Kitchen Ventilation Questions Checklist

Write down which cooking methods you use most, such as frying, grilling, boiling, steaming, roasting or wok cooking, and how often each occurs.

Different methods release very different amounts of grease and moisture, and this description shapes the whole extraction conversation.

Note the busiest cooking occasions in your household and how many pans are producing steam at once when they happen.

Extraction that copes with a single pan may struggle at the moment it is most needed, so peak use should be described.

Record which cooking smells the household objects to, and where in the property those smells currently end up.

Smell travelling into bedrooms or soft furnishings is often the real complaint behind a request for better extraction.

Note whether you currently open a window or a door while cooking, and whether that is practical in colder weather.

An arrangement that only works with a window open is worth identifying, since it will not be relied on all year.

Record what fuel the hob uses today and whether that is expected to change, since extraction questions differ between fuel types.

Fuel type affects what is released into the room and what a professional will need to consider.

Any question about gas appliances or a change of fuel belongs with an appropriately registered professional.

Look for greasy film on the wall units, ceiling and door surfaces near the hob, and note where it is heaviest.

The pattern of deposit indicates where air is currently moving and where it is not, which is useful context for a professional.

Note where condensation gathers during and after cooking, including on windows, cold walls and inside adjacent rooms.

Moisture that settles away from the kitchen suggests it is travelling rather than being removed, which is worth reporting.

Persistent condensation, damp or mould should be assessed by a qualified professional, since the cause may not be the extractor.

Go outside and look for an outlet on the wall near the kitchen, and note whether it appears to align with the existing extractor.

Many extractors that look ducted are not connected to anything, and this is easy to check from outside.

Record what the existing extractor actually achieves during a heavy meal, and whether steam still reaches the ceiling.

An owner's plain description of performance is more useful than any assumption about the equipment fitted.

Note whether the smoke alarm is triggered by ordinary cooking, and how the household currently responds when it happens.

Frequent nuisance alarms are a symptom worth raising, and the response to them matters as much as the cause.

Alarm positions and any change to them should be discussed with a qualified professional and confirmed against local requirements.

Note how far the hob position is from an external wall and what lies between the two, including cupboards, beams and a ceiling void.

Route length and the obstructions along it are the practical constraints that shape what a professional can offer.

Record whether there appears to be a void above the ceiling, and whether anything else already runs through it.

The space available above the ceiling determines whether a route is straightforward or requires other work.

Look at the outside wall and note what is near any possible outlet position, including windows, doors, a boundary or a seating area.

What sits near a terminal position affects whether it is acceptable, and the owner can gather this information easily.

Where a duct may terminate is subject to local requirements and professional judgement; confirm it rather than choosing a position yourself.

If the hob might sit on an island, ask what routing extraction away from it would involve given the floor and ceiling construction.

Island extraction is one of the biggest constraints on island plans, and it should be raised before the layout is settled.

What may be routed through a floor or a ceiling is a matter for qualified trades to assess in the specific property.

Note whether the property or its area carries any restriction that might affect an external outlet, and confirm locally what applies.

Restrictions vary widely by property and location, and finding out early avoids designing around an option that is unavailable.

What restrictions apply to your property must be confirmed with the relevant local authority rather than assumed.

Ask what a recirculating arrangement does with grease, with moisture and with smell, and how those differ from one another.

The three are handled differently, and understanding the distinction prevents disappointment about what recirculation achieves.

Ask what filters a recirculating arrangement uses, how often they need replacing and who would supply them.

Recirculation places an ongoing obligation on the owner, and it should be accepted knowingly rather than discovered later.

Ask where the air is returned to the room and whether that position would create a draught or blow across the cook.

Return position affects comfort and is rarely discussed when the equipment is chosen.

Ask what happens to the moisture from cooking if it is not taken out of the room, and how the rest of the property is affected.

Moisture handling is the aspect of recirculation owners most often misunderstand, and the answer belongs with a professional.

How moisture should be managed in your property is a matter for a qualified professional, taking account of local requirements.

Ask whether a combination of extraction and other ventilation in the room might be appropriate, and what that would involve.

Ventilation is usually considered as a whole rather than as a single appliance, and it is worth asking about the whole.

Note the height of the tallest person who cooks, and ask what mounting height would suit both them and the equipment.

Hoods that people knock their head on get resented quickly, and both comfort and equipment requirements have to be reconciled.

Do not settle a mounting height yourself; it comes from the manufacturer information for the specific equipment and should be confirmed by a qualified installer.

Consider how visible the hood would be from the adjoining living space, and record how much presence you are willing to accept.

In open plan rooms the hood is a piece of furniture as much as equipment, and preference here narrows the options quickly.

If a hood would hang over an island, consider whether it blocks the view across the room or into the adjoining space.

The visual effect of an island hood is often only appreciated once it is installed, which is too late to change.

If a surface level extraction option is being considered, ask what it needs beneath the worktop and how that affects the cabinetry below.

Surface level options consume space below the hob, which competes with storage and sometimes with services.

Note whether you intend to rely on light from the hood while cooking, and how that fits with the rest of the lighting plan.

Hood lighting is often the main light over the hob by default, and it deserves a deliberate decision.

Note whether anyone currently avoids using the extractor, and ask them why rather than assuming the reason.

The stated reason is usually specific and fixable, whereas an assumed reason leads to the same problem being repeated.

Ask how the loudness of the options being considered is described, and whether any of them can be heard in a showroom before deciding.

Comparing described loudness between options is reasonable, and hearing one running is considerably more informative.

Consider whether the extractor would run while people are talking, watching television or working nearby.

In an open plan room the extractor competes with conversation, which is the main reason it gets switched off early.

Ask where the controls sit and whether they can be reached without leaning over the hob.

Controls placed awkwardly are used less, and their position is easy to consider before a hood is chosen.

Ask whether the equipment can continue running after cooking finishes and whether it does so automatically.

Continuing after cooking clears remaining moisture, and whether it happens automatically affects whether it happens at all.

List every combustion appliance in the property, including any boiler, stove or open fire, and raise them all when extraction is discussed.

Interaction between extraction and combustion appliances is a serious matter that only a qualified professional can assess.

Any interaction between extraction and a combustion appliance must be assessed by an appropriately qualified and registered professional.

Ask where replacement air would come from when the extractor runs, and whether the room provides it or draws it from elsewhere.

Air taken out of a room has to be made up from somewhere, and this is the part of the arrangement owners rarely think about and professionals routinely ask about.

How replacement air should be provided is a matter for a qualified professional and the relevant local requirements.

Note any work that has made the property tighter, such as new windows, insulation or draught sealing, and mention it in the discussion.

A tighter property behaves differently when air is extracted, and the history matters to whoever advises you.

Record what other extraction exists in the property, such as in bathrooms or a utility area, and whether any of it shares a route.

Shared routes and interacting systems are a question for a professional and should be flagged early.

If the property has any whole property ventilation arrangement, ask how kitchen extraction is expected to work alongside it.

Where such a system exists, the kitchen cannot be considered in isolation from it.

How kitchen extraction relates to any whole property ventilation system must be established by a qualified professional.

Ask how the filters are removed, whether that can be done without tools and whether anything has to be lifted down.

Filters that are awkward to remove are cleaned less often, which affects performance over time.

Ask how filters are cleaned or replaced and whether they can go in the dishwasher or need something else.

Cleaning method affects the routine, and it should be understood before the equipment is chosen.

Ask whether any part of the ducting needs cleaning or inspection over time, and how it would be reached once the kitchen is finished.

Access is decided when the cabinetry is planned, and it is very difficult to add afterwards.

What maintenance a ducted arrangement needs, and how it should be carried out, is a matter for the installer and a qualified professional.

Note how the hood surface itself would be cleaned, and whether the finish shows grease and fingerprints readily.

The visible surface is cleaned far more often than the filters, so how it behaves matters day to day.

Agree within the household who is responsible for cleaning the filters, and where the replacement parts would be kept.

An unassigned task is rarely done, and this is the maintenance job most often neglected in a kitchen.