Wok fumes

[mcinbrass]

I recently posted this problem, I have had little success with the local administrative codes, I have also been told that it will cost 25 thousand dollars to sue this person for nusiance. Can someone with engineering or contruction experience tell me if installing my own roof

vent over the attached overhang/soffiting where his vent is located help in drawing the fumes away from the building?

Here is the original post for your enjoyment:

I am having a problem with my neighbor. He recently installed a vent over his cooktop for the porpuse of venting his wok fumes to the rear of his house. We live in attached home row-style townhomes. I recently notices these fumes eminating from my internal heat/ac duct work. We have forced air. He did all of the work himself in the middle of the night. We appoaced him on the issue but he simply said the fumes were coming from my kitchen. I closed off some of the duct lines to try and isolate the problem and now there are no fumes in the ducts but we are still getting inundated with the odor. They ofen cook late like

9:00-10:00PM and its very disturbing. We get the fumes in our bedroom also. Can anyone help me find some solution or some recourse. There was

a case a while back on this board about a lady who got a court order to

make his naighbor cook only certain hours and eventully got a win and the courts made them move the ven to the roof. Do you think this is possible in NYS?

Thanks in advance

[BobK207]

Do you have an HOA? If he boot legged the installation perhaps you have recourse through the city / building dept?

Maybe through small claims (in California you can sue for up to $5k) but here it has to be for actual damages......like the cost of some equipment to handle the problem

How are the fumes getting into your house?

The water vapor / fat in his output stream carries the odor

In this type of situation it's best to deal with the problem at the source........a filter on his output or re-route the duct & move the discharge point to a better location

nvestigate the cost of an odor filter on your intake (if you have one)?

cheers Bob

[Caesar Romano]

On 18 Sep 2006 07:00:43 -0700, [e-mail] wrote Re Wok fumes:

Yes

[mcinbrass]

How do I do this without the cost of a lenghthy, difficult to prove civil suit?

[kmy]

This reads like a troll, but have you complained to your local building inspection/codes dept?

[e-mail] wrote: : I am having a problem with my neighbor. He recently installed a vent : over his cooktop for the porpuse of venting his wok fumes to the rear : of his house. We live in attached home row-style townhomes. I recently : notices these fumes eminating from my internal heat/ac duct work. We : have forced air. He did all of the work himself in the middle of the : night. We appoaced him on the issue but he simply said the fumes were : coming from my kitchen. I closed off some of the duct lines to try and : isolate the problem and now there are no fumes in the ducts but we are : still getting inundated with the odor. They ofen cook late like : 9:00-10:00PM and its very disturbing. We get the fumes in our bedroom : also. Can anyone help me find some solution or some recourse. There was

: a case a while back on this board about a lady who got a court order to

: make his naighbor cook only certain hours and eventully got a win and : the courts made them move the ven to the roof. Do you think this is : possible in NYS?

: Thanks in advance

[Caesar Romano]

On 18 Sep 2006 11:14:11 -0700, [e-mail] wrote Re Re: Wok fumes:

Since you didn't quote what you are replying to, I'm not sure you are directing your question to me, but I *think* you are, so let me summerize:

1. You describe a problem you are having with your neighbor cooking.
2. You ask if it's possible to win a court litigation, to wit:

1. Now you ask how to do this cheaply and quickly.

Answer: try small claims court. Start here:

[Norminn]

clipped

It's hard to imagine what someone could cook that would be so tough to handle inside a neighboring residence. We have a Jennair range with down-draft vent, which vents into building atrium (not enclosed). Neighbors can tell whenever I burn dinner :o)

Does the neighbor's vent exhaust into a closed-in area, such as between buildings or a courtyard? You can call your city code enforcement people and find out whether there is a code that covers the situation; getting it enforced is another matter.

Perhaps your doors and/or windows need some sealing done to keep air drawn in by furnace and AC from leaking in around doors and windows near his exhaust vent?

[Goedjn]

Positive pressure fan-driven air system from the other side of the building. That'll solve the problem, guaranteed.

[Richard J Kinch]

I would be cheaper to just move.

This is why people want to live in the suburbs.