How important is installation and use of an exhaust hood vented to the outdoors?
Very. Even when the kitchen range is properly tuned, there will be some carbon monoxide produced along with carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and water vapor. Kitchen range manufacturers recommend installation of a range hood to exhaust the combustion products along with cooking odors, grease, and moisture produced during cooking. Failure to use the range hood exhaust fans results in indoor air pollution. What should be considered when purchasing an exhaust hood? It must seal tightly and vent to the outdoors, operate quietly, and have sufficient capacity to remove cooking fumes. A caution: exhaust fans depressurize the house and may cause downdrafting of vented furnaces, water heaters, boilers, fireplaces, and vented room heaters. Adequate make-up air into the house must be provided for the kitchen exhaust hood. Have a qualified heating contractor install the exhaust hood and run a “worst case” downdrafting test to ensure that all the systems work correctly. Why can’t the oven door be
