Ventilation -- The Secret to a Clean, Odor-free Kitchen
Courtesy of ARA Content

The kitchen is one of the most active rooms in your home -- one that is filled with the delicious, mouth-watering smells of what’s cooking. But along with the good smells come the bad: smoke, steam and grease splatter. Homeowners who are tired of feeling the heat -- simply need to vent.

Ventilation is an essential, but often underappreciated and misunderstood, element of the well-designed kitchen. So the experts at Thermador -- a leading appliance manufacturer and an American kitchen icon – have spotlighted all the ways vent hoods add to the vitality of your kitchen.

Health and Safety
Ventilation fans remove moisture, odor and the unhealthy byproducts of combustion, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Proper ventilation is essential for maintaining a healthy indoor environment and minimizing airborne health risks. Controlling moisture reduces the cause of many types of mold, ventilation systems reduce your cooktop’s high heat and exhaust to provide you with a safe cooking area.

Odors
With proper ventilation, there’s no need to worry about lingering cooking odors or smoke. Blowers freshen up your kitchen with amazing efficiency and some models include delayed shut-off to tackle lingering odors. Switching on the hood a few minutes prior to cooking will start circulating the air and help remove odors once cooking has started. Let the aromas of your finished product get all the glory when it's time to eat.

Cleanliness
Proper ventilation helps to eliminate grease and smoke from the culinary workspace. Reducing moisture protects paints and finishes. Hoods capture grease in dishwasher-safe filters to protect your kitchen cabinets, countertop and floors.

When it comes to selecting the best ventilation system for your home ask yourself two questions: Where am I placing my hood and where am I placing my blower?

What are your Kitchen Ventilation Options?

Wall hoods are mounted directly to the wall or suspended under a cabinet.

Chimney hoods attach to the wall with a chimney ascending up to the ceiling.

Island hoods are similar to chimney hoods but the ceiling suspends the hood above the
cooktop, ideal for island cooktops or commercial-grade ranges.

Custom inserts can assimilate your ventilation into existing kitchen furniture or
cabinetry for a seamless design.

Downdraft ventilation is a flexible alternative to overhead ventilation. As the name implies, it sucks the cooktop heat downward out of the kitchen or to the island toe kick.


What to Consider when Choosing Ventilation

Design
Ventilation can provide a dramatic focal point to any kitchen or it can be concealed for a seamless design. Ventilation can help define a space and can coordinate with existing appliances.

Correct size and placement
Proper mounting height is essential. If a hood is mounted too low, it may be unsafe and be difficult to cook under. Mounting a hood too high may compromise performance. For optimal performance, the distance from the cooking surface to the bottom of the hood should be a minimum of 30-inches, unless otherwise noted.

The correct blower
A variety of interior and exterior blower options are available for hoods and downdraft ventilation units, including remote blowers, inline blowers and integral blowers. Remote blowers can be mounted on the roof or an exterior wall; inline blowers are mounted along the duct line between the kitchen and exterior wall; integral blowers are mounted inside of the hood in the kitchen. Remote and inline blowers remove the noise from the kitchen, but should be considered only when access to their installation point is possible.

Your cooking style
The appropriate airflow capacity (measured in CFMs: cubic feet per minute) is determined by evaluating the cooking space and the occupant’s cooking habits. More demanding cooks and large kitchen spaces usually require more exhaust capacity.

Ducting your hood
Do not use flexible duct, it creates back pressure/air turbulence and reduces performance. Straight runs and gradual turns are best. Use the shortest route with the fewest turns possible. Proper performance is dependent upon proper ducting. Use a qualified and trained installer and check local codes for make-up air requirements, if any.