I’m getting ready to put a backsplash in the kitchen so I’m trying to figure out some design decisions before I start tiling. The house came with a downdraft gas stove which quite possibly has to be the worst invention ever. While moving a tremendous amount of air, the suction also pulls the flames from the gas burners straight toward the vent and away from the pots they’re supposed to be heating. As such, my wife desperately wants a regular hood installed.
Is it possible to have two hoods feeding into the same exhaust pipe with a Y-flange and have the hoods operate appropriately? Would I need to install a damper to shut off one hood or the other? If I just disconnect the existing downdraft hood and re-route the vent to the standard hood, does a stove with a disconnected downdraft hood pass muster?
Any advice would be very much appreciated!
-Rhys
Replies
First verify what size the current vent pipe is. If it services a downdraft range it is probably 7" or 8" round. Then check what size you will need for the new hood and make sure that the existing pipe is adequate.
Then just disconnect the vent pipe from the existing downdraft and disable the blower for the downdraft. Reroute the piping to the new vent hood and you should be fine.
Watch the number of turns you have in the pipe as every hood will limit the length of the run and the total number of turns.
Good luck
sully