Installing a vented hood range

Vent hoods are certainly allowed per code (there's an entire section of the NYC Mechanical Code devoted to them in residential applications), the question is where you're going to have the exhaust exit the building. Unless you're on the top floor and can exit through the roof, it's going to be difficult.

Your building isn't going to allow you to exhaust a vented hood into the building's kitchen vent system unless it was designed for that setup. Most buildings that I've seen have ducts from each kitchen leading to a central vent stack with a powered fan on the roof. Putting a powered vent hood on that system would likely force your kitchen exhaust into neighboring apartments.

That makes sense - how good are the kitchen exhaust in general in removing heat from a kitchen then? Is a ventless hood worth it? I want to remove the under cabinet microwave and install a hood but if it is not vented it might not make sense. Thoughts?

East108,

Some buildings will allow you to vent outside, it is few and far between but check with your management company. Most of my clients buy a Miele self venting hood

Glad you asked the question, east, because I must do the recirculating option. Who has it? Does it actually accomplish anything?

Thanks Primer05 - how effective do you think the Miele are? We cook a lot and i really want to remove the smell if not the heat.

I have a Broan recirculating hood and find that it's pretty close to useless. It openings are up toward the ceiling. What happens is while I have filters and it captures the some of the smell, because the vents are facing upward, the cabinets above the vent get very greasy. I'm constantly changing the filters but it still happens.

If your hood doesn't vent outside it wouldn't do much to capture smells, but it would capture some grease, as well as absorbing heat generated by stove.

Just to make sure expectations are set properly, I wouldn't count on a recirculating hood to absorb heat generated by the stove. If a fan and a filter could absorb heat, air conditioners would be a hell of a lot simpler (and cheaper to run).

the new city code required vented to outside

some converted old buildings follow the old code so they don't have it

some newer buldings navigated from the code though, don't know how they did it

East,
I have the Miele and it works surprisingly well. If you can't vent outside it's a great option.

Jason, does the Miele remove smell-50% at least? Dont want tp spen around 1200 bucks on somethng tht is only half efficient...how much would installation be?

Yes, if not more. Can't say on cost to install as it was done as a part of much larger renovation. Took about an hour to install but was designed into the cabinetry plans. I imagine it would take longer to retrofit. Keep in mind it'll eat up most of the space in the cabinets above the range.

I assume this works better than the above range microwave filter/fans?

Works much better. There's a pretty thick charcoal filter (that's expensive too) that does a good job with odors and the heat is sent up through the top of the upper cabinets. I have flat white paint on my kitchen ceiling which I thought might discolor over the hood but it's fine.

Miele self-venting