Do you crack open windows when cooking?

[Puma26RLSS]

We are into our 8th year of RVing. 29 states on our camping map. We bought our 2008 TT used in 2010. The previous owner taught us to crack the window near the stove while cooking to add "ventilation". Sounded reasonable, so we have until recently. Decided the range hood ventilation fan external exhaust vent was essentially the same thing as a cracked window with a cracked open roof vent nearby for an "intake". Our Suburban manual does not mention ventilation at all in the safety section. Our "The RV-er's Bible" by Baker and Baker (1997) does instruct the RV-er to crack open a window when heating and cooking. I quote page 264: "Ventilation saves live. Crack the windows open a bit when heating the RV with propane or solid fuel or preparing meals."
What are other folks doing while cooking? What do you recommend?

[Wannabe123]

We always crack the window too. The vent hood fan draws the fresh air in and exhausts out the fumes quicker imo..

[cavie]

If the range hood doesn't blow outside and just recirculates in your face, don't bother turning it on.

[HappyCamper1962]

We crack the window and turn on the vent hood (make sure the cover outside is unlatched so it can free swing, otherwise, yep, it just blows into your face inside the TT). It should be latched for travel.

[TitanMike]

Cracking a window near the stove is more efficient than relying on roof vents for "intake" air. Heat rises. Open a window and a roof vent, normal convection currents will exchange air. Open a window and use the range hood (with outside "flap" free) and fresh air comes in with hot air being exhausted in a short distance. Real important when using AC.

If I don't keep a window open near the stove, with range hood fan on, my smoke detector reminds me in short order. Especially if using the oven.
Cheap detectors (what else would you expect from the factory) are ionization types and give false alarms from just hot metal of the oven. Keep forgetting to change it for an upgraded model.

[Reverse_snowbird]

We don't have a vent hood.

So we crack a window, turn on the roof vent.... and occasionally remove the smoke detector battery if we're cooking something smokey (immediately put the battery back in when done cooking). The roof vent takes out the smoke or water vapor and cooking smells.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Puma26RLSS

We are into our 8th year of RVing. 29 states on our camping map. We bought our 2008 TT used in 2010. The previous owner taught us to crack the window near the stove while cooking to add "ventilation". Sounded reasonable, so we have until recently. Decided the range hood ventilation fan external exhaust vent was essentially the same thing as a cracked window with a cracked open roof vent nearby for an "intake". Our Suburban manual does not mention ventilation at all in the safety section. Our "The RV-er's Bible" by Baker and Baker (1997) does instruct the RV-er to crack open a window when heating and cooking. I quote page 264: "Ventilation saves live. Crack the windows open a bit when heating the RV with propane or solid fuel or preparing meals."
What are other folks doing while cooking? What do you recommend?

The carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide that are produced from a a few minutes with a range burner are minimal.

BUT the other byproduct of burning propane is H2O (water). Water vapor is also produced as steam from the product you are cooking. We often run the vent just to keep the inside humidity down.

Propane is a simple molecule, C3H8. That is, three Carbon atoms and eight Hydrogen atoms clumped together. When you burn (oxidize) propane, the C's go to oxides of Carbon (CO and CO2) and the H's go to water (H2O).

Larry

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

The carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide that are produced from a a few minutes with a range burner are minimal.

BUT the other byproduct of burning propane is H2O (water). Water vapor is also produced as steam from the product you are cooking. We often run the vent just to keep the inside humidity down.

Propane is a simple molecule, C3H8. That is, three Carbon atoms and eight Hydrogen atoms clumped together. When you burn (oxidize) propane, the C's go to oxides of Carbon (CO and CO2) and the H's go to water (H2O).

Larry

If the flame at the burner is blue, the amount of CO produced is negligible. This is why stove top and oven burners don't require separate vents unless one needs to get rid of the water vapor.

Now if the flame is turning yellow, that's a clear sign of incomplete combustion which produces CO in greater quantities. Look for plugged air intakes for the burners when this occurs.

[derek6669]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Cracking a window near the stove is more efficient than relying on roof vents for "intake" air. Heat rises. Open a window and a roof vent, normal convection currents will exchange air. Open a window and use the range hood (with outside "flap" free) and fresh air comes in with hot air being exhausted in a short distance. Real important when using AC.

If I don't keep a window open near the stove, with range hood fan on, my smoke detector reminds me in short order. Especially if using the oven.
Cheap detectors (what else would you expect from the factory) are ionization types and give false alarms from just hot metal of the oven. Keep forgetting to change it for an upgraded model.

TitanMike can you explain the logic for using the range hood and opening a window when using AC please

[snuelken]

I have my fantastic fan on and crack a window. I also do most of my cooking outside on a griddle or smokey joe. I rarely cook inside and have never used the oven. I do that at home not when camping.

[CJnDD]

I always open window and turn vent fan on when cooking.

[Telstar]

Yes, our stove vent/microwave does not vent to the outside.

[itat]

We usually have the Fantastic Fan running in the bathroom to circulate air and reduce humidity. If whatever we’re cooking produces steam we’ll turn on the vent above the stove.

[W5CI]

Originally Posted by cavie

If the range hood doesn't blow outside and just recirculates in your face, don't bother turning it on.

its a waste of time since we have no hood vent or way to circulate the air

[derek6669]

We are the same . rarely use the stove top and have never used the oven . Have a Coleman stove and portable BBQ, but whenever possible cook over a wood fire

[pdqparalegal1]

Summer or winter camping, I keep at least one roof vent cracked if not open all the way. Maby that’s why I never experienced a condensation problem. Exhsust fan and window min. when cooling

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by derek6669

TitanMike can you explain the logic for using the range hood and opening a window when using AC please

If the window I open is right behind the stove and air circulation from window to vent is only 3-4 feet, I'm not sucking in hot air from from elsewhere in the trailer that adds to the A/C's load.

I even follow this practice with my house, opening a window in the kitchen while using the range hood fan while also running my AC. This keeps the fan from drawing air under doors, through window vents, and other small leaks that merely add heat to the house.

Every cubic foot of hot air contains a given number of BTU's. Cutting down the volume of hot air you add to the rest of the house/RV cuts down on how hard the A/C needs to work.

This is also why furnaces are designed now to draw in outside air for combustion. When they used to draw inside air for the burners it created a low pressure inside that "invited" cold air to enter at all the leakage points.

[NMWildcat]

Amazing how many in-depth comments are collected by such a simple, common sense question. I love it!

[jking46]

I have a gas stove, a gas water heater, and a gas furnace at my house. Sometimes all three are going at the same time. I don't crack a window.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by jking46

I have a gas stove, a gas water heater, and a gas furnace at my house. Sometimes all three are going at the same time. I don't crack a window.

X2 nor do I crack a window in my RV. Besides, these things leak air like a sieve..lol