Help me vent my kitchen

[Anonymous]

Hi all, I have been living without a way to vent my kitchen for almost a year now but with the tariffs coming in, I feel the need to get this figured out so I can go out and buy a hood yesterday.

The backstory is, we had a downdraft cooktop which we replaced with no downdraft cooktop because I hated it with a passion. Now if we want to get a proper hood, we need to find a way to vent this. We have ventilation for the downdraft system at the bottom cabinets.

Can we somehow connect a hood to draw air up and connect it to the existing venting system, which would require the fumes to go up and then down and out?

Or do we or should we install a whole new ventilation system right where hood would be? Can that external wall support two vents? How much would this cost approximately and would it be HVAC people who would do this?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

HVAC contractor here who also has a downdraft cooktop at home. The Jennair downdrafts are the only ones that actually vent in my experience but they come with their own drawbacks.

Unfortunately your not going to be able to connect a hood to the existing venting system. The venting itself isn't that big of a job its opening up the drywall and then repairing and repainting that makes it a job. I'm planning to change mine out when I redo my kitchen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HVAC contractor here who also has a downdraft cooktop at home. The Jennair downdrafts are the only ones that actually vent in my experience but they come with their own drawbacks.

Unfortunately your not going to be able to connect a hood to the existing venting system. The venting itself isn't that big of a job its opening up the drywall and then repairing and repainting that makes it a job. I'm planning to change mine out when I redo my kitchen.

But you would have to make another cut to the external of the house right? We have brick so is that easy?

Also, who does this work? I just called our HVAC company and they said they don't do it.

[Anonymous]

There are some hoods that use charcoal filters and you don’t have to vent it.
This might work if you don’t cook much.
venting it outside is better and a general contractor should do the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HVAC contractor here who also has a downdraft cooktop at home. The Jennair downdrafts are the only ones that actually vent in my experience but they come with their own drawbacks.

Unfortunately your not going to be able to connect a hood to the existing venting system. The venting itself isn't that big of a job its opening up the drywall and then repairing and repainting that makes it a job. I'm planning to change mine out when I redo my kitchen.

But you would have to make another cut to the external of the house right? We have brick so is that easy?

Also, who does this work? I just called our HVAC company and they said they don't do it.

Yes they will need to either go out through the brick or up through the roof. I would use a GC so its one stop shopping as far as mounting the hood, electric, venting, and the drywall repair/paint. The old vent should be sealed up at the exterior as well.