A Kitchen with Airs

June 18, 2024

When designing a kitchen, it is important to focus on the ventilation

In a kitchen, meticulous care is taken in choosing nearly everything from the style of the cabinetry to the brand of light bulbs used; however, ventilation, one of the key pieces to good functionality, is often overlooked. Without adequate ventilation, a kitchen is more likely to transform into a pollution factory primarily due to HOGS – heat, odour, grease, smoke and steam. All of these cooking by-products contribute to the danger of fire, increased humidity and temperature, more cleaning and unpleasant smells. Thus, to eliminate HOGS, an appropriate ventilation system is vital.

Cooking produces significant quantities of by-products that not only accumulate on surfaces and give the kitchen a dingy appearance but also make the room uncomfortable for use. Ventilation is necessary to remove these and discharge them to a safe external location. When choosing a ventilation system, it is important to consider the size of the range and the distance the air will need to be moved. These factors affect both the size of the hood and that of the motor needed to circulate the air.

Ventilation options have broadened and by choosing the right range hood, the indoor air quality can be dramatically improved.

A microwave oven, which may vent to the front, side or back, is usually not placed near the kitchen ventilation system. Photo Courtesy: Freepik

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What is generally preferred is a range hood that covers the entire cooking surface; a range that is 3-6 inches wider than the cooktop allows for extra coverage and protection. In fact, a hood with a hollow shape for collecting smoke and gases as they are released, combined with outside exhaust and the right fan efficiency, improves the capture rate. At the same time, oversized hoods that can generate up to 1200 CFM (cubic feet per minute) and cause back drafting are best avoided. (The fans in range hoods are rated by the cubic feet of air they move per minute (CFM), and it’s important to buy a range hood that moves enough air to be effective.)

While budget and features are important, there are other aspects that are pertinent. Take, for example, the choice between ducted and non-ducted hoods. Ideally, the unwanted elements of smoke, odour, humidity and heat would be exhausted outside the house with a ducted vent hood. The next best solution is to filter and re-circulate the air back into the kitchen using a non-ducted vent hood. While a non-ducted hood does a good job of eliminating grease and odour when the filters are regularly cleaned and replaced, they do not eliminate heat and humidity from the home. The choice of selecting either one depends on the kitchen layout, style of range and budget.

Vent hoods, both ducted and non-ducted, must be adequately sized for the job. A properly sized hood must cover the full width of the range and at least 50 per cent of the front burners. A vent hood's strength is quantified by the amount of air it moves, represented in CFMs.

Generally, a range hood with an exhaust fan vented to the outside (updraft) is considered the most effective system. Photo Courtesy: Freepik

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Types of Ventilation Hoods

Kitchen ventilation systems are usually located over the cooktop, considered the primary source of odours, grease and moisture. An oven in a range typically vents through a burner on the cooktop, putting moisture and odours in the vicinity of the ventilation system. A built-in or wall oven typically vents to the front of the appliance, into the room air. A microwave oven, which may vent to the front, side or back, is usually not placed near the kitchen ventilation system.

Canopy or updraft ventilation systems can be a re-circulating or an exhaust system. Downdraft ventilation systems are all exhaust systems. A re-circulating system pulls the air through a filter and then returns it to the room. The filter may be a simple grease filter screen or include a carbon-type filter to remove odours. Moisture and heat are not removed. Combustion pollutants from gas cooking, including carbon monoxide and water vapour may not be removed. Re-circulating systems are less expensive and easier to install, but less effective. Exhaust systems, on the other hand, remove air as well as heat, moisture, odours and grease from the kitchen to the outside.

The choices are usually between a fan mounted above the cooktop or range, usually with a hood (updraft), or a proximity system, installed in the cooktop, or adjacent to the cooking surface (downdraft). Some kitchens may have a ceiling or wall-mounted exhaust fan, but that type of system is generally not considered as effective as the updraft or downdraft systems.

Under-cabinet: These basic units re-circulate the air back into the kitchen, trapping a portion of the grease and odours in replaceable filters. The performance of under-cabinet models is boosted significantly when ducted out-of-doors.
Wall-mounted chimney: Unlike under-cabinet models, these units are installed against the wall of the kitchen. They are called "chimney-style" because of their shape - a pyramidal base with a rising rectangular column, resembling the shape of a home chimney.
Ceiling-mounted chimney: Also called "island hoods," these are suspended from the ceiling over the kitchen's cooking island.
Custom built-in: Designed to blend seamlessly with a home's kitchen cabinetry, built-in ventilation is installed into a section of the wall. Instead of a chimney-style hood, it relies on modules that are mounted and ducted in a non-obtrusive manner.

Types of Ventilation Hoods

Under-cabinet: These basic units re-circulate the air back into the kitchen, trapping a portion of the grease and odours in replaceable filters. The performance of under-cabinet models is boosted significantly when ducted out-of-doors.
Wall-mounted chimney: Unlike under-cabinet models, these units are installed against the wall of the kitchen. They are called "chimney-style" because of their shape - a pyramidal base with a rising rectangular column, resembling the shape of a home chimney.
Ceiling-mounted chimney: Also called "island hoods," these are suspended from the ceiling over the kitchen's cooking island.
Custom built-in: Designed to blend seamlessly with a home's kitchen cabinetry, built-in ventilation is installed into a section of the wall. Instead of a chimney-style hood, it relies on modules that are mounted and ducted in a non-obtrusive manner.

A properly sized hood must cover the full width of the range and at least 50 per cent of the front burners. Photo Courtesy: Freepik

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