Range hoods introduce us to a more operational and quality living through bolstered air quality, better look and feel, more comfortable culinary environment as well increased safety.
However, even with all these benefits, a good number of people cannot wrap their minds around the vital role played by range hoods.
While you can still decide to forego the aforementioned benefits, operating a kitchen without a range hood is dangerous.
From the increased possibility of contamination, poor air quality, the possibility of suffocation, fires, hampered visibility, and respiratory problems, operating without a range hood negatively affects your health and safety. This discussion aims to bring to your knowledge the various dangers of cooking without a range hood.
Range Hood is an important part of the kitchen
Hampered Visibility
Grease, smog, smoke and smells are among the many by-products of cooking, especially grilling and deep-frying. All these pose a negative impact on the health and safety of cooks and other kitchen users. However, the most dangerous among these are smog and smoke. Upon filling the room, these two bring the visibility of the room to almost zero, and thus introducing the risk of accidents like falls and stumbling. This is especially true when engaging in culinary practices like grilling or deep-frying. Accidents can leave you nursing serious injuries that are very expensive to treat. In the worst-case scenario, permanent disability and even loss of life are imminent in poorly visible kitchens.
Possible Suffocation
Poor visibility from smog and smoke in kitchens is not the only danger caused by the lack of a range hood. The smog and smoke you see in the kitchen also contain irritants like carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. The main and most serious danger is the heightened risk of suffocation from gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Upon entering the body system, these two lower oxygen levels in the body, thereby causing the brain to shut down. As the brain shuts down, you may be left unconscious in which case only the swift action of ambulance services can save your life. The extreme of suffocation is obvious, death.
Kitchen Fires are Imminent
When grilling or deep-frying, airborne grease or oil spatters may catch fire when they settle on the stove. Since we cannot be careful enough to avoid things like oil spatters and airborne grease, the only way to remain fire-risk-free is to have a range hood. In rare instances, there may be small gas leaks if you are using a natural gas-operated oven. Big flares from heavy culinary practices may exacerbate into kitchen fires when they encounter leaking gas. Kitchen fires could burn the whole property or leave you with serious injuries to cure.
Possible Contamination
A large number of homeowners struggle with mold issues at some point in their lifetimes. In an attempt to address this challenge, one thing that experts recommend is for homeowners to reevaluate their ventilation systems. This is because humidity and buildup, especially during cold weather like winter, turn into moisture, which is the main cause of mold challenges in homes. Now, vapor, being one of the byproducts of heavy culinary activity, cools and turns into moisture during cold weather. Upon settling in crevices, windowsills, cracks and corners, moisture supports the growth and spread of mold. In addition to reducing the appeal of the kitchen and the whole structure, mold is dangerous for your health. It exacerbates respiratory issues like asthma and causes allergies.
Poor Air Quality
The main danger associated with the lack of a range hood is poor air quality. Poor air quality makes breathing difficult, something that may discourage you from spending more time trying out new recipes. In this scenario, you will be forced to cook hurriedly to escape the stuffy air. The ripple effect of this might be burnt food that may be unhealthy for your body. While some might argue that this is not a big concern, poor air quality exposes you to irritants like particles that might lead to hampered breathing and in rare instances, lung complications like lung cancer.
That being said, we can then agree that range hoods are a must-have items if at all we are to enjoy safe, comfortable and operational kitchens. When considering having one, be sure to have it installed by a professional. Wrong installation or DIY can leave you with mistakes that might cost you the much-needed pristine kitchen environment. Once installed, go on and come up with a proper maintenance regime to achieve pristine air and extend the service of the system.