Kitchen Ventilation from Ventilation Supplies

Whilst kitchen ventilation can be a simple project, it needs to be done right or the fan you have installed can be a waste of time and money or worse, it may be the cause of serious damage to your home.

The power of the fan will often determine its size, it can be a waste of time and money if you fit the wrong size fan. The recommended air movement to ventilate a kitchen is 15 air changes per hour and there is a simple formula to determine this.

First measure the size of the room, you will need to measure the length x width x the height and this will give you the m3 for the size of the room.

Example 3 meters long x 2metres wide x 2.4 meters high = 12 We then times the rooms m3 by the desired air changes, which in this case is 15. For example 12 x 15 = 180 m3/per hour, which now becomes the fan rating we need for the room.

So the formula for a fan rating for a kitchen is Length x Width x height x 10 = ____ m3/per hour.

Please Note: For Kitchens an extract rate of no less than 216m3/h, 60 l/sec. For calculation purposes, we recommend a minimum air change rate of 15 per hour.

If your roof has ventilators (whirlybirds) or has no sarking under the tiles then you may have a ventilated roof space. If this is the case and you are on a tight budget then you can just install a normal ceiling exhaust fan. This is the most effective kitchen ventilation system since it removes the moisture out of the house.

If there is a space above your kitchen, then you should install a ducted fan. By installing a ducted fan you are removing the moisture from your house and putting it directly into the outside atmosphere. There are available options in doing this:

• Using a header box type fan is the most economical system however you are limited to how much airflow you can produce and the greater the airflow, the greater the noise. It is an easy installation and they do work well.
• An inline fan system is the best, because you can have strong airflow at low noise. There are 4 types of fans you can use but we recommend that you use the mix flow fan because it will do the job 99% of the time. There are two types of mix flow fans that you can use:
• Standard - Designed for the ventilation of toilets, bathrooms, ensuites, laundries, and kitchens, in homes, hotels, apartments, and commercial buildings.
• Silent - suited to environments that are noise sensitive such as conference/seminar rooms as well as homes, hotels, offices, and libraries.

There is no crawl space above my kitchen

If you have no space above your kitchen ceiling you are most likely living in a unit, or your house has a flat roof. In this case, you will need a wall or window fan, unless you are building or renovating, and then you may be able to install an inline fan system.

Accessories available

When installing a ducted or through wall fan, you will need accessories to duct the air out, such as an external grille, ducting, or duct ties and tape.

For more information, visit ventilationsupplies.com.au.