FYI - my makeup air solution

11 years ago

The code for makeup air is not enforced where I live, but I wanted some sort of makeup air for peace of mind. We just couldn't/wouldn't pay for conditioned makeup air. So I lurked around here and some builder forums for any info I could find. This is what I came up with:

(A very quiet 500 CFM duct booster fan controlled by a switch under the cabinet next to the range)

(A motorized damper controlled by same switch)

The ducting is all in the ceiling. The intake is the proper distance from the hood exhaust, and the ducting terminates with an unobtrusive vent cover about 5' from the range. Sure, it doesn't turn on automatically when the hood goes on, but I use it only when the hood is on high.

So that's my $166 solution to the makeup air problem (not including the contractor's time to install the stuff). So far so good!

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Comments (4)

weedmeister
11 years ago
It wouldn't be a big stretch to wire this in such a way that it activated when the hood was on high.
fouramblues
Original Author
11 years ago
I wish I'd realized that was possible, weedmeister! That's what I wanted to do, but thought it was an all or nothing proposition...
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jakvis
11 years ago
I'm not sure why a booster fan would be required. After all you are just replacing the air that you are blowing out of the home.
To me it seems that a damper with a pipe diameter of the same size as the blower exhaust pipe would be all that was needed as long as it is close to the room with the hood. You would automatically pull in the same amount of air your were blowing out.
kaseki
11 years ago
The need for a booster fan depends on the pressure loss in the MUA path vs. what is safe for combustion appliances. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter much except for the drop in hood performance due to house negative pressure.

The question is: when using a large diameter MUA path (i.e., larger than a mosquito diameter) what do you filter it with, and what is the pressure drop as a result. A fan such as in the OP's solution helps make up for the filter prsesure drop.

kas