Is This A Source Of Heat Loss In My House?

[Oliver1655]

The cooking stoves vents, (range hoods), which vent to the outside are required for gas stoves due to the carbon monoxide. Electric cook range hoods normally are a filter system for the grease & vent right back into the kitchen.

As your stove is electric, I would replace the range hood with one which vents back into the kitchen. There are several available for < $50. You can stuff the vent pipe with insulation after removing the old hood prior to installing the new one. The range hoods can really help to keep grease off the items located close to the stove, especially the cabinets.

 

[NSMaple1]

The stack effect in a house can be very strong. It will pull conditioned air right up through any openings in the top parts of your house (ie. ceilings & attics), and replace with cold outside air being pulled in through lower openings (ie. poorly insulated rim joist area). There should be stack effect going on that would pull air up through that hood opening. You did mention that the attic isn't very well insulated, which together with your smoke results makes me think that the hood opening is a pretty small part of your overall losses, and you're losing much more up through in other places. Air sealing in the attic should see big improvements for you - likely a summer project though. Is your rim joist area air sealed? That's another big heat loss problem area, that is pretty easy to DIY fix with some time & patience.

 

[Guswhit]

I have seen guys use these gooseneck type vents in the roof to exhaust the bathroom fans out. They have a built in flapper, could it be one of those you see up there??????? Need a picture, or you need to get in the attic and see what, if anything the vent is hooked to before anymore speculation goes on.

 

[StihlRockin']

It's pretty much cut-and-dried as far as what I think I'm seeing. I took the screen off in front of the fan/motor(of the hood above the electric stove). I looked past the blades of the fan and see towards the back the entrance to vent which goes straight up the vent, which coincides to about where I see it sticking out the top of the roof. If there is a flap, it's out of view. One question remaining; is the vent also an attic vent as well? I'll see.

NSMaple1, you're probably correct in your assumption of what you are saying(rim joist area). Had I not recently read a report from our electric company that talks about possible heat losses, I wouldn't have understood what you just said!

Thanks for all the replies. It's nice to get legit help without any hoopla. I appreciate that!

Stay warm and safe gentlemen.

StihlRockin'

 

[slowp]

I take it that you do not fry onions and garlic very much? Or burn foods? Or simmer a pot of salsa for hours? A fan over the range is a necessity for me.

 

[haveawoody]

slowp,

Same for me, I have an electric stove with a hood.
Much easier to clean the hood grills than clean the kitchen ceilings, walls, floors, cupboards etc. LOL
Burnt food sure would be interesting with no fan, even with an electric stove spills happen and they smoke up a storm on the glass hot plates.

My thought is to get a new fan or fix what is there already, go to the attic and see what goes to what exit and if it's an insulated exit pipe or if it has an exit at all.
Good time to check for uninvited guests in the attic, check insulation and have a good look around at things like chimney pipes, plumbing stacks, make sure soffits are clear, check to see how the bathroom fan exits the attic and if it's insulated etc etc.

I think everyone should have a look in the attic at least every couple years.
Not a bad idea to have a peek before burning season to make sure an uninvited guest hasn't made a home of shredded paper right beside you chimney pipe or some persistent leak has begun to rot out a chimney pipe.

 

[mga]

Why not fix the fan? Kitchens are a major source of bad air in your house especially if you have a gas range and actually cook on it. The proper flapper will minimize air loss and you could probably do some air sealing or insulation somewhere else.

yep.

and what better time to be up in an attic than in the winter?

as far as being a heat loss....any opening in the home is a heat loss.

.

 

[sunfish]

When I did the smoke test, I wasn't too happy to not see a strong draw towards the vent. I think I saw some, but nothing that would worry me.

StihlRockin'

You weren't too happy to find no heat escaping up the vent? This is confusing?

I would be glad to find no heat lost.

But I would sure fix the fan and use it when cooking!

 

[StihlRockin']

Quote by "slowp" = "I take it that you do not fry onions and garlic very much? Or burn foods? Or simmer a pot of salsa for hours? A fan over the range is a necessity for me."

You'd be very wrong in that assessment. Since I haven't used or have NOT seen any of my friends, relatives or any one else for that matter use their fans over their stoves when they cook in the last 10+ years, it isn't a major concern for me at this point in time.

haveawoody, I won't quote you, but to answer or remark on your statements...

To clean a ceiling or floor would only take literally minutes for me to clean. I have a secret method that has been handed to me through years of my ancestors to clean such things. It's called a Swiffer Sweeper and works wonders. Their kit costs a total of $10 and comes with 6 cleaners, 3 wet and 3 dry. Their wet cleaners are $4.50 for 12 or the Family Dollar version is $3 for 15. I can slap a wet cleaner on, mop quickly and get the job done on walls, ceilings and floors quicker than you can gas, oil and tighten the chain on your Homelite. LOL! JK! As for "uninvited guests", no one knows killin' unwanteds like me. Bats, chipmunks, mice, squirrels, etc, are all fair game if they come near my home "uninvited"!

mga, agreed. Yeah, about any opening in the house is a heat loss. Hence the point of my post.

Quote by "sunfish" = "You weren't too happy to find no heat escaping up the vent? This is confusing? I would be glad to find no heat lost. But I would sure fix the fan and use it when cooking!"

sunfish, I thought I was smart and found a spot for a heat loss and was almost sure. Then the prescribed smoke test didn't meat up to my expected expectations and was disappointed... BUT I was happy, eventually, to see it was not. And I will fix the fan as I think it has to do with bad wires. We'll see. I did use foil to completely cover any potential air escape.(heat)

=================

I appreciate the help, opinions and advice here guys. Knowledge usually comes from outside one's self and this is a prime example.

Y'all be cool !!!

StihlRockin'

 

[haveawoody]

StihlRockin,

Well my extent of cooking involves water and eggs and sometimes I get that right
Usually if I start cooking something and forget the fan the wife is out like a mosquito to remind me about putting on the fan.
Cleaning for me is generally a power sprayer, if it can't be power sprayed then it shouldn't be cleaned LOL

Checking the attic IMO is a good idea every once in a while.
It's a part of the house people tend to forget and has lots of electrical, insulation, stacks and general condition that needs the occasional look around.