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Kitchen makeup air: what your high-CFM hood is starving

A strong range hood that exhausts more air than the house can replace creates negative pressure. That pressure can pull on combustion appliances, make exterior doors hard to open, and drag garage or attic air into living space. Makeup air (MUA) intentionally replaces exhausted air — heated or otherwise conditioned as needed — so the hood works without fighting the building.

Ask about kitchen makeup air(408) 642-8674

Quick answer

  • Big hoods need a designed replacement-air path — not a cracked window hope.
  • Combustion appliances make depressurization a safety issue, not a comfort quirk.
  • Coordinate hood CFM, damper interlocks, and HVAC with your kitchen designer early.

When this applies

You specified a high-CFM hood for a pro-style range

Especially in newer, tighter homes or ADUs with limited infiltration.

Doors slam or water-heater / fireplace backdraft symptoms appear when the hood runs

Classic depressurization clues — stop and diagnose before more remodeling.

Options to evaluate

Dedicated makeup air duct with motorized damper interlocked to the hood

Code-familiar path for larger exhaust rates. Tradeoff: needs exterior termination, filter, and sometimes tempering.

Tempered makeup air (heated)

Needed when winter replacement air would dump cold air into the kitchen. Tradeoff: more equipment and controls.

Right-size the hood CFM to cooking actuality

Sometimes the best “MUA” is not buying a 1200 CFM hood for weeknight pasta. Tradeoff: cooking style must match equipment.

Failure modes to avoid

Relying on “just open a window” in wildfire season

Smoke days make window makeup air a bad IAQ trade. Designed MUA with filtration strategies matters.

Backdrafting a gas water heater or furnace

Negative pressure is a CO risk. Treat symptoms as urgent.

Adding MUA that dumps unfiltered air onto the cookline

Poorly aimed MUA creates drafts and grease tracking. Aim and diffuse properly.

Proof & local context

  • • Precision Heating coordinates kitchen ventilation with HVAC so hoods do not become pressure problems — CSLB #1056688.
  • • We escalate true combustion-safety concerns immediately rather than “selling a bigger AC.”
  • • Ties into residential IAQ work — see MERV and ERV pages in this catalog.

Next step

Room-level HVAC guidance for South Bay and Central Valley homes (San Jose metro + Hanford/Clovis). Based on field surveys, Manual J thinking, and California Title 24 paths — not brochure sizing. Firm pricing requires an on-site visit. CSLB #1056688.

Ask about kitchen makeup airIndoor air quality

FAQs

Does every hood need makeup air?

No. Lower-CFM hoods in leakier older homes may be fine. High-CFM hoods in tight envelopes usually need a designed path — we measure and advise.

Is makeup air the same as an ERV?

No. ERVs exchange ventilated air with heat/moisture recovery. Makeup air specifically replaces mechanically exhausted kitchen air, often in larger bursts.

Can the HVAC return act as makeup air?

Not as a casual hack. Depressurization and combustion safety need intentional design, not a propped-open return.

Who pulls the permit for MUA?

Depends on city and whether the hood, damper, and tempering are in mechanical or kitchen scopes. We clarify responsibility in the proposal.

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