What is Make-Up Air?

In Massachusetts, Make-up air is the law. In this video, you will learn what the law is, why it's so important especially in new construction, and the best make-up air solutions. Even if you don’t have a make-up air law in your state or country, you should still install the appropriate make-up air system in your house for better air quality.

Make-up air is fresh outdoor air sent back into your home “Made Up” when the air from inside is pushed out from a ventilation fan. In the past, this wasn't a primary concern because most homes allowed air into the home naturally through windows and other spaces. This is where you need to “make up” for the air loss when operating a higher CFM range hood.

Let's say you have a new high output professional gas range and turn on your high 1000 CFM hood. In older homes, the air was made up through drafty windows and other areas where air could enter your home. That's not the case for new construction. Your high CFM hood (which is a smart choice given the range) has just created an unhealthy environment for you and your family.

Air will eventually find a way by itself and will be made up from your furnace, heating system, attic or garage. You do not want to be breathing that bad air.

The key in solving the make-up dilemma is planning in advance either by handling it globally through your HVAC or by cutting hole 10 feet from your hood on the other side of your kitchen.

It's certainly worth the investment in keeping a better quality of air in your house.

---------

Interested in learning more?

Download our FREE Ventilation Buying Guide with honest reviews of all the most popular brands and updates on new tech and trends.

Learning Center:

Yale Appliance:

If you liked this video, don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. Thanks for watching!

---------

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:30 What is Make-Up Air?
1:07 Why is Make-Up Air Important?
2:32 Ventilation Solutions
4:02 Key Takeaways

[dougjb]

You’ve mentioned this many times in your videos and I always wondered what it is but didn’t look it up because I do figured someday you’d produce a video about it.

And you did.

Thank you!

[wincav]

I live in the Minneapolis area. Like Boston, it can get real cold during the winter. Does the $100 Broan kit you mention do anything to warm this freezing make up air? If not is there another inexpensive option for make up air? Thank you.

[MichaelM-tosg]

We’re still in planning stages of major remodel on a vacation home in Lake Tahoe, high elevation w/very low humidity and of course 10’+ annual snowfall. The home was built in 1934, last remodelled in 82, thus as you can imagine it is very inefficient. We are taking it to passive certified, including no petrochemical fuels. The cooktop will be induction. The heating is in-floor hydronic w/heat pump H2O heater. There is of course an HRV system. We were considering a down draft fan for cooktop w/recirculating system but I’m concerned about effectiveness. Our home here in Colorado is efficient, not passive level, and we use a Thermador Freedom cooktop w/1200cfm overhead hood, remote fan from Best. It’s very good, imo. The new cooktop will be Miele, as will all appliances because my partner loves their steam oven and we want common appliances.

Miele, nor any firm I’ve seen offers a 42” down draft to match our cooktop. My partner is Korean and she loves cooking Asian food, including stir fry, I’m 25% Thai so while I don’t cook, I too love Asian foods. Kitchen is relatively large and opens to a 2000 sqft dining and living room w/minimum 10’ ceilings that vault to 16’. There’s a HRV intake in center of kitchen ceiling to intake kitchen odors and 2 HRV vents in great room high on wall. The cooktop is on island. I prefer the idea of recirculating vent to maintain our passive level air tightness, allowing HRV system to solely manage air quality.

Any type cooktop vent you’d recommend, or dissuade us from considering. A specific brand/model you’d recommend?

[jackz]

May I ask whether the air inlet of kitchen makeup air is on the ceiling above the stove or on the floor below the stove. It can maximize the effect of the range hood. The range hood size 54inch 1200 cfm

Thanks

[stede]

Gotta point out - without make-up air, the overall ventilation airflow suffers tremendously. Food smells will linger.