Kitchen rangehood and building code

[foss]

Is it necessary to have a rangehood over a stove or as an alternative an exhaust fan as part of the building code in NZ? If so, is it required to be vented or not?

could you direct me to the appropriate url where I can find the code that applies if so

Thanks

[eri]

this only answers half your Q

a quick google SEEMS to show that a rangehood isn't required........ but all fans, if fitted, MUST be externally vented

Mechanical extract ventilation shall exhaust to the exterior (this includes extract ventilation from the rangehood, clothes drier, bathroom and toilet).

http://www.dbh.govt.nz/userfiles/file/consulting/pdf/2008/simple-house-compliance-document-part-2.pdf

9.5.3 Mechanical extract ventilation, where
installed, shall exhaust to the exterior (this includes extract ventilation from the rangehood, clothes drier, bathroom and toilet).

http://www.dbh.govt.nz/userfiles/file/publications/building/compliance-documents/simple-house-acceptable-solution.pdf

[foss]

awesome thanks for link.

9.5.3 doesn't seem to specifically require a rangehood in a kitchen? Only talks of need of ventilation in toilet, bathroom or laundry unless i'm missing something?

Granted when there is a rangehood it must be vented.

[Devious0]

commercial it has to be vented, residential it doesn't

[Davo36]

You don't have to have a range hood. And if you do you can have a recirculating one. Mechanical engineers who know all the rules told me this the other day.

Interestingly they also said nearly all rangehoods are useless with the amount of air actually shifted by them being very minimal.

[muppet]

What did they suggest to use then, Dave?

[Davo36]

Well they suggested not having them at all because in their opinion, they don't do a heck of a lot. We talked about it and the biggest benefits seem to be that people like them, they have lights over the cook top which is helpful and people feel good about removing the steam (even if they're not removing that much).

So I will be putting one in each of my new apartments but they will be recirculated ones. This saves 3 extra holes in the roof (with possible leaks), the ducting etc.

[Rhino]

My electrician friend has installed an inline exhaust fan (like you'd use in a bathroom) in the ducting of his rangehood. Apparently it works better than the rangehood's fan and is much quieter of course.
And when there's a lot of steam being created he flicks on the rangehood fan as well for turbo steam-clearing action! He says it's extremely effective.

[Jumpin]

Note they said "nearly all rangehoods are useless..."
If you search around and spend a bit of money you can get a decent one, but you won't find it in Bunnings or Mitre10 - Personally I think it's worthwhile to keep the cooking smells out of the rest of the house

[eri]

a good test is to cut a bit of paper about half size of the grill

hold it the middle and turn the fan on

a fan with good through flow should suck the paper against the grill so you can take your hand away and the paper remains there

[Meehole]

We have one that recirculates in the property that we rent and it is as useless as tits on a bull. However the fortunate tenants that rent our 2 properties elsewhere in NZ have lovely new stainless steel canopy rangehoods vented to the outside. I agree with Jumpin, you get what you pay for. Having been a kitchen designer in a previous life I am a firm believer in them and the benefits they provide.

[Bulldog]

Range hood a must have in my book, I have a taste for the exotic & the offal (literally!) ours is a new kitchen put in by spec builders so recirculated into the kitchen. After 3 months of curry smells through the house, I installed a duct to the outside, huge difference. Won't live without it.

[kirschbaum]

Yep, I'd say a ducted rangehood is essential. But as said before, it needs to be powerful enough to actually work. It also needs to be quiet. We don't use our's, partly because it doesn't have any suction power and partly because it's so damn noisy.
Replacing it is on the list. Currently about no. 15 I think.
Putting an inline fan into the ducting sounds like a good idea.

[graemeh]

Our range hood became noisy and ineffective. When I checked I found the outlet was blocked. Now I've cleared that it works pretty well.

[rueben]

I am thinking that even a pretty ineffectual rangehood would stop all that greazy, yellow, fatty gunk that gets caught in the mesh, from coating the ceiling and paintwork in the kitchen...

i hate the job of cleaning that mesh stuff - I put it in the dishwasher last time - worked really well.