Does Pop-Up Cooktop Ventilation Work With a Backsplash?

Downdraft Ventilation

• You can install a cooktop with downdraft venting in a kitchen, because there's no need for a bulky overhead vent hood. A downdraft-vent cooktop has fan motors built into the cooktop surface or units that pop up at the back of the cooktop. The fans pull heat, smoke and cooking smells down through the vent and out of the house. While not as effective as ventilation hoods, a downdraft vent gives you many options for placement and leaves the overhead space open.

Backsplash

• A backsplash is a waterproof and heat-proof surface on the wall behind a cooktop. A backsplash protects the wall from moisture and heat damage during cooking. The backsplash is usually decorated with patterned tile or stamped metal to add visual interest to the space. Be sure to use a backsplash with a cooktop that has pop-up downdraft vents; when the vent retracts, you do not want to look at a bare wall.

Distance Between Vent and Wall Backsplash

• When installing a pop-up vent for a cooktop, you need enough clearance between the cooktop and the backsplash for the vent to easily pop up without restrictions. One manufacturer of pop-up downdraft ventilation systems for cooktops, Jenn-Air, recommends at least 1/4 inch of space between the backsplash and the back of the pop-up vent when it is in use. Another manufacturer, Electrolux, also suggests at least 1/4-inch clearance between the back of the pop-up vent and a backsplash that measures at least 3/8 inch thick.

Vent and Cooktop Backsplash

• Some cooktops have a built-in backsplash against the rear of the unit. If you have one of these cooktops, you cannot install a pop-up downdraft. As a part of the cooktop, this built-in backsplash will block the vents of a downdraft ventilation system. If you have such a cooktop, opt for an overhead hood or a downdraft vent built into the surface of the cooktop.