Airtight Home Ventilation
Make-Up Air Systems for Range Hoods
Modern airtight homes and passive houses need more than a powerful range hood. They also need a properly designed make-up air system.
Without dedicated replacement air, high-capacity range hoods can create negative pressure inside the home, reduce extraction performance, affect HRV balance, and compromise overall building operation. Zenith Ventilation designs and installs make-up air systems tailored for airtight residential construction.
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Common Use
Airtight homes, passive houses, and high-performance residences
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Our Solution
Automated make-up air, airtight dampers, controls, and HRV integration
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Outcome
Better range hood performance without compromising airtightness
Understanding the Problem
Why Range Hoods Need Make-Up Air in Airtight Homes
High-performance range hoods remove large volumes of air from the home. In older, leakier homes, replacement air naturally enters through gaps in the building envelope.
In modern airtight homes, that natural air leakage is reduced. Without controlled replacement air, the range hood may struggle to extract properly and the home can become negatively pressurised.
In some homes, homeowners are forced to open a window or door whenever the range hood is running. A make-up air system solves this by allowing fresh air to enter in a controlled way when the range hood operates.
Signs You May Need Make-Up Air
- Range hood extraction feels weak
- Doors become harder to open when the range hood is running
- You need to open a window for the range hood to work properly
- The HRV system feels unbalanced during kitchen exhaust use
- There are concerns about blower door test performance
- Kitchen odours linger after cooking
- The home is passive house or highly airtight
- A high-capacity range hood is being installed
The issue is not usually the range hood itself. In airtight homes, the system needs a controlled path for replacement air so the range hood can perform without disrupting the building pressure.
How We Solve It
The Zenith Approach to
Airtight Range Hood Ventilation
Zenith Ventilation designs make-up air systems that support range hood performance while maintaining airtightness, pressure balance, and ventilation system efficiency.
Each system is planned around the range hood capacity, building airtightness, HRV design, ducting layout, damper selection, and control strategy.
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Controlled Replacement Air
Fresh air is introduced automatically when the range hood operates, helping maintain neutral pressure inside the home.
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Airtight Damper Selection
Airtight backdraft dampers help reduce leakage through kitchen exhaust ductwork when the system is not operating.
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Automated Controls
Motorised dampers, actuators, CT relays, and interlocks can automate system operation.
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HRV Integration
Where required, make-up air can be coordinated with the home's HRV system for better airflow balance.
Complete Make-Up Air Solutions
Zenith Ventilation provides complete make-up air solutions for airtight residential construction.
- Motorised dampers
- Actuators and control systems
- Filter boxes and fresh air filtration
- Internal and external grilles
- Airtight backdraft dampers
- Range hood ducting
- Automated controls and interlocks
- CT relay automation
- HRV integration and control logic
In some projects, we can also supply and install the range hood as part of a fully integrated ventilation package.
Designed for Blower Door Performance
In airtight homes, range hood penetrations can become a major source of air leakage if they are not designed and sealed properly.
Zenith Ventilation designs and installs make-up air and range hood systems with careful attention to airtightness, damper selection, ducting methods, sealing, and pressure management.
We regularly work alongside passive house certifiers, builders, HVAC consultants, architects, building designers, and energy assessors to ensure the system supports both usability and airtightness goals.
Why Zenith
Why Builders and Homeowners Choose Us
- Experience with airtight homes and Passive House projects
- Complete design and installation service
- Expertise in blower door test requirements
- Integrated HRV and make-up air solutions
- Practical solutions for builders and homeowners
- Proven experience with high-performance residential ventilation systems
- Understanding of pressure balance, dampers, ducting, and controls
Common Questions
What Homeowners Ask Us
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Portable dehumidifiers are effective in a single room, but they don't address the cause of moisture build-up (lack of fresh air exchange), and they need to be emptied manually. A ducted system distributes through every room and runs automatically.
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Yes. Systems are routinely retrofitted into existing homes. We design duct runs to work with your ceiling and roof space, keeping building work to a minimum.
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Most homeowners notice fresher air and less condensation within the first few days, with improvements continuing to stabilise over the following weeks.
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Very little. The fans are low-wattage, and heat/energy recovery means the system typically reduces heating and cooling costs overall.
Building an Airtight Home?
Make sure your range hood has the replacement air it needs to work properly without compromising airtightness, ventilation balance, or energy performance.
Make-up air design, airtight dampers, range hood ducting, automation, and HRV integration.