For reference, I was planning to buy this hood vent, but am flexible and can be talked into anything that looks nice and gets the job done!

https://www.therangehoodstore.com/catalog/product/view/id/4/s/30-inch-wall-range-hood-trhsbk/category/12/

https://www.therangehoodstore.com/media/blfa_files/ZLINE_Range_Hood_User_Manual_8.pdf

No online anything is going to replace a person with knowledge in your kitchen. If you can’t figure out it’s route, then call a HVAC company to figure it out for you. Up and out is usually the most direct route. In some homes, that isn’t possible. And ventilation suffers mightily because of that.

Let's just say my HVAC guy is disinterested. I've tried! I'd also prefer not to go up and out through the roof anyways, seems like a potential for a leak and we live in a very cold climate with a lot of precipitation.

But I can't even find a suitable answer to "is the hole in the right place" to mount it. I assume the HVAC guy when we built the house put the vent in where he did for a reason right? I'm not here to second guess his work, I"m just trying to figure out how I can move forward on this. Getting anyone to show up for small jobs like this in my area is next to impossible to be honest.

Thanks for the quick comment!

Also I don't need to "figure out it's route" - I used a snake to figure it out - like I said it goes DOWN from the hole shown in the picture, then makes a 90 degree elbow out the rear of my house about 15 feet away. Found the vent on the exterior and confirmed that.

I still need assistance figuring out what I need to do in order to be ready to install the vent hood. It seems they all want the hole to be much higher, so do I just extend vertically a bit more requiring opening up more of the wall? I'm so confused.

That looks like the standard location and size for a range hood. Have you bought one yet?

I haven't bought one yet, was going to buy the one above - but they told me it wouldn't work because that unit requires "round" duct work whereas mine is in the wall and rectangle. So I'm really confused on how to find the proper hood vent that I need at this point.

I get why your HVAC guy is “disinterested”. And a few other contractors as well. Stop demeaning their knowledge. You’re the one that’s confused. You’re the one that needs their help.

It’s perfectly possible to hook up almost anything to that with the right knowledge and tools. Do you own sheet metal fabricating tools? . It’s going to require transitions, duct relocation, extension, sealing, and drywall work. And it requires an electrical outlet located in the right spot for the specific hood. As in, you need the hood, the specs, a bunch of parts, about 13 trips to the supply house, and a bunch of new tool purchases.

In other words, several skilled trades. All coordinated by someone who can schedule them correctly, and who understands the whole scope of the job. That’s a GC. Yes it’s a small job. Yes, it’s possible to DIY if you can run an electrical circuit and fabricate metal. You need the GC.

Most vent hoods send the exhaust up and out into round ducts, with the least amount of bends in the ducting the better. Your ducting looks too low to exit out the top of a hood and then transition into the exhaust duct. The best setup gives you the most volume of air exiting, so straight through the wall would be best, but you would want a baffle to keep cold air out.

MackDolan you are more than a little confused. Let me explain a few things since you are taking the time to reply and I feel you might be able to help.

1. I'm not trying to DIY. I am trying to purchase the correct hood range for my situation.

2. When I say my HVAC guy is disinterested - I mean just that. I built the house, he did the whole HVAC system - and I can't even get him to tell me what my current vent situation (that he installed) is. He is only interested in doing new construction and whole house setups, can't get him to answer or come look and he told me straight out he doesn't want to do small jobs like that. I had approached him about it initially when I thought I didn't have ANY vent back there, since my microwave never vented but back into the house I always figured there was nothing there. When I removed the microwave, I was happy to see duct work DID exist there. He must have forgot about that when he declined the small job of adding what I thought I needed, which was duct work through the roof/attic.

SO that is where I"m at. Once I saw that outgoing duct, I did a happy dance and though tall my problems were solved. I'm just trying to approach this now in a way that accomplishes things.

I suppose I could buy any old range hood, and then have a HVAC pro adapt my ductwork to whatever is needed - just seems backwards. Zline just told me I can't use any of their range hoods since the duct work isn't round, and I'm clueless as to what the hell to do next.

Surely someone out there has some insight on what needs to be done here?

Are you sure that the rectangle is not connected to round in the wall?

But maybe an undercabinet hood would be better, if you still have the cabinet?

I might buy a hood that can be returned and see if I could figure it out.

What seems backwards to you is what needs to happen. You do the work to adapt your duct work to whatever hood that you buy.

But you have to measure the cabinet height and minimum clearance requirements from the cooking surface to see if any of those hoods are the right choice. The ceiling above looks too tall, and may need tI have an additional duct cover in order to do a chimney hood in order to get the right clearance. Any of the hoods for certain will need that duct raised and adapted.

You need someone in your house that can see if another duct location would be easier or better. We can’t see your house. We can’t see if it’s possible to go up, or straight back. You’re going to need enough duct alteration that changing a few more things for a better route might not be too much more money.

Thank you live wire oak - who does that type of work typically? An HVAC guy I assume? I do know that it can't go straight back as there is a room behind there, but it could go up through the roof - but I guess that leads me to wonder why the HVAC guy would put what he put there where it is? Obv it was intended for an over the range microwave, but do they use different ductwork?

@Emily, If you look in the picture, I actually moved the microwave and above cabinets over to the right, to allow room for the range hood. Poor mans remodel going on here.

And thanks to all replying, I readily admit I have no clue here. I accept that I need expert help, but I"m still trying to make somewhat of an educated purpose. For example are all chimney style hood vents round ductwork exiting the top?

The assessment of trades above by @User is correct. You’ll need a HVAC person, an electrician, and someone to do drywall. You’ll also need a new dedicated electrical outlet for where you moved your MW. I’m not sure why there isn’t an outlet above the range, where you moved it from, but it wouldn’t be in the right place for a chimney hood if it were.

That’s why you have to decide on the hood, and design everything around the exact hood’s specs. The location and shape of the duct and the electrical location is NOT universal. It’s normal to have to move or adjust everything, or do new. You need the specs and the hood on hand when talking to contractors. Don’t forget an exterior damper to keep cold air from infiltrating your home!

You will get a better job, done faster, if you hire a General Contractor, rather than trying to hire the trades individually. They have their subs that they give lots of work to, and who will return phone calls and show up. And pull the permits that this will require. A homeowner doesn’t get the same price or response from the trades, and it takes weeks longer. I’d suggest posting on your local NextDoor or Facebook neighborhood or city group to look for a licensed and insured (check this!) contractor who can do a small job. But, it isn’t as small as you think!

The outlet for the new microwave was installed today, and there is an outlet where the range hood will go but it's going to need to be moved or it will show - this is also very easy to do and I have it covered. I am also capable of doing the drywall repair.

Highly probable I need an HVAC pro though!

Investigate buying locally first. Always buy local first. Something like a Ventahood is great quality and actually has warranty support. Unlike import internet brands. They also have real people to talk to, in person.

What Anglo said. Don't waste your time searching for a GC, the appliance store should have a few companies that do this every day. The installer might want to come out before you purchase your hood.

There are vent hoods out there that can vent from the back using a rectangular hole, usually something like 3.5"x10". What size is yours?

I don't know that I'd trust the current HVAC contractor if he put it in and now working on a remodel in the same home will not touch it.... Hmm....