Is YOUR kitchen exhaust system a LIE?

My kitchen SEEMS like it has an exhaust system, but it actually doesn’t. But why do I even care? Well, in this video, I'll explain how kitchen exhaust systems work, and how not having one can negatively impact indoor air quality and in turn, health. ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A NEWER (TIGHTLY BUILT) HOME! The way cooking can pollute your air might surprise you - it's not what I expected. Two words: home chemistry.
I'll also teach you how to quickly tell if you're missing a kitchen exhaust. Tell me in the comments if I helped you discover that you don't actually have one!
Intro - 0:00
What is a TRULY SAFE kitchen exhaust system (range hood/make-up air) and how does it work? - 0:37
WHY exhaust air out of our kitchens? - 1:41
I thought I had an exhaust system, but I don't. HOW TO TELL if you have one or not - 3:47
Please like this video, subscribe to my channel, comment, and share! Thanks for watching.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's 'HOMEChem' and 'CASA' experiments:
indoorchem.org/projects/

[@HealthyHomeGuide]

Hi everyone! I'm reuploading this video because there was an issue with the previous version. If you've already seen it, apologies for the redundancy. If you haven't already seen it, you're welcome haha.

[@theowhite]

As a fellow renegade I'd love to see you, the filter man, make a video about a DIY kitchen extractor fan! (I'm considering hooking one up to my MVHR but I don't want to ruin the heat exchanger so considering multiple filters in series. Not sure!) Thanks for your videos, I really enjoy them!

[@JonCarton]

My wife and I bought a renovated house and the amateur who did the renovation installed our microwave integrated exhaust hood with the directional plate facing the wall behind it. Apparently these are reversible so that you can filter and return through the front of the top of the microwave, or flip it so you can use a true exhaust duct to the exterior through the wall. So for about a year we pushed smoke and water vapor directly against our wall behind the microwave.

[@HealthyHomeGuide]

That's unfortunate. Did it cause a mold problem in that wall?

[@JonCarton]

@@HealthyHomeGuide not that I know of, but I would t be surprised if we find some there when we fix it. We stopped using the fan after we found out and now have a short network of fans blowing in to the bathroom nearby where we run the ceiling exhaust fan as a workaround until we can afford to install a proper exhaust vent there. My house was build in 43 so there are no ducts and pretty poor air sealing. So I’m always looking for ductless solutions to air quality management and air conditioning that doesn’t require taking on enormous debt. Your videos have been very informative and encouraging that others are pursuing this too!

[@HealthyHomeGuide]

@@JonCarton That's clever to direct the kitchen air into the bathroom and then exhaust it out as a temporary solution to the lack of range hood. I've never lived in a home with a range hood in my entire life. I honestly can't wait to have one someday. So glad my videos have been helpful to you!

[@NurseAcrobat]

When house shopping early last year I learned to look in the cabinet above a range hood to see if there was exhaust ductwork present. Not foolproof but it was a good general guide. The house we eventually purchased had a recirculating hood but I made sure that there was a fairly clear pathway for adding ductwork. Until I completed the install I used a Portal Airbar window fan above the kitchen sink. It was relatively quiet and designed to leave in place without major air leakage when not running. I wanted a range hood with easy to clean baffle filters, relatively quiet so it would actually be used, simple physical button controls, stainless steel exterior that doesn't require building a separate range hood cover, and under 400 cfm to minimize need for makeup air. I was tempted by Fantech's range hood insert but it seemed like more than I needed with an induction range. I ended up getting a cosmo uc-30 for much less than I'd expected to pay, ~$220. It was one of the few range hoods I found that didn't insist on having touch screens or excessive cfm and I've been generally happy with it over the past 15 months. If I were to need to replace it I may look into the Broan Elite Alta III.

[@HealthyHomeGuide]

That’s great information, thank you! I’m totally with you on feeling that a touch screen is unnecessary on a product like this. And on most products. Everything is made to look minimalistic and sleek, and thus, its practicality is lost. Give me pressable buttons any day. And don’t put just one button on the product - give me enough buttons to cover all the functions!

[@JanekKucharski]

It's not venting outside but there are filters inside the microwave probably

[@HealthyHomeGuide]

Yup. But those filters above the microwave are very inefficient at capturing smaller particles and don't capture gases at all. They're basically the worst filters available haha.

[@JonCarton]

There’s probably an plate or panel that lets you change the direction of the exhaust so that it blows towards the back of the unit where you would connect it to a duct/vent to the exterior air