ᐅ Open-plan living and kitchen area with mechanical ventilation system. Any issues with odors?

Hi!

We are considering an open-plan living and kitchen area, which is also offered by many construction companies.
There will probably be a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery included.
How is it with cooking smells? I mean, if I’m frying strong-smelling meat, unpleasant odors can develop.

Can someone share their experience? Does the whole living area end up smelling?

Hello Phobos,

If properly arranged, the kitchen exhaust vent is located there and the air is not recirculated inside the house but directed outside. However, it is important to ensure that the exhaust vent is not positioned directly above or next to the stove to prevent grease from being drawn in.

Regards,

Sebastian

phobos schrieb:

I mean, if I sear meat heavily now, pretty unpleasant odors can arise.

Can someone share their experience? Does the whole living area end up smelling bad?

First, you need to work on your cooking technique Then it won’t smell

But seriously. Above the stove, you should have a range hood with recirculation to "catch" the grease. And usually, it works like this: exhaust air is vented out of the house at one point, and hopefully fresh air is drawn in elsewhere. For us, that’s around a corner on the house. But I’ve seen poor installations where both were placed right next to the chimney, only about 10cm (4 inches) apart, on the roof.

So exhaust and supply air are separate ducts... at least that’s how I know it.

And how is it generally with open-plan kitchens regarding typical cooking odors? In my current kitchen, even with an extractor hood, there is still occasionally quite a bit of steam in the kitchen. Of course, the living-kitchen area is about three times larger. But I can easily imagine that everything still smells like cooking here as well.

It definitely smells even with controlled residential ventilation. It can’t work miracles... but in winter it can eliminate odors without you having to feel cold.
And in general, all living areas should have fresh air supply, while all utility rooms (bathroom, kitchen, laundry room) should have exhaust air.

When my daughter wants fish sticks again, you can still smell it, but after about an hour everything is back to normal without any extra effort.

Ok. In one or two hours, everything will be back in order. I can live with that.
That makes my decision-making easier.