What kind of vent hood can go here? No upper cabinet & you'd see it from the dining room. Not sure if it can vent out or not yet - will look in the attic later this week. Would some sort of island type work and look decent from the dining room? This is for my elderly Mom - she doesn't cook much any more so it might not be a big issue. Ideas?

Judging from the picture, it looks like an island hood is the only effective option without some sort of extensive makeover. The downside is that it's going to be big, block line of sight, and they're not cheap to hang. An island hood always needs to be 6" wider than the cooking surface so that the capture area stays effective. There are some ceiling flush vent hoods out there around 36"-43"W in size, but they're going to require venting out, which will be an issue if you don't have the ability to do so.

Normally this kind of setup is where we'd see a downdraft ventilation unit or downdraft cooktop - they're not as effective as overhead ventilation, but they can be logistically useful for an island setup. However retrofitting this this would potentially require countertop modifications or a new cooktop, and probably wouldn't be the best priced route either.

What was there previously? Or has there never been ventilation for the cooktop?

~Rodney Christiansen, Factory Builder Stores

bathroom fan

Thanks for your reply. I don't think there has ever been one there. This is a condo on a slab so the downdraft won't work. Might never be an issue - she cooks very little now. However, I like to have an answer ready for her should it come up. She will be moving into this unit soon & you know how Moms can be.

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bathroom fan

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Would this really work? Hmmmmmmmm

edit: a little google search says NO.

Usually some sort of ventilation is required to pass inspection, so I'm surprised there's nothing there. Though I guess it depends on the area - is this a home or an apartment? Its definitely a question I'd ask to the previous homeowner/landlord. There are some downdraft cooktop options with recirculating accessories, so no pipe through the slab would be required. It does make a downdraft even less effective, and you'd also need space in the cabinets plus potential mods to the countertop for a fit, so it could still be spendy.

If she doesn't cook a lot or doesn't do anything high heat/grease intensive, then it may not be a huge issue. I wouldn't recommend a bathroom fan though. As far as island hood idea, here's a link to a Whirlpool model:

https://www.whirlpool.com/kitchen/cooking/hoods/canopy/p.36-modern-glass-island-mount-range-hood.wvi75uc6ds.html

That would be around the floor pricing level for a basic island hood, though there might be slightly better pricing in other brand options like Frigidaire. I normally don't recommend glass canopy models since they're more of a pain to clean, but this one is convertible to recirculating if there's no place to put a pipe. If your mom prefers high heat cooking or cooks anything that leaves a lot of residual smells, this is where I'd start with hood recommendations.

~Rodney Christiansen, Factory Builder Stores

schwack schwack said:

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Quote:

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bathroom fan

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Would this really work? Hmmmmmmmm

edit: a little google search says NO.

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What do you mean "work"? It will work.

schwack schwack said:

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Thanks for your reply. I don't think there has ever been one there. This is a condo on a slab so the downdraft won't work. Might never be an issue - she cooks very little now. However, I like to have an answer ready for her should it come up. She will be moving into this unit soon & you know how Moms can be.

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It almost seems like someone did some renovating and "opened up" that spot. Can't imagine it never had a vent of some sort.

That or they replaced the cooktop and the prior one had a downdraft. Cabinets look original, I assume there is nothing underneath that would indicate a downdraft was once in place?

The range is not centered in the opening, so beware if you install a hood. You could possibly get an oversized one and mount it offset so it looks right from the living space.

another, more expensive solution:

https://www.build.com/faber-strtis48nb/s1598980?uid=3818814

You could also build a custom enclosure above and mount an insert in it.

https://www.build.com/vent-a-hood-m34sld/s600390?displayPLA=true

It's a condo built in the 80's. We didn't do an inspection - all was OK, she paid cash & we knew the sellers whose Mother lived there. She eats pretty healthy - hardly ever fries food. I will look under the cabinets but I don't think there was ever anything there. She does bake & microwave and I'm going to look into getting her an electric grill (I know, I know - but I don't want her building fires or having to get tanks) or something for outside so I guess she could do hot/smelly stuff out there maybe.

I will look at the links & appreciate the ideas!

I see several people online saying no.

"Fans installed above kitchen ranges must be listed for that application by UL, and must be designed to handle grease and high temperatures."

I'm hoping she doesn't bring it up. : )