Can recirculating-only hood be vented out?

2 years ago

Hi,

Looking at this hood to replace an over-the-range microwave hood.

https://www.jennair.com/ventilation/wall-mount/p.lustre-stainless-30-recirculating-wall-mount-canopy-hood.jvr0430hs.html

The current OTR microwave is vented outside, and we are hoping to tie the new one into the same ducting. However everything seems to suggest that this hood is recirculating only. There are no vented installation instructions or specs. It's not listed as convertible anywhere either. The sales guy claims that it should be fine if we install it as vented. But I just wanted to double check.

So question: can recirculating-only hood be vented outside?

Thanks.

Featured Answer

Buehl

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

If you have to pay to modify the hood, you will likely lose much of the savings you're trying for in labor and, possibly, material costs.

If you are purchasing all new appliances, then I suggest instead of focusing on a "deal", that you instead focus on function and reliability for each appliance. As CPArtist said, no one manufacturer makes good appliances across the board. If you just focus on one manufacturer, you may end up spending a lot more in the long run when you have to get some repaired one or more times or have to replace one or more appliances long b/f you would have had to if you had gotten better ones (function & reliability) in the first place. Don't be "penny smart and pound foolish"!

That doesn't meaning buying top-of-the-line appliances, it means to do your research and find ones that are more reliable than the other in your price range. E.g., in my experience, GE makes good cooking appliances but not-so-good DWs - Bosch makes good DWs at various price points.

Jenn-Air is not necessarily good or bad, just do your research and don't focus on the "deals" that require you to bundle appliances from one manufacturer.

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Comments (7)

M Miller
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
There must be hundreds of hoods for sale where it is clear they can vent to the outside. Why are you focusing on this one out of all that are available? I'd get a hood where you don't have to be a detective to figure it out.

This is the same style 30" hood from JennAire as you linked in your OP, except it's not recirculating. https://www.jennair.com/ventilation/wall-mount/p.stainless-steel-30-wall-mount-hood.jvw0630ls.html?

Also, your exhaust duct is likely 6" diameter because it was for an OTR MW before. You should look at a hood's specs for its duct requirement - many of them require an 8" duct. Luckily, the JennAire hood I linked in my previous paragraph specifies a 6" duct. If your duct is smaller than what the hood requires, then the hood will be noisy regardless of how quiet it is supposed to be. Though after having used an OTR MW, it won't be noisier than that was.
Y K
Original Author
2 years ago
Need it in a package from Jennair. Saves me about $1300 on top of everything if I go with the same brand.

I can also go with this one: https://www.jennair.com/ventilation/wall-mount/p.30-pyramid-style-canopy-wall-hood.jxw8530hs.html?

But this one is 2 inches bigger depth wise, and I like the look of the flat one better.
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M Miller
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
It is better to have a hood that is deeper. That is an advantage. That is because a hood that is too shallow won't cover your front burners. A range is 24" deep minimum. Many ranges are 28" deep. If a hood is too shallow front-to-back, that means that smoke and grease when cooking on your front burners will hit the front of the hood, or your ceiling, rather than go up the vent. So you will have spent about $2000 on a hood that won't even exhaust the cooking from your front burners. Even the 20" depth of that second hood you linked is not adequate. But I understand that you have budget constraints.

And a canopy shape is overall a better hood than a flat shape. A flat shape does not corral the smoke and grease as well as a canopy hood.
Y K thanked M Miller
cpartist
2 years ago
Are you getting all new appliances? It's never a good idea to get a package deal because some appliances are better with different brands.
dadoes
2 years ago
It may be possible to exhaust outdoors if the airflow is strong enough to function as such. Review the installation instructions (available online). A 6" diameter flexible duct is required to be obtained separately (is not included with the hood) for connecting the hood air outlet to the charcoal filter, which sits in a separate wall bracket/housing at the top of the whole thing where the recirculating airflow exits. Change the 6" duct to solid-flue instead of flexible, extend it through the ceiling for outdoor exhausting. The charcoal filter would be eliminated. Also eliminate the charcoal filter bracket, or retain it but cut a 6" hole in the top for the solid-flue duct to pass through to the ceiling. Leave the ducting exposed, or construct some sort of cover (wood or metal per your aesthetics) to conceal it. Such modification may void the product warranty.
Kendrah
2 years ago
You never save when you purchase as a package deal because no body makes all appliances well and one of your pieces is destined to function poorly and have a short life span. It is a shame to get new appliances and have to Mac Gyver the hood. Of course a sales person is going to tell you it works. They want to sell you the package. Case in point, you are already starting to have to chip away at quality and function of your hood.

Stop. Take a deep breath. Now think about shopping for individual pieces. You will thank yourself down the line when you are not dealing with repairs.