Kitchen extractor fan: Repairing a bad(?) installation job

[Vaskunito]

Hi everyone.

Quite recently the extractor fan in my kitchen died so I went on to replace it. I removed it from the ceiling and I discovered that the canopy extractor fan outlet doesnt lead anywhere and instead just blows the air onto the ceiling (look at attached photos). No ducting whatsoever there.

I think when they build this place, they put a small extractor fan on top of the kitchen canopy extractor fan and the latter would blow the air into the other. This looks a bit strange to me. Also note that the smaller extractor fan on the ceiling doesnt have a ducting per se but instead blows air into the false ceiling and then this somehow finds its way through the kitchen ceiling, through the living room ceiling and outside the balcony grille. How weird.

Anyway, not much i can do there. So my question is this: I need to fix this situation. What would u advice me is the best thing to do?

A) Replace the small ceiling fan (its a standard 100mm fan thats operated by the kitchen light and independently from the canopy extractor fan)

or

B) do away with the ceiling extractor fan and instead install some flexible ducting from the canopy outlet to the already existing ceiling hole (look at photos). They are both 100mm.


What do you think? Which of the two solutions will be better in terms of extracting more moisture? Thank you in advance.

 

[breezer]

none

ducting to outside

 

[Vaskunito]

hi and thanks for the reply.

yes i think you are right however the way my flat is situated a duct to the outside is very difficult if not impossible. The kitchen has no windows, and the only way is to duct to the balcony. False ceiling everywhere and cutting a hole from the kitchen wall will lead to the corridor outside (sort of like a hote corridor) so i cannot duct there.

The height of the ceiling from the false ceiling plasterboard (?) is about 9.5 cms. And to place a flexi duct all the way from the kitceh to the balcony and through the living room...well...I have no idea how to steer a 5-6 meter flexi duct through a falsec ceiling without major damage.

So i guess my only two practical choices are the ones in my first post.

 

[Vaskunito]

hi a followup post also.

What about a compination of the two?

A flexible ducting towards the false ceiling and an inline fan attached to the ceiling and ducting.

See the (highly professional ) drawing.

Is that even possible/practical?

Will such a connection work? I am not sure how well it might work when the canopy fan is switched off.

Any help appreciated. Thank you

 

[breezer]

let me put it this way.

try filling a glass with water slowly, now fill it some more, now more, oh you cant empty it, you must keep filling it.

that is why you have to vent to outside.

you ant keep filling it whenm its full, and if you vent to a roof space it will rot

 

[Vaskunito]

hi,

just wondering. Doesnt it matter that the false ceiling has 3 vents that go outside in the balcony? I mean the air will eventually escape right?

I am only insisting since I have no idea how (or even if its possible) to stuff a 6 metre long flexi pipe inside there and make sure it comes out in that particular vent outside. I mean...how do I steer it towards the balcony and not in my bedroom for example? Its a false ceiling everywhere. Even the bathroom fan is setup like that.



Although I think the setup I had up to know is clearly wrong, there surely must have been some reason why they built it like that?

Also, since its an apartment block (concrete floors) I think every apartment must have a similar ventilation setup, and I havent noticed any rotting or humidity so far.

 

[gcol]

Have you asked any of your neighbours how they have done theirs?

 

[P.S.]

ideally you'd have ducting to an external wall, failing that does your canopy have a recirculation mode via filters ? most seem to. i'd go one or the other. Venting into the roof void would not be an option for me

 

[samuelcdanny]

Hi
one of my friend also faced same problem ..Then he replaced the small ceiling fan..Again he didn't face any problems till now ...Better you also try like this ...

kitchen extractor fans

 

[StephenW]

Your existing setup is not necessarily "clearly wrong". I have an old Hygena extractor which just discharges the air out the top like yours does. However, it has a large mat of a filter to extract grease and much of the moisture and also a carbon filter to remove the odours. It seems to work well although our kitchen is quite well ventilated anyway with outside walls. I could duct it but have never bothered.

 

[StephenW]

Sorry, Network Error caused the reply to post twice and I can't find the Delete function withing Edit!! and now realise this was bumped by a spammer. Still it might help someone else!

Your existing setup is not necessarily "clearly wrong". I have an old Hygena extractor which just discharges the air out the top like yours does. However, it has a large mat of a filter to extract grease and much of the moisture and also a carbon filter to remove the odours. It seems to work well although our kitchen is quite well ventilated anyway with outside walls. I could duct it but have never bothered.

 

[foxhole]

You don't use flexi ducting , use rigid box section to duct across ceiling to exterior.Ducting into a ceiling void will result in thick grease deposits and additional fire hazard.

 

[Nige F]

You don't use flexi ducting , use rigid box section to duct across ceiling to exterior.Ducting into a ceiling void will result in thick grease deposits and additional fire hazard.

and eventually the whole place will smell like a rancid chip shop

 

[Richard C]

Guys it's a 2 year old thread!

 

[foxhole]

Age of post is often unimportant as the posts are also here to inform those with similar problems.