Range hood ducting in a Scottsdale kitchen remodel

The whistle at low speed and the roar at high speed usually come from the duct and not the fan, and every teardown logged at scottsdale kitchen remodelers michael burritt shows the same thing: the run is too long, too narrow or has too many elbows. In a kitchen remodel in Scottsdale, AZ the hood is often the first item people want to move, and the duct decides whether that move is possible at all.

Size the duct before choosing the hood

A hood rated for a high airflow needs a round duct to match, commonly six, eight or ten inches across. The manufacturer's installation sheet gives the maximum equivalent length, and every elbow counts as several feet of straight pipe on that sheet. A remodel that shifts the cooktop four feet sideways can quietly use up the whole allowance.

Roof runs and wall runs in Scottsdale homes

Many Scottsdale homes built through the middle of the twentieth century are single storey with a low-slope or tile roof, so the usual route goes up through the attic and out a roof cap. Houses on the slopes below Camelback Mountain and the McDowell Mountains often have tile roofs that make a new penetration a roofer's job. Attic temperatures in the Sonoran Desert climb far above the temperature in the kitchen, and a metal duct passing through that space sweats and bakes in turn. Seams sealed with foil tape, not cloth duct tape, hold up in that heat.

Where the air goes

The duct has to end outdoors. A hood that terminates in the attic spreads grease and moisture across the sheathing and insulation, and the inspector will flag it. The termination cap needs a damper that closes tightly, because desert dust and the occasional monsoon storm blow straight back down an open pipe.

Makeup air

A powerful hood pulls air out of the house, and in a tight modern remodel that air has to come from somewhere. Past a certain airflow rating, building code in Maricopa County jurisdictions calls for a makeup air supply. The damper, the duct and the controls are planned during rough-in, when the ceiling is open, not after the cabinets are hung.

Ductless and recirculating hoods

An island under a vaulted ceiling or a condo on an upper floor may have no practical route out. A recirculating hood with charcoal filters is the fallback. It captures some grease and odour but returns the heat and moisture to the room, so it is a compromise made on purpose and not an equal replacement.

What to settle during rough-in

The final centreline of the cooktop, the hood model and its duct size are fixed before the framing is closed. When the plan is firm, the duct goes in straight and short, and the hood can run quietly at the speed it was built for in Scottsdale, AZ summers and in winter alike.