Can you vent a cooking range into a chimney?

13 years ago

I know you can't vent into fireplace chimney or one used for another appliance. Here's my situation.

We are doing a home addition/remodel in our cold-climate Vermont home, including moving the kitchen and adding a 48" Capital Culinarian (6 burners & Grill). The kitchen design has the range located on an interior wall against a brick chimney with 3 separate flues. The builder's "plan" is to vent the range into the flue that was previously used to vent a propane wood stove. The flue is separate all the way up through the roof and will be sealed from any use other than venting the range.

I have concerns as to whether venting this way will work? It'll be a long run to the top of the chimney...maybe 20ft (up through 2nd floor and out roof). Have heard conflicting things but seems that it can pass code as long as that flue is dedicated to the hood vent and nothing else.

Any advice as to the above, and as to what type of ventilation system/blower/CFM etc. would be best and affordable would be appreciated.

We are kind of stretching things with the high cost of the range (wife is skeptical but indulging my culinary inclinations) and don't want the venting to be the kicker that causes marital..hehem...discord!

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Featured Answer

BrightFutureFoods
Original Author

13 years ago

Thanks, drewguy.

I think you're right, just not sure. Did some quick research and found this in the National Fire Protection Standards book (NFPS):

10.7.2.4
A ventilating hood shall be installed above an open top broiler in a residence.

10.7.2.4.6
The hood shall be exhausted directly through and outside wall to the outside or connected to a suitable chimney flue used for no other purpose.

I need to figure out whether a vent hood w/ built in blower will do the job or do I need an in-line or remote set up?

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Comments (8)

drewguy
13 years ago
20 feet straight up is not an overly long run. You may need more CFM than if you were going straight back through the wall, though.

I would check codes to make sure but I don't see why running a properly lined vent duct through a chimney would be different than running it through a ceiling or between floors.
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drewguy
13 years ago
There's not a huge difference between in line and built-in. Either way you have to move the air that distance. Putting it on top of the chimney means more expense and harder to reach, although possibly more quiet.
BrightFutureFoods
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, quiet would be nice, but i'm already pushing the extremes of "expense" so I appreciate that information.

Given the distance and the cold temps here, i've been concerned i'll need high CFM in order to get the flow I need to expel smoke/grease without the kind of heat a fireplace or furnace would generate. The idea of an air exchange system to compensate isn't all that appealing. Of course, my house is an efficiency nightmare as it's not very airtight, so maybe not necessary.
kframe19
13 years ago
If you do vent it into a chimney, every few years you should inspect it to make sure you're not getting a buildup of cooking fats in the flue that could ignite.
BrightFutureFoods
Original Author
13 years ago
Probably wise, Kframe19. I went to visit Trevor Lawson at Eurostoves this past weekend and checked out the various high powered ranges in their working kitchen, as well as the hood/venting systems. Seems i'll be ok. Seems my one issue may be not being able to fit as large a diameter pipe as i'd like into the chimney flue. Probably won't accommodate a 10" pipe, but Trevor said smaller diameter would work (albeit not as effectively) but would be noisier.
Amanda Flanagan
9 years ago
Did this end up working out? I am facing the same problem. Center wall with an existing chimney that I am going to stop using and cover over.
Goce Ristov
8 years ago
I'm also in the same boat right now and need to sort this out very soon. I have an option to go through the wall (about 2 meters) and I have an option to go through chimney(not working one), but the distance just to get to it is around 6 meters(+ the height of the chimney which is two stories high).

Don't you think that the chimney being that high will give a pull by itself because of difference in pressure/temperature? Or I may end up having to use more CFM to push it up there?