[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Switter

I did mine in two of my houses. One I was able to vent out the side which was much easier. The other I had to go through the cabinet above the microwave, through the attic and out the roof. it's quite a bit of work and unless you've done it before, I'd hire out. I'm not sure what they would charge but I'd say it took me about 3-4 hours. It's not much in materials, just tin ductwork, a roof vent, and some aluminum tape. Both of the houses had a soffit above the cabinets so I didn't have to wrap the ductwork between the cabinets and the ceiling.

You'll have to take the microwave down and flip the fan too.


** Caveat **

Even after doing it, it didn't make as huge a difference as I hoped it would. It does help some but those microwave fans are really weak. Anything you cook on the front burners of a stove barely gets pulled in to the fan. If you want anything more than that you're gonna have to replace your microwave with a high-quality hood vent, and they're probably not cheap. Bathroom fans are more effective because it's a small room and you can close the door, which creates somewhat of a vacuum. Most kitchens are open to the main living area of the house which is much larger, so it's more difficult for the fan to do its job unless it's really powerful.

I just want to set your expectations.

Another alternative is a gas grill with a burner and to cook the stuff outside, lol. I eat a ton of fish and that's what I'm gonna start doing, cooking it on the grill.

That's what i wanted/hoped to do, but not on my own. The attic isn't easy enough access for my 76 yer old body. The microwave exhaust is totally useless. There are some excellent range hoods out there. Our daughter (also a vegetarian) installed one in her home in VA and you'd never know she cooked a piece of broccoli or a fish even if you were staning next to her stove. If you get too close it will suck you out through the roof.