Range Hood Advice Needed :(

11 years ago

Hi everyone!

I'm so sad. Our beautiful new range hood (Zephyr Breeze II Series AK1200) has to be returned. :(

DH tried to install it this weekend, and there is NO way we can fit the proper duct work (either the 6" diameter round ducts, or the rectangular one) in our stupid soffit b/c of all of the (insert explicitive) pipes already in there. So Frustrating!! Installing a ducted range hood is going to have to wait until we can afford a major remodel and reroute all of the plumbing lines - which probably won't be for at least 5 years or so. :(

DH was considering using the tin foil looking 4" diameter flexible duct pipe instead (which is what the previous homeowners were using - and what the workers at Home Depot said to use...), but after reading on here about it being a Fire Hazard and not to code, I talked him out of it.

So - we're left with looking for a recirculating range hood. :( I Know it is not ideal. But it seems to be our only choice. I heard about the Vent a Hood ARS, but it is way out of budget. We can spend about $300, max. DH's biggest concern is that he wants the vent to point up - so it does not blow in our faces, and out (not one that vents into the cabinet above it).

We have a 30" GE profile induction range. To be honest - neither DH or I can really cook - the range is most commonly used to steam up some veggies, boil pasta, and make eggs and pancakes - that sort of thing.

Any suggestions for a decent ductless range hood (stainless steel finish) are appreciated! Thank you!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

ppbenn
11 years ago
I believe that hood has a recirculating option. You could check where you bought it to see if it has carbon filters.
Check ajmadison.com you can compare lots of different kinds there quite painlessly.
I feel your range hood pain. It was/is the single
most frustrating aspect of my new kitchen.
bellajourney
Original Author
11 years ago
ppbenn - Thanks so much for your reply (and for commiserating with me). I talked to DH and the Zephyr does have a recirculating option, But - it would have to go through the cabinet above it, which would mean we would still have to put ducts into the soffit, and have it vent out the front of the soffit. =/ I think we're just going to go with a cheap ductless model for now, and when we re-do the bathroom that is on the opposite side of the range we will have access to those dopey pipes in the soffit and can reroute them (and get a proper range hood) then.

Best wishes with your kitchen remodel and range hood dilemma! I hope you find the perfect solution!
Related Discussions
range hood dilemma
Q
Comments (22)
Thanks everyone sooooo much for your replies @kas The damper is just a flap controlled by a servo motor that opens and close as the pressure in the exhaust duct changes. So I don't think orientation matters as it depends on the pressure drop in the house to draw in outside air. But what I worry is that there is not enough room in the wall to fit a 6" or 8" duct, and they dont sell a unit with rectangular duct. May have to do some modification myself. Yea I do realize that the cooking heat is going out in the hood. Basically what I want is that a big part of the air will go from outside -> damper -> bottom of stove -> rise up and feed the effluent -> hood -> outside, instead of drawing all the air from inside the house. For the air that spills out under the range I will probably need a pair of wool socks lol. But most of the time I wont need the full power of the hood for more than 30 min so I guess I can handle that. @eshmh Yes I have done the calculation with the depressurization limit of the house. Since my house is an older construction (50 year old), it will have ACH50 rate at about 6. That way house leaking can supply a portion of the make up air. Yes I do agree that the insulation in the area of the duct is going to suffer due to the duct taking basically the whole thickness of wall insulation. What is the condensation issue you mentioned? I have never heard of that before and would really like to know more about it. @3ilovepie This is the hood I have decided to get. 36" wall hood with heat lamp @teachmkt1 Yea I saw your post about the ikea shelf and that is what prompted me to think about warming shelf idea. That is exactly what I plan on getting. In most of my cooking scenario, it will be the front 2 hobs being used at full power. The back will likely be used for simmering a big pot of soup or something.
...See More
I need advice on a range hood for kitchen in a condo..
Q
Comments (2)
On the second half of your question, almost everyone here will tell you NO and I would agree. Most don’t even vent, they just recirculate. On the the first part, there are experts here better qualified than me, but there is a significant difference between 200 cfm and 400 cfm. Unless you have a non-standard duct, I don’t see a problem going higher. Hopefully others will chime in. Good luck!
...See More
Wall Mount Range Hood - Need Advice
Q
Comments (6)
Please note that you should ideally have a 36" hood over a 30" range, in particular if you have a gas range. Around here, most of the contractors already know that and this seems the standard configuration in new construction. In other parts of the country, contractors frequently don't inform themselves as much about what it takes to make a kitchen really functional vs. just making it look pretty. So, it is often on the home owner to point out these technical details. As you mentioned that you want a hood with a deep capture area, I'd like to give a recommendation for ModernAire. We have one of their hoods and are extremely happy with it. Due to various constraints with a deck right above the kitchen, we couldn't get a remote blower nor an inline filter. So, things are a little noisier than we'd ideally have liked it. But since ModernAire builds all their hoods to order, we got exactly what we wanted. Our hood it mounted above head height and is extra deep to easily capture the front burners, even when you consider the expanding plume.
...See More
Need advice for range hoods.
Q
Comments (2)
Unless you already have make-up air from the previous ventilated hood installation, I'd go for 390 cfm (cubic feet per minute), which is below the limit for MU air safety code requirement in most areas--but check with your local code. Since you have an electric range, and it appears to be venting directly to the exterior, that should be sufficient. If you post the questions to the Appliance forum, there a several very helpful posters who can answer specifics.
...See More
angie_diy
11 years ago
Wait, if you can fit a 4" flexible duct, can you fit a 4" rigid duct?

4" duct (compared to 6") is indeed a bad option. BUT, it beats the heck out of recirculating. And you get to keep your beautiful new hood until you get to redo the whole schmear.

If there are jogs in the soffit that are needed to avoid the pipes, you can do that with two adjustable elbows like these:
bellajourney
Original Author
11 years ago
Angie_DIY - Thanks for your reply! DH said that the original flexible duct was actually Pinched in a number of places in order to squish it in there - so, sadly, a 4" rigid duct wouldn't fit.

But - We Might have an idea to keep the Zephyr...

We're now wondering if we would be able to mount the Zephyr 1" or 1.5" forward - this way, the top recirculating vent would clear the cabinet above it - and we can then keep it and use it - and eventually convert it into a proper ducted range hood when we redo that neighboring bath and have access to the pipes. ???

I called Zephyr and am waiting to hear back if mounting it a little forward is okay. Fingers crossed!!
bellajourney
Original Author
11 years ago
Yay! Just spoke to a rep at Zephyr and we got the green light to mount it a bit forward so the recirculating top vent clears the cabinets above it. Hooray! Now, we can keep it, recirculate it for now - and - when the budget allows to reroute the ill placed pipes, we can then vent it outside. Not a perfect solution, but the best one for now.

:)

Thank you all again for your replies! :)
angie_diy
11 years ago
So glad to hear it. Good karma!

Range Hood Advice Needed :(

Comments (6)

ppbenn

bellajourney
Original Author

Related Discussions

angie_diy

bellajourney
Original Author

bellajourney
Original Author

angie_diy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Range Hood Advice Needed :(

Comments (6)

ppbenn

bellajourneyOriginal Author

Related Discussions

angie_diy

bellajourneyOriginal Author

bellajourneyOriginal Author

angie_diy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

bellajourney
Original Author

bellajourney
Original Author

bellajourney
Original Author