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How Do You Vent A Kitchen Exhaust Fan?
Kitchen exhaust fans are critical for residential and commercial kitchens to remove heat, steam, smoke, and cooking odors. Consider the amount of built-up grease and food particles that would accumulate on appliances, walls, cabinets, and kitchen ceilings if these vapors were not quickly filtered and evacuated. The property owner has a number of choices for exhausting air from kitchens, including a kitchen ducted exhaust fan.
Best Exhaust Fan Kitchen Choice
The best choice to quickly and efficiently clear kitchen air is with an exhaust fan that is vented to the outdoors air instead of the interior of your home. Especially if you do large amounts of cooling that will generate considerable humidity and smoke, a non-vented or ductless kitchen exhaust system will simply recirculate the air back into the kitchen after filtering. The air quality of this closed-system will depend on the cleanliness of the vent filter.
For commercial kitchens, ventilation is a safety and building code requirement to not only bring in fresh air but to also clear out smoke and steam. Great examples for commercial and residential applications are the VENTS-US multi-purpose inline fans. They are used for both exhausting stale air and supplying fresh air, yet they are compact to be installed in limited spaces
Venting a Kitchen Exhaust Fan
Before you purchase a kitchen ducted exhaust fan, make sure it is large enough to handle your kitchen's square footage. Choose an exhaust fan with a CFM rating of at least twice the square footage of your kitchen. Since hot air rises, your kitchen will perform better with an overhead exhaust fan kitchen rather than the type that produces a down-draft. Also, these ductless style kitchen fans need to be cleaned regularly, and/or the activated charcoal filter needs to be changed once or twice a year.
You should never vent your kitchen exhaust into an attic or into the walls. To remove the possibility of a fire, the kitchen exhaust should be vented to the outside of the structure. You have the choice of a wall or ceiling installation which will typically depend on the location of your range hood. Consider the best location for your exhaust fan kitchen for the shortest route of ductwork and piping with the least number of bends.
When venting a kitchen exhaust fan, stick with stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, or copper constructed components which are corrosion -free. Any elbows or changes in direction should be kept to a minimum and the duct size should match the size of your stove hood outlet. Rigid duct is best for venting, but semi-rigid duct that is noncombustible, fire resistant, and meets your range's maximum operating temperature can also be considered.
Important Tips for Venting
- Do vent the kitchen exhaust fan directly outside of the home
- Do not vent into a crawlspace, attic, between walls or floors
- Keep duct as straight and smooth as possible
- Choose a location that will minimize bends in ductwork
- Follow the recommended duct diameter for your exhaust fan
- All duct should be constructed of metal with sealed seams
- Try to route kitchen vent duct away from other equipment ducts
- Take care to prevent crushing or denting during installation
When you need a powerful and quiet kitchen ducted exhaust fan, visit us online at Industrial Fans Direct for a wide selection to fit your residential and commercial applications.