Along with toxic gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, cooking can produce a range of pollutants. While most kitchen users tend to neglect kitchen ventilation, ventilation in real is just as fundamental as cleaning.
By extracting these pollutants from your indoor air and releasing them outdoors, a ventilation system reduces the damage that they cause.
So, let’s dive deeper into this article to learn more about the importance of kitchen ventilation systems.
How Does the Kitchen Ventilation System work?
kitchen ventilation system is the process of eliminating the smells, steam, and smoke that come from cooking. A well-designed kitchen ventilation system may help mitigate an excess of dangerous gasses in addition to enhancing the quality of indoor air.
There are two types of kitchen ventilation systems: (vented) external ducted venting and ductless (non-vented) venting systems.
An external ducted venting system also known as ducted range hood, comes up with a range hood, installed above the cooking surface and a duct that passes through the wall or ceiling and out the exterior of the house.
The duct removes the smoke, steam, and odors from the cooking surface and the range hood, keeping them from getting into other parts of the house.
In contrast, a ductless ventilation system, commonly known as a recirculating range hood, includes the elements of a fan to circulate air, a range hood positioned above the cooking surface, and filters to collect smoke and pollutants.
A ductless system recirculates the cleansed air back into the kitchen after using filters to capture contaminants, as opposed to venting the air outdoors.
4 Importance of Kitchen Ventilation Systems
In the kitchen, ventilation systems have a significant presence since they enhance airflow and add immensely to the room’s overall design.
Remember that both the health and productivity of kitchen users will get better with a well-functioning ventilation system. A well-ventilated kitchen could greatly help with controlling the temperature and air quality in the space.
Let’s see in detail how kitchen ventilation systems help us:
1. Eliminating Toxic Chemicals from the Air in Your House
According to studies, having an exhaust fan in your kitchen can help lessen your chance of developing lung cancer by up to 50%. You can purchase a premium range hood with a filtering system and blower that is of professional grade from Monogram in stylish designs also.
2. Getting Rid of Odd Smells
The primary cause of unpleasant cooking odors in kitchens is lack of ventilation. Unfortunately, bad cooking smells will always stick to your kitchen, no matter how little or much you cook.
Therefore, you can fight off such odors with the use of a kitchen ventilation system. It guarantees consistent airflow into the kitchen and filters the air leaving the kitchen.
3. Managing kitchen temperature and improving ventilation
Due to the heat, smoke, oil, and smells produced during food preparation and cooking, the kitchen can quickly become dirty and hot.
For better air quality and easier temperature management in the kitchen, install a functioning ventilation system. It functions by forcing hot air out of your kitchen and establishing a steady airflow throughout.
4. Keeping Counters and Other Surfaces Free of Grease and Grime
Along with toxic chemicals, cooking vapors are also full of grease, which attracts to wooden surfaces like tabletops and cabinets, discoloring them and perhaps starting fires. The worst thing is that there is no way to remove it without severely cleaning your cabinets and fading the colors.
Regarding these oily vapors in the air, good ventilation is the key to dealing with even an ounce of prevention which is worth a pound of cure.
Options for your Kitchen Ventilation Systems
The variety of ventilation hoods on the market can easily cause one to become anxious, so it’s necessary to start by determining which ventilation system options are most appropriate for your needs and kitchen.
Downdraft Ventilation
For kitchen ventilation, downdraft venting has always been a common choice. If there isn’t enough room for upper cabinets in the kitchen, this kind of ventilation system is great. It is also appropriate for open-concept living room and kitchen designs with an island serving as the cooking center.
Some good models:
Monogram 53″ Titanium Designer Collection Hood ZVC53DWTT
Updraft Ventilation
With the help of updraft hoods, steamy, grease-filled air can ascend into a filter system to escape from the kitchen and vented outdoors. The hood’s capture area and the volume of air it extracts in cubic feet per minute (CFM) are equally significant.
Selecting an oversized hood by one size is the best course of action. A 30-inch range, for instance, ought to have a 36-inch vent, a 36-inch range, a 42-inch vent, and so on.
Some good models:
LUSTRE STAINLESS 30″ RECIRCULATING WALL-MOUNT CANOPY HOOD
PRO-STYLE® 36″PROFESSIONAL WALL-MOUNT HOOD
Updraft Island Mount
An Updraft Island mount, also known as island ventilation, operates on the same principles as wall-mounted updrafts; the hood sizing is much more important in an island installation. The greater the capture area a unit has, the more effectively it will do since cross-drafts affect the island hoods.
Some good models are:
36″ Island-Mount, 3-Speed Canopy Hood
ZLINE Convertible Vent Island Mount Range Hood in Stainless Steel and Glass (GL14i)
How much do Kitchen Ventilation Systems cost?
Simple, non-ducted models of basic range hoods come at about $100, while more advanced ducted units with higher extraction rates and other facilities like brightness and noise reduction can cost up to $2000.
While you will get Downdraft ventilation systems at around $300 to $3000 and Updraft ventilation systems at $100 to $2000, Island Mount updraft ventilation systems appear at about $200 to $3000.
Importance of kitchen ventilation systems- FAQs
What is the importance of ventilation in the kitchen?
A kitchen ventilation system can help adjust the overall temperature of the kitchen area and efficiently eliminate airborne pollutants.
What is the best ventilation for a kitchen?
For many kitchens, standard overhead or updraft wall-mount ventilation works better.
