08/11/2026
Here's a job most people don't think about until they see it happening.
That's our guys putting in a new range hood, and if you look up past the hood you'll see the part that actually matters. Metal duct running up through the ceiling and out of the house.
A lot of range hoods don't do that. They pull the air in, run it through a little charcoal filter, and blow it right back into your kitchen. That's called a recirculating hood. It catches some grease. It does almost nothing for the rest of it.
Because cooking puts real stuff into your air. Fine particles from anything you sear or fry. If you cook on gas, you're also adding nitrogen dioxide right at nose level while you stand over the pan. Your kitchen is usually the most polluted room in your house and it happens every single night at dinner.
A hood that's actually ducted outside takes it out of the house. That's the whole difference.
So here's how to check yours. Look above the hood. If there's a duct going up into the ceiling or out through the wall, you're in good shape. If the hood just sits flat under a cabinet with nowhere for the air to go, it's recirculating.
And while you're at it, use it. Turn it on before you start cooking, not after the smoke alarm goes off, and leave it running a few minutes after you're done.
Questions about your setup? Give us a call at (303) 627-3395. We're right here in Centennial.
