Please~ Dream shattered for kitchen extraction externally. Need recommendation for a good recirculation model

[isitcrazyzzz]

[isitcrazyzzz]

I can't describe how upset I am right now. We did an extension project and produced a brand new kitchen. But my dream of extracting the cooking oily air and all the unpleasant smell externally got shattered into pieces today.

We implied to the builder very early on, but they didn't check with us when they rewrapped the chimney stacks. Now we have a brick wall and all plastered 4 meters wall to knock down if I insist want an external extraction model. Builder doesn't want to do it and it's going to cost us.

So now, I'm asking someone shed some light to recommend a good effective recirculation fan. I don't mind paying £££ for this, but really can't bear the thought of start a new kitchen and living space (no door in-between) with the old problem - grease on TV and fishy smell spreading into in bedroom!

Help!!!

[Walkacrossthesand]

No helpful suggestions, but sympathies. I commented to builder that I'd be wanting a little access door on the front of the newly created understairs cupboard in a loft conversion. They let the plumber run pipes up the relevant interior wall then plasterboarded up the space, all within one day that I wasn't there - so undoing the lost opportunity would have been a major upheaval. Do they not think of the ongoing practical use of the spaces they're creating?

[Heronwatcher]

Sorry to ask but I really don’t understand why the whole wall would need to be knocked down? Can’t they just make a hole for the flue? In your position I would consider getting a second opinion on the quiet because if the builder doesn’t want to do it he may well be making it sound worse than it actually is. If you get a second opinion you can see if he’s right, if not you can suggest the alternative. If you’re planning on staying long term I’d get it done tbh.

[isitcrazyzzz]

@walkacrossthesand, I found the majority of the pitfalls of extension with builders is on the assumptions/communication side. They make far too many assumptions without checking with us, whilst we are first-timer who had no idea of when/what to tell them precisely upfront. Ending up with lots of problems on the architect plan and practical side of details. Sigh... I guess it's difficult to be perfect and I don't think we have the chance to out the learning into another extension project of this size.

@Heronwatcher, the other problem of mine is that DH ISN'T SUPPORTIVE! He somehow really believes I'm overthinking and kept on and on telling me it's not worth the trouble and we can get by with a extra fan put on the window (whenever needed) to assist taking the moisture in the air out. He's actually gotten a bit upset when I intended to ask the builder for a quote to rectify this. So in the end ,the compromise is that we will get a good recirculating model and use an extra small fan as described above to see how it goes. If really it's proven to be a problem, we then get someone to drill a hole out through the side wall. (We have a chimney nearly 8 meters high. So being advised against ducting out through there due to inefficiency for the length).

[isitcrazyzzz]

By the way, to rectify this involves drilling through two brick walls (one is the chimney stack wall and one is the wall to outside) and replaster the damaged wall in between these two walls.

[chopc]

In don't understand- so is the cooker against the chimney?

I don't see the point in spending lots of money on a recirculating model. To remove grease and smells effectively it needs to be ducted out

In case I am wrong have a chat to someone from Westin. I found them to be very knowledgeable about the type of extractor for particular types of cooking

[foxatthewindow]

I think it will be ok - a similar thing happened to us a few years ago, the builder moved the extension wall over a bit to maximise space but managed to lose the ability to vent out. It felt like an utter disaster at the time, but it really wasn't. We didn't even have a particularly good cooker hood (DH downgraded the spec at the last minute when I wasn't there), and it was a total non issue.

[Jayat42]

The ducting can go out from top of the kitchen units of you get the square ducting. Fans with high extraction rate look at gutmann by blanco or luxair both good for open plan kitchens

[LeithWalk]

I'm not sure if I'm helping, can't picture your kitchen. I spent ages researching flat to ceiling extractors so and bought from Luxair. Would setting it into the ceiling help avoiding the chimney stack? Maybe I have misunderstood?

[Heronwatcher]

Seen your update, without wishing to assume, do you or your DH do most of the cooking? If it’s you then I would be putting my foot down and insisting, or spend a week presenting salads for dinner because you can’t abide the smell! We have a recirculating extractor and it’s fine, but I do make sure the door to the kitchen is closed if I am cooking curry, steak etc (we rarely fry fish) otherwise the whole house smells for a few days. In the grand scheme of things you could end up spending nearly as much on a good internal extractor plus it’s not going to be helpful if you are annoyed by it every day (this is aside from the fact that no one died and made your partner god of building works!). Failing that ask the builders to do it on the quiet and then blame it on a second terrible misunderstanding...