Do Electric Ranges Have to Be Vented?

Do Electric Ranges Have to Be Vented?

We use electric ranges for cooking food and heating water. They come in various shapes and sizes.

That is from small counter-top models to built-in ovens with large capacities. George Seldon invented the first electric stove in 1882.

It became popular because it didn’t emit smoke or smell like gas, coal, or wood stoves did. Electric ranges are easy to operate.

They can also be more energy-efficient than traditional cooking methods. This is because they don’t need ventilation or open flames for heating high-temperature foods.

Do Electric Ranges Have to Be Vented?

No. Studies have shown little danger associated with operating an unvented electric range when properly used. The one exception will be living in a mobile home or travel trailer where combustion gases could build up inside the structure and cause explosion or fire hazards.

For years, we have accepted that all gas cooking appliances need venting.

However, some companies are manufacturing and selling new electric ranges that do not need exterior ventilation.

Are these units safe for home use? According to the manufacturer’s representative I spoke with, they are—in most cases.

Locating the Range

The first consideration is to ensure that the range will be far enough away from all ignition sources.

According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.

There should be at least 20 feet of clearance between the range and all combustibles like walls, ceilings, or other appliances.

Although many people insist on more clearance than that.

The fact is that most household fires occur in areas where there are only 5 to 10 feet of separation between a potentially dangerous object and an open flame.

Also, note that newer homes boast designs with a distance of at least 8 inches above cooktops.

This is the same as conventional gas ranges. Thus, you need not about whether your cabinets will be tall enough to house the range.

The Ventilation Dilemma

With gas ranges, there is never a question about whether the appliance needs ventilation.

This is because they carry away any fumes produced by cooking from the area they generated them in.

But operating an unvented appliance requires that you adhere to several common-sense rules:

To reduce the chance of a fire or explosion hazard, do not use powdered flammable materials like flour or cornstarch.

Also, avoid frying bacon and other fatty foods at high heat levels for extended periods.

Both can generate large amounts of grease and smoke if abused. Be especially careful when using hot oil around children and pets.

Do Ductless Range Hoods Remove Smoke?

While manufacturers vent the best range hoods models that expel smoke from the kitchen through a duct into the outdoors, some homeowners opt for a simpler alternative.

A ductless or vent-free range hood(Amazon Link) operates with no external venting system.

The appliance captures and filters cooking vapors instead of releasing them directly into your home’s air supply.

Most people believe these appliances do not work effectively unless they have an outside exhaust system; yet, this belief is false.

A quality ductless range hood will trap grease particles and other gasses in its internal filter. What happens before releasing them back into the room.

While you’ll still be able to smell the odor of burning foods when cooking, you shouldn’t notice an excessive build-up of smoke once you turn on the range hood.

It is also possible to reduce odors by using a cleaner that eliminates smoke residue and other contaminants.

Before purchasing a ductless range hood(Amazon Link):

• Check with your local utility company to determine if they offer rebates or incentives.
• Look for models with built-in lighting to improve visibility in your kitchen.
• Read customer reviews before making your final decisions. This allows you to select a unit that matches your needs.

Can I put a plug on a cooker hood?

The answer is yes, and now, you can’t. What I mean by that is it depends on what type of cooker hood you have.

Some will be simpler than others and not that hard to fit a socket. Yet others will come with built-in sockets, making the job very difficult, if not impossible.

You may think that cooker hood units are part of your kitchen wall, but this isn’t always the case. Many people use them in their caravan or motor home.

We also use them as exhaust systems for commercial cooking equipment such as catering vans.

So, there are many designs, which means some cookers will be harder to fit a standard electrical socket than others.

Manufacturers build other types of cooker hood units into the wall or ceiling below. These units have thermostatic control already fitted into them.

Instead of private domestic cooking, made for more commercial use, they often come with built-in sockets for connection straight into your fuse box/circuit board.

These units look immaculate when installed, but if you want to connect a standard plug socket.

It is far easier and cheaper to ask someone who deals with commercial catering equipment to install a new 3 amp socket below.

Installing a cooker hood with built-in sockets into your kitchen wall is not as easy as it sounds.

Often you find the units come incomplete with not only the structure but also the in-color piping.

This makes fitting new sockets even more difficult, especially if you have no electrical knowledge or experience.

Most people would rather use standard household plug sockets, anyway.

If you want to use one of these and don’t want to try cutting away pipes and mounting a regular 3-amp plug.

Then an option would be to replace your built-in unit with an externally mounted oven vent.

You could then connect this directly into your fuse box/circuit board without having to worry about hiding electrical pipes or needing any knowledge of electric wiring.

Other types of cooker hood units include fan-assisted ones. These thrive in commercial kitchens and chalets where a lot of cooking takes place

You can often wire these to accept a plug. But will be more expensive than standard domestic units because they need wiring skills.

They also come with thermostatic controls pre-fitted into them.

So if you want the facility for these, then as long as it’s not too old, installing a plug shouldn’t cause you much trouble at all.

If your cooker hood has an external switch for use when cleaning it, it isn’t normally very hard to change over from using it on automatic.

Instead, have an input socket that screws up to your cooker hood. You could then plug in the lead.

Anyhow, there are many cookers out there, and it isn’t easy to give an overall answer.

As for fitting a socket into an external cooker hood, expect it to be fairly expensive.

No one makes parts like this anymore, so they will be expensive unless you find an original manufacturer or adapter from another product.

If you can find a universal cooker hood, they can often sell it for much cheaper than an original cooker hood, as you wouldn’t need to wire the plugin.

This makes it cheaper for you and easier for the person selling them – so ask around.

You would still need to pay someone else, such as an electrician or engineer, though. Unfortunately, but at least, unlike new ones, they are not expensive.

Some people don’t even realize they have installed their cookers with a built-in socket until they come to sell them on eBay.

Most buyers seem pleased when they find out and always buy, knowing that no further, it will need work to fit their plug.

One thing you can do, though, is to see if it is possible to mount the cooker hood into another part of your kitchen – perhaps in a cupboard or wall.

If you could do this, it could avoid any further work that may be necessary.

It will also allow you easier access and save money by buying a second-hand, external unit.

Do Kitchen Extractor Fans Need to Vent Outside?

The answer is No. You do not need your kitchen extractor fan to vent outside. If you are installing the fan into a tiled, solid-wall mount hood (i.e., one that doesn’t have a window in it).

So, for example, you can put your cooker hood on an internal wall and use it with an internal extraction set-up.

As long as the extraction pulls air from inside the building.

There is no reason manufacturers couldn’t vent internally then get used without exhausting out of the property.

The only time law will require you to get your exhaust ducting fitted externally is when you have a window in your cooker hood.

This is because if the extraction ducting went through the window, pests and smells could easily get into your kitchen (which would fall foul of health laws).

The other reason it’s worth venting through the wall rather than out of the roof.

Even if you are attaching an extractor to a cooker with a built-in fan–is that by exhausting internally.

it’s more likely that you’ll be able to capture grease from the cooking process and remove it from your property.

When air goes up and out of the roof, it doesn’t bring any particulate matter or oil vapor with it.

It simply means that whilst it removes moisture content from your home, any grease left in the kitchen remains. When you use an internal extraction setup,.

It is much more likely that you will see a reduction in moisture content within your property (as long as the extractor fan matches the volume of air used by the cooker)

–Which means fewer problems with condensation. So even if you have a cooker hood without a window, venting through the wall is still worth considering.

It’s also important to keep in mind that all our range of extractors and ventilation systems become designed for roof-venting.

So we do not offer an option for internal exhaust ducting (they all need external shutters).

If this article has raised many questions about fitting an extractor, please contact me. In terms of health and safety, how do you fit them?

Do you have space above the cooker for a hood, or will I need my cooker removed when fitting the extractor fan?

For example, with a built-in range. You installing an Extractor Hood into a Built-in Range Cooker.

This is because of the building work regulations. You cannot remove the range from its current location, although there is enough room above it for the extraction system fitting.

The best way would be to cut out an aperture in the solid wall below.

This allows air drawn from underneath by our ventilation unit to escape without obstruction via preformed ducting (as opposed to a flexible hose).

We’ll need to do some molding work underneath to make everything look pretty, but that’s pretty standard.

This configuration is very beneficial as it captures grease vapor and cooking fumes.

I’d always recommend fitting an extractor if you can. They’re good at clearing moisture from your property (not just for health reasons).

An internal extraction setup is almost definitely better than extracting through the roof or out of the window.

However, if you can’t fit an external system because there isn’t any room – then, by all means.

Try to grind out a spot in the wall below where you will run ducting outside.

Conclusion

It’s important to know what type of range hood you have and how you should vent it. Some electric ranges don’t need a vent, but most do.

Ductless range hoods remove smoke from the air with an internal fan so they can often work without connecting to ductwork.

In contrast, kitchen extractor fans must vent outside for safety reasons.

Various factors determine whether your cooker hood needs to vent outside, including size and power usage.