Smoke-Free Grilling

In the State of Florida there are ZERO building codes regarding residential or commercial vent hoods for outdoor grills. There’s many out there that will cite you a particular state building code and tell you that you must have an outdoor rated vent over your grill. The code they are citing you is a commercial building code referencing only to commercial kitchens where the at large public is at a safety risk. 

Other competitors will tell you that a vent hood will help in case of a fire. Hog wash! Residential outdoor vent hoods do not suppress fire. Fire loves moving wind because it loves oxygen. They just want the upsell. However, some municipalities do require outdoor vent hoods over built-in BBQ grills.

We're going to do our best to well, actually try to talk you out of it. Outdoor vent hoods can easily become budget busters and there can be many other things that would bring much greater joy to your life. 

Now ask yourself, do I need an outdoor vent hood for my grill?

Your answer must still be,

Maybe I do, maybe I don’t?

More truth, every cooking appliance manufacturer, based on testing, establish these things called manufacturer installation guidelines. When it comes to needing a vent hood most of them say, “you may need a vent hood.” (I can tell I’m being so very helpful.) These guidelines also establish distance to combustibles (things that will catch on fire rather easily) and distance from a covering (roof) above. They do this for every appliance that can create heat whether from gas, wood, or electric fuels. In most instances, if your ceiling is at least 72” above the cooking surface, there is no necessity for an outdoor vent hood.

The key word is "combustibles". Stucco and drywall are not combustible and are OK to be above your grill. But, if you have a wood or fake wood ceiling - every manufacturer recommends that a ventilation hood be installed no matter how far above the cooking surface.

Inside, they are dealing with steam – moisture 

put off from water and the water in the food. Even when you’re frying something, it’s steam (with a few vaporized 

solids depending on the oils and fat content). Most microwave vent fans can handle it. 

 Outside, It’s smoke. There is a fire burning and where there is fire…there’s smoke. Smoke billows and when grilling it’s traveling at a much faster rate due to the high heat and surface area of the heat. 

Also, when grilling there’s a lot more solids that get vaporized making all that black, sticky stuff that dirties everything up when the smoke cools down a bit and comes in contact with a surface.

If it is outside the physical structure of the vent hood, the hood itself, can restrict the capture area sending the smoke right towards the ceiling. Some vent hoods are pretty but have little function.

Outside you have ambient air moving in multiple directions. The more open the walls and the area the more movement in the air. Moving the smoke away from the capture zone.

The more open the are is the more the hood is effected by ambient air movement. Even ceiling fans have an adverse effect on the function of a vent hood.