That’s a super useful project and excellent video to explain it. I am a noise engineer and can’t stand the exhaust noise myself. It even interferes with your cooking because I suspect that the sounds of food sizzling and cooking is as an important feedback mechanism for the cook. We don’t usually think about it until something noisy turns on and you lose the food sounds. I smiled at your bungee system but it’s great. You nearly eliminated what we call ‘structure-borne’ sound.
agreed on this both useful and actually enjoyable to watch......that combo seems to be getting too rare these days on YT. @sanjay y - what would the "pro" version of mounting this fan look like? (sincere question i would love to hear someone in the industry chime in on) -- also @gabe, the bungee cord system seems like a great bang for your buck solution. i may copy that for other uses in the future. very little surface area to transmit vibrations, cheap, and (hopefully) effective. well done on this vid, keep up the good work.
@@jordanprice5954 The pro version would be to design an isolation system that is tuned to reduce vibration force transmission into the roof structure. Simplest version of this is rubber bushings that soft enough to reduce transmission but stiff enough to hold the assembly in place securely and minimize its motion (vibration or otherwise).
Awesome! I have always wanted to do something like this! Move the motor further up the line to reduce the amount of noise! I knew it was possible! Thank you!
Really good idea man! Thanks for the great instructions. I will be doing this exactly instead of buying an expensive new hood that still wouldn't be as quite.
Great video. Great solution. How would you do this if, instead of a hood vent, you had a microwave oven over your range? How can one operate the exhaust fan in the attic using the fan button on the microwave? If an in-line fan company provided a plug-and-play cable/connector, that would be sweet. But, since nothing like that exists, can someone with electrical skills offer a solution?
I have thought about that. You'd have to take down your microwave, open up the top back and remove the fan. It should just be screwed in and have an electrical connection to the microwave. You will have to do some testing to see what what it's doing. If the fan has a high and low setting, then it should be a 3 or 4 pin connector (high speed hot, low speed hot, neutral, and maybe a ground). You can use a multimeter to measure the voltage on those outputs and see what you're dealing with. Best case is that the high speed gives you full line voltage (120V AC in North America), and the low speed gives you a lower voltage. That should work perfectly with an inline exhaust fan. Even if it only has one speed, as long as it gives you line voltage, that will work. In either of those cases, you can hook up the fan to those connections. You can cut the connector off and use a standard twist-on connector. This would likely not be strictly up to any electrical code, but as long as the connections are tight and inside the metal casing of the microwave, it will be safe. An alternate case is that the fan inside the microwave runs on DC, in which case it would be harder to find an inline fan that will run on DC. But I don't think that is likely.
Thanks! I actually filmed this last summer and just took forever to edit it. But a year later, we are still very happy with how this works! I may even use inline fans for our bathrooms too.
I'm currently sussing out a build to install an OTR Microwave/Range Hood combo above my stove. I was pondering putting in an inline fan in the ducting and wiring the control wire to the OTR controls (would run with the fan in the microwave), just to boost CFM. Would using an inline fan in conjunction with the microwave fan actually boost airflow like I'm thinking it will, or will it hinder flow?
It would probably help. Another option is to just remove the motor from the microwave entirely. The fans used in over-the-range microwaves are often loud and not that powerful anyway.
Hey there! Nice work . You inspired me to do the same in my new home. I did all the plumbing to the roof with 6 inch rigid & insulated pipes ... flex is only ta short pieceo connect the pipe to the hood itself. I chose a radial blower motor instead of an inline for durability ... it's rated @ 6400 cufeet / hr @ high speed. I'm having trouble wiring it to the factory control board of the hood for a sleek look. Can you help ?
Nice! I can try, but I can't promise anything. What's the model of your hood? Were you able to remove the built-in fan? What wires were connected to the fan (how many and what colour)? And how many wires (and what colour) does the new radial fan have?
One thing was not clear to me - does the hole in the roof go all the way out, or are you releasing the kitchen smells into some intermediate layer between the inner and outer roof? I am not familiar with the layers in a roof but I was nervous when you drilled into the roof and wondered how you are going to keep the rain and snow out.
Hi Gabe, Great video! I'm thinking of doing this same thing in my house. Just wondering if you have any thoughts now that it's been 2+ years. Are you happy with the results? Is there anything you wish you'd done differently? Thanks!
The only thing I think I would do differently is use rigid pipe up the wall, although I don't know if I could have actually got it in there. The flex pipe was certainly easier to work with, but the flexibility allows it to vibrate and the rough inside adds to air turbulence, both of which add noise. So I think it could have been even quieter. But it's still _far_ better than what was there before.
That duct is not code compliant as per the international residential code. Kitchen exhaust duct must have a smooth interior surface. You should go to your township and submit a permit application for building and fire. Your local Code Offical‘s can help you to not burn your house down.
In fact, look at the illustration on the packaging of the duct and you’ll see that it is meant for a bathroom exhaust fan. Grease will buildup in the ridges of that duct and can cause a fire in your attic. IRC 2015 M1503.1 The duct serving the hood shall have a smooth interior surface... and shall be constructed of galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper.
You will certainly want to look at your local codes. And yes, the IRC disallows the use of flex pipe, but the IRC is not really international. It only applies to most of the US (but not Wisconsin 🤷♂️). Here in Ontario, Canada, I'm governed by the Ontario Building Code: www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/120332 Our building code specifically allows flexible duct in a residential kitchen exhaust (search the page for "Notes to Table 9.32.3.5"). I don't doubt that some grease will be caught in the flex pipe, but I really doubt that it could ever get hot enough to catch fire. The air inside the pipe can't ever be hotter than the air being fed into it, and that temperature drops fast between the source and the exhaust inlet, especially since it's being mixed with ambient air too. I can't see how that temperature could ever be higher than the smoking point any grease (minimum 225°F/107°C according to this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point ). That is, unless you already have a fire on your stove. Interestingly, most greases have a higher smoke point than the melting point of polypropylene plastic (320°F/160°C), which is what the blades of a kitchen exhaust fan I still have is made from. That tells me that exhaust fan manufacturers never expect the temperature of the exhaust air to ever reach that. While commercial kitchens are a whole different breed (I've worked in a commercial kitchen before), I haven't been able to find any residential examples of a kitchen exhaust duct fire. If you find any, let me know. I would be curious to see what they determined the cause to be.
All that said, using rigid pipe would have been better simply for the sound. It's not quite as quiet as I had hoped, and I'm sure using rigid pipe would have helped that.
Nice work. But unfortunately, flex vent duct does not meet or satisfy building codes in the US. All 50 states residential codes meet or exceed International Residential Code. Smooth walled inner surface ductwork must be used to vent cooktops, however, there are a few exceptions which would not apply in this case.
Someone else had mentioned that too, but here in Ontario, Canada, it's allowed. However, if I did it again I think I would use smooth-walled rigid ducts just for the noise. This project turned out great, but I think it could have been even quieter. You can see my longer reply to the other person here: th-cam.com/video/P7S6Qo3Cbo8/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgyltSzvsLY1tY-6-a94AaABAg.98aotVqeDZV98bBN_bOG-0
According to their website, the fan has an IP44 rating for water resistance and a top operating temperature of 60℃ : www.hongguanfan.com/index.php?m=Product&a=show&id=239 Keep in mind that there is still a grease filter in the hood itself. I also made a lengthy response to someone else who asked about the potential for fire in another comment: th-cam.com/video/P7S6Qo3Cbo8/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgyltSzvsLY1tY-6-a94AaABAg.98aotVqeDZV98bBN_bOG-0
Does this mean I could actually increase the CFM’s of my old hood substantially? That would be pretty amazing since I now need to triple it at least- my hood is ancient and I switched to gas.
The CFM's is determined by the fan. So yes, you could increase the CFM's by removing the fan in your hood and put in a new fan in the attic like I did. Or just swap out the whole hood and fan for a new one. I did what I did because I wanted to keep the noise down in the kitchen.
Be careful not to go too high or you make have to consider make-up air to accommodate the extra air that you are pulling out. General rule of thumb is anything over 200cfm needs make-up air. However, if your house is older, there's a good chance you don't need it since it will just pull the air needed from the cracks on your house envelope. Great video though. I've done something similar on my house.
Great vid! I've been about to do this for a few years. Thanks for actually gettin it done and posting the vid results. Still happy with it? How's that blower doing? I have that same hood and I've seen similar blowers for
I'm not in that house anymore, but I hadn't seen any issues and the 300cfm seemed to do the trick. 900cfm will certainly do the job, but keep in mind that pumping air outside will create low pressure in the house and air will be sucked in through any means (leaky windows/doors). If you're in an area with winter, that can pull in cold air from outside. Some building codes require make-up air if you have an exhaust fan above a certain size, so check your applicable building code. If your home has an air exchanger, you should be ok.
That comes down to the noise. Super quiet range hoods are going to be very expensive. Silence is a luxury in range hoods. Putting the fan in the attic is cheaper and may still give you better results anyway.
You're not the first to say that, however I'm in Ontario, Canada and our building code specifically allows it. I wrote a more detailed response to the other person who mentioned this last year: th-cam.com/video/P7S6Qo3Cbo8/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgyltSzvsLY1tY-6-a94AaABAg.98aotVqeDZV98bBN_bOG-0
I'm glad I could help! There are affiliate links to Amazon in the description of this video. But if you really want to do more, I don't have Venmo, but PayPal would work: paypal.me/gabeluci TH-cam is starting to roll out a new feature letting people tip creators directly, but it's not available to me yet. Thank you!
@@GabesHacks Sweet! Sent over a “consultation fee”, haha. I’m verbatim doing what you just did. Bout 30% complete right now. Hopefully it turns out just as well. Thanks again for the video.
I hate that noise too , I am finally going to do something about it. Awesome video , thank you so much
That’s a super useful project and excellent video to explain it. I am a noise engineer and can’t stand the exhaust noise myself. It even interferes with your cooking because I suspect that the sounds of food sizzling and cooking is as an important feedback mechanism for the cook. We don’t usually think about it until something noisy turns on and you lose the food sounds. I smiled at your bungee system but it’s great. You nearly eliminated what we call ‘structure-borne’ sound.
Thanks for the kind words and that insight! It's appreciated. I hadn't thought about being able to hear your food cook, but that's a great point!
agreed on this both useful and actually enjoyable to watch......that combo seems to be getting too rare these days on YT. @sanjay y - what would the "pro" version of mounting this fan look like? (sincere question i would love to hear someone in the industry chime in on) -- also @gabe, the bungee cord system seems like a great bang for your buck solution. i may copy that for other uses in the future. very little surface area to transmit vibrations, cheap, and (hopefully) effective. well done on this vid, keep up the good work.
@@jordanprice5954 The pro version would be to design an isolation system that is tuned to reduce vibration force transmission into the roof structure. Simplest version of this is rubber bushings that soft enough to reduce transmission but stiff enough to hold the assembly in place securely and minimize its motion (vibration or otherwise).
That was absolutely incredible! This is the first video I’ve seen from you and I’m an instant fan
Thanks for the kind words!
Nicely done. I was just thinking about doing basically the same thing - in the attic and using rubber straps to dampen vibrations.
Awesome! I have always wanted to do something like this! Move the motor further up the line to reduce the amount of noise! I knew it was possible! Thank you!
Really good idea man! Thanks for the great instructions. I will be doing this exactly instead of buying an expensive new hood that still wouldn't be as quite.
Awesome! I hope it works out for you 👍
Great video. Super information and very well made. A++!
Wow your like a whole engineer, my kitchen hood sucks, it barely sucks anything up. I’ll think of doing this. And when you turned it on, Wow.
Thanks for the kind words! It's still going strong for us.
Great video. Great solution. How would you do this if, instead of a hood vent, you had a microwave oven over your range? How can one operate the exhaust fan in the attic using the fan button on the microwave? If an in-line fan company provided a plug-and-play cable/connector, that would be sweet. But, since nothing like that exists, can someone with electrical skills offer a solution?
I have thought about that. You'd have to take down your microwave, open up the top back and remove the fan. It should just be screwed in and have an electrical connection to the microwave. You will have to do some testing to see what what it's doing. If the fan has a high and low setting, then it should be a 3 or 4 pin connector (high speed hot, low speed hot, neutral, and maybe a ground). You can use a multimeter to measure the voltage on those outputs and see what you're dealing with. Best case is that the high speed gives you full line voltage (120V AC in North America), and the low speed gives you a lower voltage. That should work perfectly with an inline exhaust fan. Even if it only has one speed, as long as it gives you line voltage, that will work.
In either of those cases, you can hook up the fan to those connections. You can cut the connector off and use a standard twist-on connector. This would likely not be strictly up to any electrical code, but as long as the connections are tight and inside the metal casing of the microwave, it will be safe.
An alternate case is that the fan inside the microwave runs on DC, in which case it would be harder to find an inline fan that will run on DC. But I don't think that is likely.
Nice job! I have a similar issue an now I know what is involved with the repair. Great video! Thanks!
Thanks! I actually filmed this last summer and just took forever to edit it. But a year later, we are still very happy with how this works! I may even use inline fans for our bathrooms too.
Yeah I need the quitest hood for the new technology of 2020 🙂🤸♂🤸♀
Thank you posting. I believe you just saved me a lot of money and I’m the same dislike noise too. ❤
I hope it works out for you!
I'm currently sussing out a build to install an OTR Microwave/Range Hood combo above my stove. I was pondering putting in an inline fan in the ducting and wiring the control wire to the OTR controls (would run with the fan in the microwave), just to boost CFM. Would using an inline fan in conjunction with the microwave fan actually boost airflow like I'm thinking it will, or will it hinder flow?
It would probably help. Another option is to just remove the motor from the microwave entirely. The fans used in over-the-range microwaves are often loud and not that powerful anyway.
Impressive video. I took a lot of courage to make (what could possibly go wrong?) Great job!!
You do hit a point of no return once you start opening things up! But I didn't hit too much trouble with this. I'm glad you liked it!
Hey there!
Nice work .
You inspired me to do the same in my new home. I did all the plumbing to the roof with 6 inch rigid & insulated pipes ... flex is only ta short pieceo connect the pipe to the hood itself.
I chose a radial blower motor instead of an inline for durability ... it's rated @ 6400 cufeet / hr @ high speed.
I'm having trouble wiring it to the factory control board of the hood for a sleek look.
Can you help ?
Nice! I can try, but I can't promise anything. What's the model of your hood? Were you able to remove the built-in fan? What wires were connected to the fan (how many and what colour)?
And how many wires (and what colour) does the new radial fan have?
One thing was not clear to me - does the hole in the roof go all the way out, or are you releasing the kitchen smells into some intermediate layer between the inner and outer roof? I am not familiar with the layers in a roof but I was nervous when you drilled into the roof and wondered how you are going to keep the rain and snow out.
I didn't cover that since it's normal roofing practice. I did it the same way as this guy: th-cam.com/video/Jrv9myUt9Z4/w-d-xo.html
@@GabesHacks ah ok, great, thanks.
Good jorb 👍 Looks like we both have year long video projects lol
May I ask why did you spit the duct in 2 instead of using 1 straight duct into the vent? I'm in the process of doing the same system. Thanks
.
Because there is a stud in the wall right in the middle. There isn't room to connect one large pipe from the middle of the hood.
@@GabesHacks oh ok. Thanks a lot bud.
I'm looking to do the same, how have you stopped grease from lining the inside of the ducting and covering the fan? Cheers!
I kept the grease screen that came with the original hood. That's about the best you can do.
Connect the hood body to safety ground even if there's no motor inside, so that it doesn't carry a floating potential.
Yes! Definitely. I did connect the ground to something in there, which you can see at 7:19 but I forgot to mention it.
Hi Gabe, Great video! I'm thinking of doing this same thing in my house. Just wondering if you have any thoughts now that it's been 2+ years. Are you happy with the results? Is there anything you wish you'd done differently? Thanks!
The only thing I think I would do differently is use rigid pipe up the wall, although I don't know if I could have actually got it in there. The flex pipe was certainly easier to work with, but the flexibility allows it to vibrate and the rough inside adds to air turbulence, both of which add noise. So I think it could have been even quieter. But it's still _far_ better than what was there before.
That duct is not code compliant as per the international residential code. Kitchen exhaust duct must have a smooth interior surface. You should go to your township and submit a permit application for building and fire. Your local Code Offical‘s can help you to not burn your house down.
In fact, look at the illustration on the packaging of the duct and you’ll see that it is meant for a bathroom exhaust fan. Grease will buildup in the ridges of that duct and can cause a fire in your attic.
IRC 2015 M1503.1 The duct serving the hood shall have a smooth interior surface... and shall be constructed of galvanized steel, stainless steel or copper.
You will certainly want to look at your local codes.
And yes, the IRC disallows the use of flex pipe, but the IRC is not really international. It only applies to most of the US (but not Wisconsin 🤷♂️). Here in Ontario, Canada, I'm governed by the Ontario Building Code: www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/120332
Our building code specifically allows flexible duct in a residential kitchen exhaust (search the page for "Notes to Table 9.32.3.5").
I don't doubt that some grease will be caught in the flex pipe, but I really doubt that it could ever get hot enough to catch fire. The air inside the pipe can't ever be hotter than the air being fed into it, and that temperature drops fast between the source and the exhaust inlet, especially since it's being mixed with ambient air too. I can't see how that temperature could ever be higher than the smoking point any grease (minimum 225°F/107°C according to this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point ). That is, unless you already have a fire on your stove.
Interestingly, most greases have a higher smoke point than the melting point of polypropylene plastic (320°F/160°C), which is what the blades of a kitchen exhaust fan I still have is made from. That tells me that exhaust fan manufacturers never expect the temperature of the exhaust air to ever reach that.
While commercial kitchens are a whole different breed (I've worked in a commercial kitchen before), I haven't been able to find any residential examples of a kitchen exhaust duct fire. If you find any, let me know. I would be curious to see what they determined the cause to be.
All that said, using rigid pipe would have been better simply for the sound. It's not quite as quiet as I had hoped, and I'm sure using rigid pipe would have helped that.
Just use the original grease filter for the body of the hood.
Nice job!
Thanks!
Can you do a smoke capture test?
That would be interesting to do, but I don't have any plans to do it.
Oh man that's a "sucky" job........get it sucky........ok ok ok I'm not a comedian but that's a great job!
Haha, thanks 🙂
Dope video
Nice work.
But unfortunately, flex vent duct does not meet or satisfy building codes in the US. All 50 states residential codes meet or exceed International Residential Code. Smooth walled inner surface ductwork must be used to vent cooktops, however, there are a few exceptions which would not apply in this case.
Someone else had mentioned that too, but here in Ontario, Canada, it's allowed. However, if I did it again I think I would use smooth-walled rigid ducts just for the noise. This project turned out great, but I think it could have been even quieter.
You can see my longer reply to the other person here: th-cam.com/video/P7S6Qo3Cbo8/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgyltSzvsLY1tY-6-a94AaABAg.98aotVqeDZV98bBN_bOG-0
Is the inline fan designed for hot kitchen air or air with oil particles etc?
According to their website, the fan has an IP44 rating for water resistance and a top operating temperature of 60℃ : www.hongguanfan.com/index.php?m=Product&a=show&id=239
Keep in mind that there is still a grease filter in the hood itself. I also made a lengthy response to someone else who asked about the potential for fire in another comment: th-cam.com/video/P7S6Qo3Cbo8/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgyltSzvsLY1tY-6-a94AaABAg.98aotVqeDZV98bBN_bOG-0
Does this mean I could actually increase the CFM’s of my old hood substantially? That would be pretty amazing since I now need to triple it at least- my hood is ancient and I switched to gas.
The CFM's is determined by the fan. So yes, you could increase the CFM's by removing the fan in your hood and put in a new fan in the attic like I did. Or just swap out the whole hood and fan for a new one.
I did what I did because I wanted to keep the noise down in the kitchen.
Be careful not to go too high or you make have to consider make-up air to accommodate the extra air that you are pulling out. General rule of thumb is anything over 200cfm needs make-up air. However, if your house is older, there's a good chance you don't need it since it will just pull the air needed from the cracks on your house envelope. Great video though. I've done something similar on my house.
@@Following5 always good to have air supply, at least by the means of tilting the window. Especially with gas.
genius
I try!
I was going return it got the wrong hood need one goes out side I just cut a hole in back
Wow genius!
I try!
How is the grease build up inside the duct and fan?
I haven't noticed any! There is still a grease screen in the hood that will need to be cleaned regularly.
Great vid! I've been about to do this for a few years. Thanks for actually gettin it done and posting the vid results. Still happy with it? How's that blower doing? I have that same hood and I've seen similar blowers for
I'm not in that house anymore, but I hadn't seen any issues and the 300cfm seemed to do the trick. 900cfm will certainly do the job, but keep in mind that pumping air outside will create low pressure in the house and air will be sucked in through any means (leaky windows/doors). If you're in an area with winter, that can pull in cold air from outside. Some building codes require make-up air if you have an exhaust fan above a certain size, so check your applicable building code. If your home has an air exchanger, you should be ok.
You can just put charcoal filters on there
You could, if that's what you'd like. I was trying to address the noise, which a filter wouldn't change.
I’m talking about the venting
What recirculates the air
Why not replace with a good ducted range hood
That comes down to the noise. Super quiet range hoods are going to be very expensive. Silence is a luxury in range hoods. Putting the fan in the attic is cheaper and may still give you better results anyway.
flexible vents are NOT to code in any state for over range hoods
You're not the first to say that, however I'm in Ontario, Canada and our building code specifically allows it. I wrote a more detailed response to the other person who mentioned this last year: th-cam.com/video/P7S6Qo3Cbo8/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgyltSzvsLY1tY-6-a94AaABAg.98aotVqeDZV98bBN_bOG-0
show the fan tessssssssssssssst wheechair larry
I don't even know why people use Broan-Nutone units like these in the first place 😅
Hey Gabe, this was incredibly helpful and I missed your affiliate link. Can you post your Venmo or something? Gotta give credit where credits due.
I'm glad I could help! There are affiliate links to Amazon in the description of this video. But if you really want to do more, I don't have Venmo, but PayPal would work: paypal.me/gabeluci
TH-cam is starting to roll out a new feature letting people tip creators directly, but it's not available to me yet.
Thank you!
@@GabesHacks Sweet! Sent over a “consultation fee”, haha. I’m verbatim doing what you just did. Bout 30% complete right now. Hopefully it turns out just as well. Thanks again for the video.
@@mrjceo I really appreciate that. Thank you! I hope it all works out for you.
@@GabesHacks Just finished it last night! Cooking breakfast this morning. This is INCREDIBLE. Thanks again!!! Did it almost exactly as you did it.
@@mrjceo That's awesome! I'm glad it worked out for you
Good - too much work and might cost a fortune....to install- materials and labour
"Too much work" is a matter of opinion. For me, it was time well spent. It cost me about $300 total I think (Canadian).