Can Aluminum Ducting Be Used As a Vent for an Oven Range?

Range Vent Hoods

• There are basically two types of range vent hoods. Recirculating range hoods remove air from the area around the range and pass it through a series of filters to remove particulates and harmful substances before cycling the air back into the kitchen. These types are very high-maintenance, and filtering systems can easily become compromised by grease and other common kitchen materials. Far more common are range vents that use a powered fan to remove air from the area around the range and ventilate all the air out of the home.

Vent Types

• For a range vent to remove air from the kitchen, a system of duct work is needed to transport the air from the range hood to a vent on the outside of your home. As is the case with other duct systems, the shorter the duct work, the more effective it is. Straight duct paths with few turns move air most efficiently from the kitchen to the outside. Duct work should also comply with local building codes and safety regulations.

Duct Materials

• The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recommends aluminum and stainless steel as the most effective materials for range hood duct work. These metals resist corrosion by the materials that are most commonly removed from kitchen ranges, such as cooking grease. For nonprofessional kitchens and ranges that do not see frequent use, thin sheet metal ducting could work as well, but it is more prone to air loss and moisture problems.

Other Considerations

• Even if you use aluminum for your range vent duct work, it is critically important to seal and insulate all duct work that runs through unheated parts of your home. Air loss and condensation problems associated with uninsulated ducts compromise the effectiveness and efficiency of your ducts. Seal all openings in your ducts with mastic sealant or metal tape and insulate with rigid fiberboard insulation.