodeled kitchen has ample ventilation:

Incorporate an Outdoor-Vented Exhaust Fan

To ventilate your kitchen properly, your exhaust fan needs to be ducted directly outdoors. The easiest way to accomplish this is by placing your kitchen range against an outside wall. If you decide to put the range on an interior wall, your kitchen designer will need to find a way to hide the ducting in a ceiling bulkhead.

Choose an Appropriate Hood Size

A hood situated directly over the range is usually the best way to vent cooking odors and humidity, but it’s most effective if it’s sized correctly. To maximize its removal capabilities, make sure that the vent hood you choose overhangs the sides and front of your range by three inches.

Calculate the Right Fan Capacity

The fan in your vent hood also needs to have sufficient cubic feet per minute (CFM) of output, so it has to be sized to match your kitchen. To calculate the capacity you need, measure your room’s square footage then double it. For instance, a kitchen with 300 square feet of space needs an exhaust fan with a minimum of 600 CFM of airflow.

Install a Downdraft Fan for an Island Cooktop

If you plan to install your cooktop in a center island and you don’t want to place an exhaust hood above it, you’ll need a downdraft ventilation system to draw moisture and fumes down from the burner area and vent them outdoors. These systems aren’t as effective as updraft exhaust fans, but they eliminate the need for a hood and ductwork. Just be sure to choose a fan that’s specifically designed for placement in an island.

For more advice about kitchen ventilation solutions for your Middletown home, contact us today at C.R. Wolfe Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 845-367-4482.

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