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My kitchen has a convertible range hood under cabinets that is currently recirculating, but I'd like to convert it to an outside venting hood. It backs against an external wall, which is great, but unfortunately there's a stud in the way of the rear vent opening. It is positioned such that it blocks around 4" of the width of the rectangular 10"x3.25" opening.

My question is this: if I take a 10"x3.25" stack boot like this one, cut it up a bit, and modify it so it fits over 6" of the range hood opening on one side and can squeeze past the stud, and cover up the rest of the range hood opening, and seal everything up nicely with ducting tape, would that cause any problems other than the flow being a bit limited? Is that a crazy idea? Is there a better plan?

I know I could go up through the cabinet above it, over a little, then out the back wall between the studs, but I'd rather not lose all that cabinet space, and I definitely don't want to tear open the wall and move the stud.

Thanks!

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  • When not set to recirc, does your hood vent upward, or backward (or both)?
    – Huesmann
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 13:59
  • Both - according to the manual it has a knockout on the back side, and at the back of the top side. Sadly I am probably going to have to use the upward facing knockout and go through the cabinet above.
    – Brionius
    Commented Sep 22, 2023 at 2:03
  • I had to go upward when I did my own range hood. In my case, I had to go up and across to the exterior wall, but you'll be going up and through the wall. You'll lose a little cabinet space, but it's worth it to not have to recirc anymore.
    – Huesmann
    Commented Sep 22, 2023 at 13:22

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No. Since you don't have much pipe or many bends you can afford to lose a little flow but you have to design the transition to guide air flow. If you just put a flat baffle across the hood opening only an inch from the blower you'll create turbulence, noise and poor air flow. You need to craft a diagonal or curved transition. I suppose you would need to use the cabinet space to do that, and if you can do it instead above the cabinet you are better off that way.

Regarding opening the wall you only have to do it to the height of the cabinet and most of the damage will be hidden by the range and cabinet so can be refinished crudely. You only need to nicely redecorate the backsplash, and I wonder if perhaps you are doing that anyway? I'm with you on keeping that cabinet space ... this may not be as hard as you think.

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    Thank you, very helpful! The backsplash is made of some very nice decorative tile, and I’ve never done tile myself, so I’m not eager to rip it out to move the stud. Since I don’t think there’s any room behind the hood to guide the airflow properly, going up through the top vent into the cabinet is probably the best idea.
    – Brionius
    Commented Sep 20, 2023 at 23:24

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