Exhausted by the debate: Examining the effectiveness of rangehood ventilation strategies

Do externally vented rangehoods work? While the NCC now requires externally vented rangehoods in kitchens in Australian homes, many Passivhaus projects across the globe have been constructed with recirculating rangehoods, and many leaky Australian homes have them too. This presentation shows data from a series of homes monitored in 2024 looking at the effectiveness of various rangehood ventilation strategies.

A robust data collection methodology, albeit using a relatively small sample size, examines the interactions between indoor pollution (PM2.5), airtightness, rangehood venting and occupant behaviour. The study presents findings on the significance of occupant behaviour on indoor air quality and will present recommendations for best practice kitchen ventilation strategies. It will also examine the suitability of recirculating rangehoods in homes with continuous mechanical ventilation. 

About Andy

Andy believes all people should live, work and play in buildings that make them happy and healthy. His focus is ensuring people with reasonable budgets get into the best homes possible through a focus on health, comfort and efficiency in all senses. Andy is a Director at Envirotecture and Passivhaus Design & Construct, an architect, and a certified Passive House Designer, and her has extensive experience in sustainable design at a variety of scales.