How to add a kitchen rangehood?

[avani1]

Hi there,

We have a very old model kitchen hood which doesn't have a vent out. All the cooking fumes are just blown into the house and the cabinets and roof are getting greasy and gunky as shown in the pictures below. We were thinking if the hood had a vent going outside then it would fix this problem. We have small vents on the wall near the window as shown in the photos. There is also a socket in the cabinet next the hood. Can we put a vent to the existing hood or do we need to replace then entire hood? Can you please provide a solution and if we need to change the hood, can you please give us some recommendations of what to buy.

Thank you!

[AlanM52]

Hello avani1,

• We were thinking if the hood had a vent going outside then it would fix this problem - Yes... into the roof.

• We have small vents on the wall near the window as shown in the photos - Ignore that.

• There is also a socket in the cabinet next the hood - Good.

• Can we put a vent to the existing hood or do we need to replace then entire hood? - Replace with vented for about $200.

I renovated our kitchen in 2004 with tradie mates.

I opted for a 90cm rangehood and 90cm cooktop not knowing of course in 20 years time there would be appliances like air fryers.

Note the vent box and two shelves reclaim storage space.

Powerpoint aka GPO (general purpose outlet).

I am suggesting the Westinghouse 60CM Fixed Rangehood (WRF610WA)

https://tinyurl.com/bdz9z84f

   

The black lines are the three-sided vent box.

  

The cabinet has a bracing timber which might restrict airflow but we are OK because centre of vent hole is 79mm from the back.

On the existing hood mark centre and forward 80mm.

Someone now needs to go into the roof and do a site survey.

Head over to the area and clear away any insulation.

Person below taps on the ceiling in line with the marked spot.

If the are is clear of timber we are OK to proceed.

If in doubt use a plumb bob to transfer the hood mark to the ceiling.

Drill a pilot hole and shine a torch so the person above can confirm the area is clear of timber for the vent hole.

Remove the old hood and install the new one following the instructions.

Cut the vent hole in the ceiling with a jab saw.

Make a three-sided vent box from laminated timber and use small angle brackets to secure.

Make another box from plywood about 150cm high which will sit on the ceiling above the main vent hole to prevent insulation and other stuff dropping down into the rangehood.

Cut fly mesh larger than the vent hole, then glue that and the vent box on top with construction adhesive.

Make two storage shelves.

Cheers

[JacobZ]

Hi @avani1,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.

Unfortunately, as your existing rangehood is a recirculating type rangehood, you will have to replace it if you are hoping to vent it elsewhere 

You'll have to replace the existing rangehood with one with a cowl to attach a duct to, such as this Bellini 60cm Stainless Steel Slimline Rangehood.

The range hood can then be installed, and the duct can be routed up through the cabinetry into the ceiling, where it will vent.

As you have an available powerpoint, this install won't require an electrician, but due to the need to get into the ceiling cavity and drill through the ceiling, you might like to consider contacting a professional, such as an electrician, for their assistance with the install.

Let me know what you think, and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[avani1]

Hi Alan!

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. Great to see that you were able to fix this issue in your home! I forgot to mention that we live in an apartment so venting it out of the ceiling isn't possible for us. Is there a way around this like through the little vent holes on the wall on through the window?

Thanks  

[avani1]

Hi Jacob!

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I forgot to mention that we live in an apartment so venting it out of the ceiling isn't possible for us. Is there a way around this like through the little vent holes on the wall on through the window? And how would the venting tube look like?

Thanks 

[AlanM52]

Sorry... can't create a picture in my mind of the vent holes and how they relate to the window.

Are both of those to the left of the rangehood?

Can you post some more photos.

Cheers

[EricL]

Hello @avani1 

You'll probably need to discuss this with your building manager or the strata management to find out what the rules are in regards to venting through your window. Ventilation ducting ranges from 100mm all the way up to 150mm for domestic rangehoods, it is also dependent on what the new rangehood is sized for. Once you've had a discussion with the building authorities, please let us know which rangehood you'll be getting, and we'll offer more assistance.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[avani1]

Here’s a photo of the vent holes and window relative to the hood

[EricL]

Hello @avani1 

Let me tag @AlanM52 to make them aware of the picture and information you shared. 

Eric

[AlanM52]

Hi @avani1,

The wall vent cannot be used, any connection to that would very likely violate building codes.

The only option is the window.

The duct would run through to top of that cabinet and across the top of the rest.

Then we have to make a connection to the window.

One issue over that distance with a small diameter duct is back pressure which would tend to negate extraction.

Can we have a photo at the other end to see how we can connect to the window.

Cheers