Looking for advice (not pond related) of a home construction nature adding a vent hood for stove (2 story house)

[poconojoe]

Using a countertop microwave is obviously not going to cure the problem. As you stated, changing to a standard hood will have the same affect.

Unfortunately, without a lot of work, you're going to have to live with that crummy recirculating fan. I won't call it a vent!

Two options:
1. Relocate the stove/microwave to an outside wall.
Or
2. Investigate the possibility of installing a duct up through the wall behind the stove, through the upstairs bedroom wall and out through the roof (is there an accessible attic above the bedroom?). All done by opening up and concealing the duct within the walls. If the wall behind the stove lines up with a bedroom wall, this might be feasible, but a lot of work. If the walls don't line up, this obviously can't be done.
Maybe not even worth the effort or the cost though.

I vote to relocate the stove.

Hope you figure it out.

 

[Mmathis]

@poconojoe Thanks! your suggestion there is what I'm hoping for. And the expense will be worth it in the end…..

 

[poconojoe]

Oh, don’t go there! About 6 months ago all of our smoke alarms were going off at the same time (not a fire) (there are somewhere between 10 and 18, don’t remember exactly). We didn’t know it, but they were all hardwired and had exceeded their life expectancy. Hubby had been changing batteries dutifully, but the batteries were only for backup and not for the primary electrical! It was awful! The noise, and there was no way to make them stop. Hubby checked the circuit breaker boxes, but couldn’t find a switch dedicated to the alarms. We finally got them to SHUT UP, so I had the electrician come out the next day to replace them all. I went out to the garage ahead of the electrician and peeked at the circuit boxes and I said, “Oh, do you think it’s the one labeled ‘smoke alarms’.” I’ve never let hubby live that down — men!

Ha! Sometimes us guys don't see things that are right in our faces! It's a guy thing!

My smoke alarms are the same. Hard wired and a dedicated circuit.

It's a good idea to also have carbon monoxide detectors too, especially near kitchens, fireplaces, furnaces, etc.
Your new ones might also detect carbon monoxide.

 

[poconojoe]

@poconojoe Thanks! your suggestion there is what I'm hoping for. And the expense will be worth it in the end…..

Well, you have some decisions to make.

Around my area, it's difficult to find reputable contractors. They are few and far between. Many don't answer calls or they make appointments and don't show. They take a down payment (for materials) and you never see them again. Or they do shoddy work.
I hope you do your homework when choosing a contractor. Don't pay with cash. Trust no one.

 

[GBBUDD]

I didn't read every word here but i take it your stove is not on the outside wall. IS it on a wall that is at a 90 degree to the outside wall. ? IF IT IS AND THE HOUSE HAS A STANDADRD frame the joists could be running in the same direction as is the wall that backs to the stove. if that is the case you can always drill a hole in the outside band joist And fish the hard pipe in the cavity of the floor joists if you could take some pictures of the stove wall entire kitchen showing cabinets etc can give you a much better idea if it's possible. but more then likely its doable. now if you have a huge home, kitchen in the center then maybe not. But i have done this several times it can entail many steps to get it there but there's usually a way to do it without making a huge mess. just hope that the bay or bays there should be 2 bays above the stove as a stove is a minimum of 30 inches and most homes are 16" on center you just need one of the two to be free of recessed lights for example. but even if there is a pvc pipe taped to the 4" duct will give it enough rigidity to slide it up over wires/ lights and get the vent to your ceiling above the stove. You need to be careful IF THERE ARE RECESSED LIGHTS as they can burn to hot and cause a fire. pics pics pics

I would place some dried flowers /weeds in a vase in that display nook . Like lotus seeds that fits your ponding life style.

 

[GBBUDD]

Maybe my drawings will help. I am convinced that the current set up isn’t at all safe.

You would be correct now I am a bit rusty with my codes in residential but the minimal space between a cook top and ANYTHING above it last i knew way 18". That has to be a royal pain to cook with the back burners

 

[SarahT]

While it's ideal to have the vent directly over the stove, if you have any outside wall in the kitchen at all, you can put an exhaust fan vent on that wall directly to the outside. I've had a through-the-wall in a previous kitchen and it worked fine. You might want to move that microwave anyway, as 12 inches from the gas cooktop sounds like a potential hazard as well as an annoyance.

 

[GBBUDD]

Do you have a trusted contractor you can ask? We changed out our hood last year and because we had the hole cut for the vent, no contractor would install the new hood! Granite countertops on either side of stove and overhead cabinets. Ended up getting a cabinet jack!
Maybe time for a kitchen remodel????

A good wood worker can take the upper cabinet and rework it so you can raise the microwave up to a legal and comfortable height. I had to do the same to mine as the original builder put in to tall an upper cabinet over the stove . the upper cabinet is almost useless as it is very shallow in height. I believe it's less then a foot tall now.

 

[Mmathis]

@GBBUDD Good idea for relocating the m/wave…..except that I’m a shorty and where it is now, any higher and it would be a problem. I’m liking the idea of a total kitchen rebuild

 

[SarahT]

@GBBUDD Good idea for relocating the m/wave…..except that I’m a shorty and where it is now, any higher and it would be a problem. I’m liking the idea of a total kitchen rebuild

Yes, yes, after LPS comes TKRS: Total Kitchen Rebuild Syndrome.

 

[GBBUDD]

regardless of what you do i would be very weary of something only 12 inches above the stove even if it is metal. the insulating jackets of the wires and coils can get to much heat that low and create a problem.

 

[GBBUDD]

THESE standards are from the web where it says it is from the codes and standards of Louisiana now i can not guarantee this is what your town requires but it sounds correct. I even saw that california requires 24" now so i would guess it is correct. so please becareful with your 12" space


M1503.1 General

Range hoods shall discharge to the outdoors through a duct. The duct serving the hood shall have a smooth interior surface, shall be air tight, shall be equipped with a back-draft damper and shall be independent of all other exhaust systems. Ducts serving range hoods shall not terminate in an attic or crawl space or areas inside the building.

M1503.4 Makeup Air Required

Exhaust hood systems capable of exhausting in excess of 400 cubic feet per minute (0.19 m3/s) shall be mechanically or naturally provided with makeup air at a rate approximately equal to the exhaust air rate. Such makeup air systems shall be equipped with not less than one damper. Each damper shall be a gravity damper or an electrically operated damper that automatically opens when the exhaust system operates. Dampers shall be accessible for inspection, service, repair and replacement without removing permanent construction or any other ducts not connected to the damper being inspected, serviced, repaired or replaced.

M1504.1 Installation of a Microwave Oven Over a Cooking Appliance

The installation of a listed and labeled cooking appliance or microwave oven over a listed and labeled cooking appliance shall conform to the terms of the upper appliance's listing and label and the manufacturer's installation instructions. The microwave oven shall conform to UL 923.

Section M1505 Overhead Exhaust Hoods

M1505.1 General


Domestic open-top broiler units shall have a metal exhaust hood, having a minimum thickness of 0.0157-inch (0.3950 mm) (No. 28 gage) with 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) clearance between the hood and the underside of combustible material or cabinets. A clearance of not less than 24 inches (610 mm) shall be maintained between the cooking surface and the combustible material or cabinet. The hood shall be not less than the width of the broiler unit, extend over the entire unit, discharge to the outdoors and be equipped with a backdraft damper or other means to control infiltration/exfiltration when not in operation. Broiler units incorporating an integral exhaust system, and listed and labeled for use without an exhaust hood, need not have an exhaust hood.

 

[combatwombat]

I would try @GBBUDD's suggestion first. See which way the ceiling joists run and maybe you can go up into the joist bay, turn 90º and run to an outside wall.

Next best would be to know exactly where in the bedroom above the stovetop is under. If it's in the closet, you might be able to steal a small chunk of the closet and turn it into a chase to hold your vent pipe. Again, either up into the closet, turn 90º and out a sidewall, or straight up into the attic and through the roof.

After that, I'd probably look into a downdraft range. I know you have a slab foundation so won't work going into the floor, but you could steal cabinet space or some space from the room behind the wall to run your vent duct wherever.

Next, I'd go with @SarahT's suggestion about a through-the-wall vent somewhere else close by in the kitchen.

And if all of those still don't work, I'd move.

 

[GBBUDD]

Next, I'd go with @SarahT's suggestion about a through-the-wall vent somewhere else close by in the kitchen.

Vents from a stove can not be blown into a attic or an other room usually it is a code violation

 

[combatwombat]

Vents from a stove can not be blown into a attic or an other room usually it is a code violation

Not what I said. You can’t exhaust ANY fan into an attic or other room.