Need some kitchen exhaust fan advice

[Higgins]

I'm sick of the heat and fish smells while cooking in the kitchen of my condo and I'm thinking about having an exhaust fan installed. But I know practically nothing about this.

The fan would be for occasional use, not daily, heavy cooking. I can't breach the roof or exterior walls, so I could only vent into a storage space. It's not quite an attic, but a semi-used upstairs space that has a window and a patio door that goes out to the roof.

I currently have a hood over my stove/oven, but it's only a grease trap that recirculates all the hot air back into the kitchen. I never use it. I presume that I wouldn't want an actual hood, because I wouldn't want to vent grease into the storage space (though I don't really deep fry at all.) Heat and smells are the primay concerns.

I have a 15x10 kitchen with no windows. It opens onto the dining room. I have no central air. The range is at the far end of the kitchen, away from the entrance. The bathroom exhaust fans vent through the roof, but aren't very close to my kitchen. My inclination would be to put a ceiling or wall fan in, but I might be able to put the fan in the storage space. Any guidance? And how big a fan should I be looking for???

Separately, let's assume I don't do this. Is a charcoal filter for my existing worth trying to find to cut down on the fish smells???

Thanks!

[Chris Lewis]

According to Higgins :

If you can access the eaves of the house, just have the blower hose end face down thru a soffit vent. It'd be better with a proper end cap, but will work either way. Your climate conditions matter here.

It's really not a good idea to dead-end a kitchen or bathroom vent in dead space. Even at light use, you're likely have condensation problems. Plus fishy smells _everywhere_...

They can help quite a bit.

[Julie]

"Higgins" wrote

Does that hood have a space for, or even an old-gunked-up-not-working, charcoal filter in it?

Most over-the-counter microwaves come as a micro / range hood combination, with a fan and a charcoal filter included. Might want to try that.

JSH

[m Ransley]

You should ask you condo assn. venting to attic im sure wont pass code.

[xrongor]

you need to get it outside.

when you blow hot air smelly around in a closed room, you still have hot smelly air. you need to get it outside.

from my experience those filters are worthless. you need to get it outside. if you cant figure out a way to get it there, call a professional.

randy

[Joseph Meehan]

NO! You can't vent it into a closed area, in fact you have only two choices for venting: directly outside or you can use a ventless fan with filters.

Chances are your local authorities will not allow venting to an enclosed area. If not, then I'll bet your insurance company will, if not them I should hope your condo association would. If the association does not, then insist that they do. It is a safety requirement.

BTW running a vent duct to an eve vent is just as bad in my opinion, especially for a kitchen vent.

Yes you do want a real hood. That grease you don't want to vent is what is causing the odors. You want a good vent with filters to trap most of the grease and a vent to the outside. Besides that without the hood, you are not really going to get much of the odors anyway.

I understand they help, but you do need to keep them fresh, that means replace them often.

[Lester]

The filter will help a little with the odor - if you keep changing it. The sophit vent is a GOOD idea, but you have ruled that out.

And you DO want a vent hood. That is exactly why you want a vent hood.

Go ahead and vent to the storage room. Shut the door to the storage room and open the storage room window. Put a small fan in the window blowing the bad air outside. It is illegal and will get you evicted if caught, but what the hell.

Buy an expensive vent hood that has sensors for temperature and smoke. It will come on automatically when your burners or oven are on.

Another illegal option is to open up the wall over your commode and use the PVC sewer vent pipe to tie into. You will need a check valve so those odors don't come back into your potato soup.

Les

[Chet Hayes]

There are usually very good reasons for code requirements and this is an example. Code doesn't allow venting a range hood into another room or closed space, it must go outside. No one with any common sense would even do this. That air if foul smelling and full of grease. All you're doing is making a bigger problem. And since the OP is modifying the building, it sure sounds like he's the owner, so, even if he did do this, how is anyone going to evict him as a penalty?

Some more classic advice. Sure wouldn't want to live anywhere you've done work.

[Lester]

I must admit that I hate anyone that spouts 'code' when we are talking about my private property. I do what I want inside my own house and kill anyone who tries to enter and stop me.

Les

[xrongor]

on one hand you say its ok to vent inside which is a total cludge, then recommend getting a fancy hood that turns on automatically which is going to cost a fortune...

im not exactly a 'code' freak either, but wrong is wrong. venting inside is wrong. an expensive hood doesnt fix that. buy a cheap hood and use the rest of the money to vent it outside...

randy

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Isn't there a no venting hood with special filter or something which recirculates air through the filter? I don't know how effective it is. Our kitchen always has hood vented outside proper. Can'r do without it. Tony

[xrongor]

you can filter the grease, the smoke is harder, as is odor, and the moisture can be a problem depending on where you live and how the rest of your house is set up.

[Cool Hand]

If you have a patio, just BBQ your fish there.

Or fry your fish next to a window?

The rest is too much work and too much regulati =>I'm sick of the heat and fish smells while cooking in the kitchen of =>my condo and I'm thinking about having an exhaust fan installed. But I =>know practically nothing about this. =>

=>The fan would be for occasional use, not daily, heavy cooking. I can't =>breach the roof or exterior walls, so I could only vent into a storage =>space. It's not quite an attic, but a semi-used upstairs space that =>has a window and a patio door that goes out to the roof. =>

=>I currently have a hood over my stove/oven, but it's only a grease =>trap that recirculates all the hot air back into the kitchen. I never =>use it. I presume that I wouldn't want an actual hood, because I =>wouldn't want to vent grease into the storage space (though I don't =>really deep fry at all.) Heat and smells are the primay concerns. =>

=>I have a 15x10 kitchen with no windows. It opens onto the dining room. =>I have no central air. The range is at the far end of the kitchen, =>away from the entrance. The bathroom exhaust fans vent through the =>roof, but aren't very close to my kitchen. My inclination would be to =>put a ceiling or wall fan in, but I might be able to put the fan in =>the storage space. Any guidance? And how big a fan should I be looking =>for??? =>

=>Separately, let's assume I don't do this. Is a charcoal filter for my =>existing worth trying to find to cut down on the fish smells??? =>

=>Thanks!

[Higgins]

OK, looks like this falls into the category of a "bad idea". Hmmm, maybe I could vent into my neighbor's bathroom.... Thanks!