Most kitchen extractor hoods just suck out steamy air and dump it outside. But as many houses are now draught sealed, the negative pressure leads to cold damp air being sucked in somewhere. If you had a balanced flue, like on most gas boilers, the waste hot air would preheat the incomming air, which could be ducted to make a cooling air curtain over the front of the hob.

However, I don't know what it's like working in a tropical raincloud, and weather you could see what you were doing in the mist is another matter.
-- Apothecary, Jan 28 2006

Good idea, I have simular thoughts for a solar heated air exchanger just for ventilation. Because like you said when you blow air out it is being sucked in somewares slse. But I never considered the stove exhaust fan as a possible sorce of fresh air. Thanks
-- llenk, Jan 29 2006



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