Cooker hood. Three rules for the most efficient kitchen ventilation

Tired of the smells of food that spread throughout the house. Tired of washing grease off the walls, cupboards and ceiling in the kitchen. Installed a hood, but made it only worse. More than once I have met critical installation errors that can disrupt air exchange. Let's talk about how to avoid them. Go.

As in the instructions

The hood comes with a connection guide. It describes the technical aspects of hanging the device and connecting it to the duct. I have not met the rules for organizing kitchen ventilation, and this is very important.

We hung up the hood, plugged the plug into the socket, and sealed the exhaust pipe to the only ventilation duct in the kitchen. While the hood is off NO VENTILATION! After all, a valve (gills) is installed in it, which closes the channel. So it turns out that they wanted to increase air exchange, and as a result they put an end to it.

How not to do

The most logical way to restore ventilation is to make two ducts side by side in the ventilation mine. One for the hood, the second for the ventilation grill (separate or combined with the hood connection flange). But in practice it doesn't work.

Air follows the path of least resistance. Part of the flow created by the hood goes through the ventilation shaft to the street. But the lion's share through the grate returns back to the kitchen. We drive the wind in a circle. No more.

Yes, there are ventilation grilles with a valve. They only let air through in one direction. In theory, cool. In practice, dust, grease accumulates on the valve (film) and it quickly stops working.

Simple, fast, reliable

The installation method proposed by the manufacturer does not suit us only by the fact that it closes the ventilation duct while the hood does not work. It is easy to eliminate this drawback.

Before installing the hood, remove from it the movable part of the valve - the gills. They usually stand on top and represent two semicircular segments. After that, natural ventilation continues to work even with the kitchen hood turned off. However, there are two cases when this option is not suitable.

Exception to the rule

Natural ventilation is far from perfect. Many homes have to deal with the phenomenon of overturning ventilation. If the aromas of food from neighbors periodically reach the apartment, it is better to leave the valve in the hood.

To maintain natural ventilation while the hood is turned off, we cut a tee into the main ventilation box. We connect a rotary (swing) valve to it. It is triggered by the slightest movement of air. Blocks the reverse draft from the neighbors and the operating hood. Opens when the hood is off.

The same connection method should be used in new buildings. After all, we do not know how well natural ventilation is designed and worked.

Do not forget that not only the hood is important for the ventilation, but also the flow of fresh air. When a high-powered cooker hood is running and the windows are closed, be prepared to breathe in the scent from your neighbor's toilet.

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