If you’re renovating your kitchen or building a new home, one of the key decisions you’ll need to make is how to vent your range hood.
While some homeowners opt to vent their range hood to the outside of the house, others wonder whether it’s possible to vent the hood into the attic.
It’s a valid question, as the attic may seem like a convenient and easily accessible location for a range hood vent. However, before you start making plans, there are several important factors to consider.
The attic is never a good place to vent your range hood. Attics can become ruined by grease and moisture buildup, which over time can lead to mold growth.
Rather than venting through an interior wall or through the ceiling, vent your hood outside.
Can You Vent A Range Hood Into The Attic?
Venting a range hood into the attic is definitely not a good idea. Venting a range hood to the outside, usually through the roof, is ideal. It requires the installation of some ductwork, but it is worth the extra effort and expense.
Moisture, grease, and odors caused by cooking are collected by the hood and expelled outside, where they are harmless. Attics can develop mold and other problems if moisture is dumped into them.
When condensation from cooking occurs in a cold attic, it can ruin insulation and cause wood framing and other surfaces to rot and mold. A hood with a filter can be used if venting to the outside is not possible.
Recirculated air is returned to the kitchen after the hood filters cooking vapors. More information about these devices can be obtained from range-hood dealers.
Reasons To Avoid Venting Your Hood Into The Attic
The following are four reasons why you shouldn’t vent your hood into the attic.
1. You May Have Condensation In Your Attic
Your attic may accumulate condensation if
- It’s too cold or
- There is a significant difference in temperature between your attic and kitchen.
A buildup of condensation can occur when warm air from your cooking comes into contact with cold ductwork. Water may accumulate in your attic after a few weeks, which is not pleasant.
The moisture may accumulate as ice in a climate that gets below freezing and then melt all at once in spring. Cleaning up that mess isn’t fun.
Additionally, if your duct has a low spot, water may accumulate there, leaving a puddle you’ll have to mop up.
It’s not a good idea to have heavy water in your duct for a long time. Air won’t flow as efficiently through steel ducts due to rust.
2. Maintaining Your Attic Will Take Work
Consider the case of a newly built home with an attic-ventilated hood. The only thing you need to do is duct it to the outside as soon as possible. That should be your number one priority.
You will have a harder time keeping the attic clean the longer the hood vents into it. Furthermore, if you have breathing problems like asthma or COPD, it will negatively affect your health over the long term.
3. Mold Problem
Grease and moisture will accumulate in your attic, causing mold and damage. Not only will you breathe in greasy air and smoke, but your attic will be damaged over time as well.
Take the example of boiling water for spaghetti. Your attic accumulates that steam through your ductwork. Your attic becomes filled with heavy smoke the next day when you cook Asian food at high temperatures.
It’s not going anywhere. Steam and smoke are here to stay. You’ll find that they just sit in your attic and get all over the walls and ceiling.
Your attic’s insulation will eventually wear out. Mold may grow on wood supports if moisture builds up.
Besides insects, cooking can produce food particles that attract pests as well. You do not want to end up in a mess like this, so make sure you duct your hood outside!
4. Poor Indoor Air Quality
Poor indoor air quality is caused by greasy kitchen air that never leaves the home.
It appears that the air in your kitchen is clean, but the dirty air has simply been moved up into your attic and out of sight.
Attic air is filled with grease, dirt, and other contaminants from your kitchen. You’re not safe from the effects of attic air just because it’s in your attic. Attics leak air into homes, which fills them with stale air.
Therefore, venting your hood into the attic won’t solve your grease and smoke evacuating problem.
Final Words
At all costs, avoid ducting to your attic. In the long run, it’ll save you a lot of headaches: maintenance fees, cleaning time, repairs, etc.
It is a hassle to clean up the grease and condensation in the attic. Vent your hood outside to improve your indoor air quality.
