Gas range in kitchen without venting???

[Terry]

I got a call today from a buyer of a home that is buying a home with a remodeled kitchen with a gas range and no venting to the outside. The sellers are insisting that a ductless range hood would be fine.

Here is a warning for one:
1. For indoor use only
2. For general ventilating use only. Do not use to exhaust hazardous or explosive materials and vapors


4. Sufficient air is needed for proper combustion and exhausting of gases through the flue (chimney) of fuel burning equipment to prevent backdrafting. Follow the heating equipment manufacturer’s guideline and safety standards such as those published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the local code authorities.

Just so people know, natural gas is explosive. Anytime you have a natural gas appliance there is a worry about gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. People die when they lose power and a BBQ or camp stove is brought into the home for cooking and heating.

New York Times on venting

Looking at this, I'm getting confusing information on it.

 

[Reach4]

A ductless hood is irrelevant to safety.

It is common in many areas to have gas stoves (no vent) and no range hood. But maybe that is because houses classically are not all that tight.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

A ductless hood is irrelevant to safety.

It is common in many areas to have gas stoves (no vent) and no range hood. But maybe that is because houses classically are not all that tight.

The weird thing is that I lived in a home with a bad heat exchanger on my furnace. I was getting headaches and didn't know why. When I figured it out, I replaced the furnace and I felt much better. So to read that some places don't care if you're venting a gas range? Seems a little crazy.

 

[Jadnashua]

If the stove is working properly, the results of combustion are carbon dioxide and water. This is one reason why carbon monoxide detectors are a good idea...it would have alerted to a bad heat exchanger in a furnace, an improperly functioning gas dryer, or stove. Even with a stove vent routed outside, unless it is turned on, it won't do much of anything. Most people only turn it on when broiling something, or using the cooktop...not for baking things, so, it won't do you much good.

 

[Tom P]

CO levels in a kitchen using a gas stove can still be slightly elevated even if the unit is functioning properly as then flame contacts the cool metal of a pot or pan the tips of it are no longer burning as efficiently. Ductless hood using carbon filters can't remove CO from the air so you would have to rely on the leakiness of your enclosure or a cracked window as mentioned above.