Is A Vent Required For An Electric Cooktop?

Recently, I was reading about a real estate transaction that dealt with a potential buyer who wanted the seller to install a vent over their electric kitchen cooktop. It seemed hilarious to me, since I grew up with an electric oven and never had to deal with an additional vent. Times have changed, though, and people are more cautious. But, is this really that big a deal?

Most building codes don’t require you to vent your electric cooktop, but it is recommended. Electric cooktops can catch fire and produce smoke, so it is useful to install a vent in case of an emergency. Vents aren’t required for electric cooktops because they produce less heat than gas cooktops.

If you’re worried about your ventilation or just nervous about your building code, then you came to the right website. It’s time to get a little light shed on the subject.

Though kitchen vents will always be a welcome addition to any cooktop setup, you don’t usually need to get a vent system for your electric cooktop. Vents are generally required for cooktops that use gas, as well as any room that doesn’t have a window. However, the topic of ventilation is one that has a lot of legal grey area.

Each state has its own minimum ventilation requirements when it comes to cooktops. Some will require ventilation on the edges of a kitchen, others may skip kitchen islands, while some might not require an electric cooktop to have a form of ventilation at all. Here’s what you need to know:

This varies from town to town, as well as what state codes would suggest. In most parts of the country, just opening a window is enough to be considered proper ventilation. In the state of California, you need to have a kitchen that has a minimum ventilation speed of 100 cubic feet per minute–and that’s not taking BTU minimums into account.

The only way to figure out what level of venting you’ll need in order to be considered “properly ventilated” is to look at your local building code laws.

Traditional ceiling vents don’t usually work in high rise buildings, especially when you’re dealing with gas. However, high rise buildings absolutely need to have ventilation systems simply because of the concern of fire and fumes. So, there will be a need for a ventilation system, but it won’t be the usual ceiling exhaust you see in smaller homes and apartments.

With a high rise apartment, the most common requirement for an exhaust vent would be to have a downdraft cooktop installed. This sucks the excess grease, smoke, and fumes from your cooking down into the floor, where it will be funneled into a larger exhaust elsewhere.

Related Questions

Can you hook a bathroom vent to a kitchen vent?

No! Bathroom vent ducts are not built to handle the rigors of grease, smoke, and CO. Trying to use a bathroom vent extension as a path for your kitchen vent can harm your duct system, turn your home into an unsanitary mess, and at times, even contaminate your food. You do not want a bathroom vent as your kitchen vent!

Can I connect my kitchen vent to a dryer vent?

At first, this may sound like a good idea. Unfortunately, it’s not. Dryer vents are known for gaining large quantities of lint and dust. Kitchen vents are known for being ducts of grease and smoke. Together, they will make clogs–or worse, black mold. If you can avoid it, don’t do it. (And you should always be able to avoid this!)

How often should I clean my kitchen’s ventilation system?

With regular use, you should be able to maintain a clean system by clearing out your vents once every three months. If you use your kitchen on a commercial level, weekly (if not daily) vent cleanings might be more advisable.

What happens if my house isn’t properly ventilated while I cook?

The smell of cooking might be appealing, but it can cause a decline in the air quality of your home. Among sensitive people, this can cause asthma. If left unchecked, it can also pose a risk for CO poisoning.