Locking caps on AC/HP systems are not required in the Commonwealth of Pa. Some cities may include this require but the Commonwealth exempted this portion of the code.
Just a point of clarification for the make up air. I am not sure about your local code, but at least where I am at if you do not have any non-sealed combustion appliances, then there is no requirement for makeup air for vent hoods. Obviously you have a gas range right below the vent hood so it would apply. This is not to say make up air would not be beneficial, especially for these larger hoods being installed all the time. The air has to come from somewhere, whether that be through cracks and leaks in the building envelope or you control and clean (filter) the incoming air to balance the exhaust. This is why the code book includes this for combustion appliances. You don't want to back draft the exhaust from another combustion appliance in the house, such as the water heater, furnace, chimney, etc.
I can't believe anyone would ever think it would be okay to use flex duct over a kitchen hood. 😄. It's not just the heat that's an issue but I would guess that flex would get all gummed up with grease.
That plastic flex hose on #3 is just so telling about the contractor. It’s not even about cheap, is the lack of understanding between stove heat, and thin plastic. I’m curious what happens when you run that fan with all stove burners on, and the oven preheating.
I just hooked up the power & helped my buddy install one of this type of exhaust hood fan, it came with this type of flex already installed on the fan! It moves so much air that it lifts the grates when on medium & high settings without make up air!
Building code = lets make houses unaffordable. Do you really think that the soffit vent sucks in so much air that the bathroom vent will be problematic? Locks on the a/c ports really?
Seems like after the new make up air requirement, there are many hood mfgrs. that have unit's rated "just under" the threshold for the makeup air requirement even though they look very similar. We routinely install 1200 cfm hoods. (seems to be a magic number), and I have asked a few what setting they run it on,..and they always tell me they run it on the lowest setting, the highest is too loud and too much.
Sadly it is required to pass inspections here in Florida. We also can't use plastic pads and have to have tie downs. If the pad is poured we only need 4 tie downs, if it's a concrete/styrofoam pad we need 8 tie downs.
