Fantech introduces Kitchen Makeup Air System

Fantech has unveiled the Kitchen Makeup Air System, a solution for residential makeup air. The system enables builders to maintain high standards while avoiding the complications associated with air-tight home construction.

"Makeup air solutions can be as crude as a hole in an exterior wall, but obviously no builder would adopt that strategy," said Mark Wald, Fans product manager. "Exterior holes in the wall, which passively allows outdoor air to be drawn into the home, requires that the home be slightly depressurized to work properly.  Moreover, passive solutions lack heating elements or filtration systems."

The International Residential Code requires homes with kitchen exhausts fans that move at least 400 cubic feet per minute of air to have a compensatory makeup air system. Without such a system, back-drafting of vapors from chimneys and household appliances can occur. The buildup of fumes and particulates can affect indoor air quality and human health.

The Kitchen Makeup Air System’s outdoor vent features a bug screen and particulate filter to ensure no outdoor contaminants enter. A heating element can also be added to the system. A controller switches the system on only when the kitchen fan is activated and adjusts fan speed to eliminate the risk of back-drafting. The system connects to a duct system, and fresh, temperature-modulated air can be directed to any room.