Make up air for kitchen vent

knancy1947

7 years ago

I will be moving to Northern California and do not understand the make up air issue. I will have a 30 in. gas range. I ordered a 900 cfm vent. I do not plan on using it on high. I ordered the power so I could use it on low and the unit would run quieter. I do not have a furnace and the water heater is outside the house. I'm not worried about CO2. How do I address this?

Featured Answer

PRO

Brickwood Builders, Inc.

7 years ago

The companies around our area that sold kitchen appliances did not inform customers about make-up air for a long time. They knew about it, but ignored it and never said anything about it to customers - until the city and county inspectors started to really crack down on it and the vendors got backlash from customers because they didn't tell them upfront. It is not a new requirement, it's been around for awhile now. My guess is that the company from whom you've purchased the unit is playing cat and mouse. If one is in the business and doesn't know about it by now, something is wrong. Contact one of your local mechanical inspectors (city or county, whichever applies to you) and ask them what the regulations are.

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Comments (6)

PRO
TOLA architecture
7 years ago
This has become a greater issue as homes have become 'tighter'. Some houses are quite 'leaky' and therefore inadvertently provide all the make-up air required. But new codes and greater energy efficiency are changing this (progress!), making this a pertinent and important question with regard to safety. Blower door tests can help you assess the situation. Try to find a local engineer or tradesperson skilled in this area to advise / guide you on this.
PRO
Brickwood Builders, Inc.
7 years ago
I do not know what California code is for this particular item, but CA tends to be more restrictive than other states regarding codes/regulations. Your intentions may be good, but are not relevant to the interpretation and enforcement of the regulations. The unit is capable of venting at 900 cfm.

Make up air is required to combat negative pressure in a home created by running a large ventilation unit. When negative pressure occurs, air will be pulled into the structure from somewhere. If there are gas run appliances in the home, then a deadly backdraft can occur, but that is not the only issue. The air is going to come in from somewhere so cracks can occur or damage to the home. Have you ever been in a home with carpet and seen a dark line in the carpet just around the perimeter of a room at the baseboard? That is caused by negative pressure and air is being sucked into the house (along with the dirt in the walls).

I can't imagine that one would get out of this in CA.
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knancy1947
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for you for opinions. I must say most hood manufacturers do not mention this when you are looking into purchasing a kitchen vent. I called the company I purchased my unit from and asked about the make up air issue. They said they had never heard anything about it. I will pull up the CA. code and see if I can understand what will be needed.
knancy1947
Original Author
7 years ago
Is there a universal make up air unit?
PRO
Brickwood Builders, Inc.
7 years ago
Broan has a make up air system. FanTech also has one - but it is huge and very, very expensive (no reason it should be this big or expensive). In our area most good, professional HVAC companies install the make up air systems when we do a kitchen remodel or upgrade.