Hi all,

We have a 48-inch DCS slide in range with a 48 inch Viking hood. We've
owned them for 7 years and are now doing some remodeling. We are
raising the ceiling and making the cooking area an "island"—we will no
longer use the overhead hood. My question: I've NEVER used the hood
and wonder if it's really necessary to have some type of ventilation.
Is it a law (we are in so cal)? Will the kitchen police arrest me if
I'm caught? I'm willing to buy some sort of downdraft system but can't
seem to find one that's an add on for a "slide in" type range. I have
plenty of room on my island for any type of downdraft, just not
directly under the cook top!

Thanks in advance for any comments or advice,
Ashley

"Ashley" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all,
>
> We have a 48-inch DCS slide in range with a 48 inch Viking hood. We've
> owned them for 7 years and are now doing some remodeling. We are
> raising the ceiling and making the cooking area an "island"-we will no
> longer use the overhead hood. My question: I've NEVER used the hood
> and wonder if it's really necessary to have some type of ventilation.
> Is it a law (we are in so cal)? Will the kitchen police arrest me if
> I'm caught? I'm willing to buy some sort of downdraft system but can't
> seem to find one that's an add on for a "slide in" type range. I have
> plenty of room on my island for any type of downdraft, just not
> directly under the cook top!
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice,
> Ashley

As for legal requirements, check with your local authority - although I have
never heard of a hood being required in a residence. Downdraft systems do
not work well at all and would be a waste of money. If resale value is a
consideration, be aware that many if not most serious cooks consider a good
outside-venting hood to be an essential element of a kitchen - myself
included! It is extremely unleasant to have the smell of sauteed garlic or
stir-fried Szechuan hot pepper paste permeatng the rest of the house
including the sleeping area! Also a range, particularly gas, can add a lot
of heat to the house - not good in the summer here in North Carolina! But
you never used your old hood, so maybe your house is laid out so that these
things are not a problem?

Some things to think about...


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Peter Aitken wrote:

> .... If
> resale value is a consideration, be aware that many if not most
> serious cooks consider a good outside-venting hood to be an essential
> element of a kitchen - myself included! It is extremely unleasant to
> have the smell of sauteed garlic or stir-fried Szechuan hot pepper
> paste permeatng the rest of the house including the sleeping area!
> Also a range, particularly gas, can add a lot of heat to the house -
> not good in the summer here in North Carolina! But you never used
> your old hood, so maybe your house is laid out so that these things
> are not a problem?

Big time dittos and agreement. It would be a foolish child that did not heed
this sound advice.

> > serious cooks consider a good outside-venting hood to be an essential
> > element of a kitchen - myself included! It is extremely unleasant to
> > have the smell of sauteed garlic or stir-fried Szechuan hot pepper
> > paste permeatng the rest of the house including the sleeping area!

And it's not just the smell. I live in a small apartment that has no
ventilation in the kitchen (other than opening the front door). The
worst thing is the coating of oil that gets over everything. It's on
the ceiling, the walls, everywhere. It's even on the other side of the
kitchen (which is only a few feet away, but too far to get by simple
splattering). It makes the kitchen impossible to keep clean, if you
cook at high heat or with oil at all.

I had a cheap hood with a carbon filter in my last apartment, and even
that did a decent job by comparison to no hood at all.

Karen

"Dave Bugg" <dbuggatcharterdotnet> wrote in message
...
> Peter Aitken wrote:
>
> > .... If
> > resale value is a consideration, be aware that many if not most
> > serious cooks consider a good outside-venting hood to be an essential
> > element of a kitchen - myself included! It is extremely unleasant to
> > have the smell of sauteed garlic or stir-fried Szechuan hot pepper
> > paste permeatng the rest of the house including the sleeping area!
> > Also a range, particularly gas, can add a lot of heat to the house -
> > not good in the summer here in North Carolina! But you never used
> > your old hood, so maybe your house is laid out so that these things
> > are not a problem?
>
> Big time dittos and agreement. It would be a foolish child that did not
heed
> this sound advice.

I'll pile on and say that ventilation may not be necessary but it is very
desirable. Even though a downdraft unit isn't ideal it would be better than
nothing. I think that Thermadore makes a 45 inch telescoping downdraft unit
that can be used with a slide-in range. You can get details at their web
page. I have a JennAir range. I did some kitchen renovation and replaced
the OTR microwave. This time around I vented it to the outside. The
combination of the downdraft and the microwave hood is very good. I can
testify that poor ventilation will result in a film of oil on your cabinets,
walls, drapes, and upholstery. The build-up is slow and subtle, but it
happens.

On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 21:48:58 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
> wrote:

>As for legal requirements, check with your local authority - although I have
>never heard of a hood being required in a residence.

Many municipality codes in the eastern US around DC require
externally-vented hoods, especially in townhouses or apartments.

>Downdraft systems do
>not work well at all and would be a waste of money.

Agreed.

-- Larry

In article >,
(Ashley) wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> We have a 48-inch DCS slide in range with a 48 inch Viking hood. We've
> owned them for 7 years and are now doing some remodeling. We are
> raising the ceiling and making the cooking area an "island"—we will no
> longer use the overhead hood. My question: I've NEVER used the hood
> and wonder if it's really necessary to have some type of ventilation.
> Is it a law (we are in so cal)? Will the kitchen police arrest me if
> I'm caught? I'm willing to buy some sort of downdraft system but can't
> seem to find one that's an add on for a "slide in" type range. I have
> plenty of room on my island for any type of downdraft, just not
> directly under the cook top!
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice,
> Ashley


I used my Viking w/o a hood without a problem though I was a bit
paranoid about it and cracked the window a bit in the winter if I had a
burner going for any length of time.

Ashley wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> We have a 48-inch DCS slide in range with a 48 inch Viking hood. We've
> owned them for 7 years and are now doing some remodeling. We are
> raising the ceiling and making the cooking area an "island"—we will no
> longer use the overhead hood. My question: I've NEVER used the hood
> and wonder if it's really necessary to have some type of ventilation.
> Is it a law (we are in so cal)? Will the kitchen police arrest me if
> I'm caught? I'm willing to buy some sort of downdraft system but can't
> seem to find one that's an add on for a "slide in" type range. I have
> plenty of room on my island for any type of downdraft, just not
> directly under the cook top!
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice,
> Ashley
It's been just a year since we completed a major kitchen remodel
involving all the pro-style equipment. We went the official city
building permit route and made sure we complied with the various city
building codes that applied to our remodel. When it came to the
exhaust, the city said we needed to comply with the manufacturer's
recommended exhaust (so many BTUs based on the total BTUs of our range).

IMHO, when gas or electricity are involved, it pays to go the permit
route...for your own safety, for insurance purposes and for home resale.
- Mickey

My question is, do you cook? Seven years and you have NEVER used the hood?

Colin




Ashley wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> We have a 48-inch DCS slide in range with a 48 inch Viking hood. We've
> owned them for 7 years and are now doing some remodeling. We are
> raising the ceiling and making the cooking area an "island"—we will no
> longer use the overhead hood. My question: I've NEVER used the hood
> and wonder if it's really necessary to have some type of ventilation.
> Is it a law (we are in so cal)? Will the kitchen police arrest me if
> I'm caught? I'm willing to buy some sort of downdraft system but can't
> seem to find one that's an add on for a "slide in" type range. I have
> plenty of room on my island for any type of downdraft, just not
> directly under the cook top!
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice,
> Ashley

Colin > wrote in message >...
> My question is, do you cook? Seven years and you have NEVER used the hood?
>
> Colin


Yes I cook. No, I’ve never used it. I’ve turned it on a few times and
turned if off because of the noise. I do use the lights under the hood
though. I live by the beach in So. Cal….windows are always open and I
don’t fry much.

Thanks to everyone who have responded. Your posts are appreciated!