epmarshall

Yes, my oven is a normal setup with metal coil burners and the vent is right near the burners on the wall. There is only the one vent above the stove and I don't think there is a fan in it. I am not sure how to tell if the vent goes up through the ceiling. I don't think it does, but I'm just not sure what to look for in order to tell. It looks pretty much just like this in case that helps. http://www.windowswest.com.au/images/DATA/gallery/large_ferry-style-door-vent-detail-austalimage.jpg

Update. I fixed the issue, I think. I fastened some spare insulating fabric over the vent and it seems to be working.

Hi all, I hope this is an appropriate place to ask this question. Here is my problem. There is a small vent in my apartment's kitchen above the stove that usually doesn't have any air coming from it. Just recently there's a very small amount of air starting to come through it and it smells rancid and might even be cigarette smoke. Either way it can't be healthy and it's making my entire kitchen stink and I can't stand spending time in there so it's disrupting my daily tasks. Basically, I'm wondering if it's safe to seal this vent off somehow and looking for suggestions on how to do so. I don't think the vent is functional because there's just a pitiful flow of air that I almost didn't notice earlier today when I was looking for the source of the smell. And it was already effectively blocked when I moved in because before I cleaned it, it was so clogged with grime that air wouldn't have been able to get through anyway. I am thinking it might be someone else's portable air conditioner causing air to shift around in an apartment below us and a small amount is coming in here. It's gotten unbearably hot lately so I know I'm not the only one who purchased a portable air conditioner the past few days. Any ideas or suggestions? I don't know much about how apartment ventilation systems work, so I don't want to jump into this and mess something up or cause the vent to overheat and have a hazard occur. Any other thoughts on how to fix the problem are welcome, too. Thanks for any help! I would appreciate it very much.

Thank you for the explanation! That's a reasonable suggestion, thanks StringJunky! It is worth noting that I have been doing this since 13 and have had checkups and blood tests throughout that time period and my levels have come back normal. It's still good to keep up with it, though, and I can definitely get checked more often than I do currently. I don't have anything extreme like xeroderma pigmentosum, I'm just really sensitive to the sun (both eyes and skin). My eyes are also sensitive to bright lights in general. I'm also using a prescription that increases photosensitivity. I have never heard of using sunscreen on the windows, though!

I wondered about that aspect. But can't you get Vitamin D from certain food sources and be alright? I was under the impression that milk is fortified with vitamin D and other foods naturally contain it.

That's interesting since I usually picture blue as the relaxation color. Thanks for sharing! It's good to consider how this will affect the whole look of the apartment. Floor lamps are definitely something to consider. Also, excuse the ignorance since I know very little about light fixtures, but how do I determine whether an LED light is in a fully integrated LED fixture rather than trying to emulate a fluorescent or incandescent model? Thank you again, Phi for All! Yes, agreed. I have heard of xeroderma pigmentosum and they are forced to realize the importance of blocking out all UV light they can since they can't repair their skin after receiving damage as normal people can. Every bit of sun damage does add up, that's been scientifically proven. It doesn't matter if it comes from a day at the beach or sitting in front of a window. When you put a 10 year old under one of the UV lights that dermatologists use to show UV damage, you see discolorations and damage already. This damage doesn't show up until later on in life, but damage accrued at this age does matter and show up at some point. The figure I've commonly read is that damage you accrue shows up about 10 years later. So if you tanned as a teenager, you'll start seeing signs of it in your 20s, etc. It's definitely not pointless to me anyway and I'd like to do everything I can to preserve myself and 10 years seems like a big deal. I still appreciate the input and dissenting opinion, though.

I am renting at the moment, so not really a possibility right now.Thanks for at least explaining the option, though. Hm, that's interesting. So was it biological in nature or just became a phobia? And you're right I'll need to deal with the edges where light spills in. Either that or get some window roller blinds that have sides. Thanks for all the info, Phi for All! So LEDS are best to use, then? Also another thought I had, it might sound stupid but what about LED Christmas lights? I was thinking of having some up in the apartment year round. I am just asking to make sure because I know those are widespread so I'm not sure all the places that manufacture them will use the correct filters. Will those most likely be safe or do I need to find ones that advertise little to no UV? Thanks again to everyone, I appreciate all the help!

Awesome, thanks for the explanation! I am thinking of making roller shades or panels of aluminum foil and cardboard as you just explained to put behind the curtains. I can remove them as needed that way. I'm just not sure on the specifics of how to attach it to the wall yet, but that is something I will research. Haha, I definitely set myself up for that one. I'm glad that's cleared up, then. I always appreciate clarification on such things, so I appreciate you bringing it up. I'm just uv-proofing my entire apartment because I'm very sun-sensitive and I want to prevent aging from the sun. I don't want to wear sunscreen indoors when I'm not going out that day. I just want my apartment to be uv-free since I spend a lot of time at home and am kind of a hermit. I see no reason to take damage that I can prevent sort of thing, if that makes sense. A lot of people think I go overboard with it, so I didn't mention the reason upfront. Right now I live in a basement apartment with no windows save for one small one that I block in the bathroom, so it's not an issue. But May 1 I am moving to a high rise with many windows. Not to mention, in the fall I switch to the night schedule so I'll need to have things blacked out for day sleeping anyway. Haha, pretty much. I've been called that before on numerous occasions. Thanks for the input, Klaynos. This isn't for photography, but I still appreciate hearing the methods you used for your photolithography. It's interesting and may help me think of new ideas anyway.

I hadn't thought of that, thanks StringJunky! I will look into darkrooms.

Hi Greg and thanks for the suggestions. I do need to be able to remove whatever I put up, yes, since I am renting at the moment. Haha, I might have to use the good old-fashioned conspiracy theorist look you mentioned. I take it that UV just can't pass through aluminum? Just trying to understand the reasons behind what I'm doing as well. Oh right, thank you for mentioning the lighting in the room. I was also going to ask about interior lighting, but figured I would avoid asking too much at first. But now that you brought it up, do you know offhand if incandescent lights emit any UV? I'm also wondering about LED lighting, so if anyone has any info regarding interior lighting I'd appreciate that as well. I need to know which type of bulbs to get to avoid exposure. Thanks for the help!

Hi all, I'm looking for a setup to block 100% of UV light from windows. I understand that standard glass blocks the majority of UVB rays, but it lets UVA rays in, so I need to find a way to block those as well. Here's what I'm planning so far. I will put Gila window film on the windows first. This film blocks around 98-99% of UV rays, or at least that's what it claims. I have read that window films often neglect to mention that the films can't block the upper spectrum of UVA rays (380-400 nm). I have confirmed this by asking the manufacturers of films for their performance data, so I will only rely on the film as an extra, not the main line of defense against UV. I am going to purchase blackout fabric to make curtains. If this fabric is completely opaque and I cannot see any light, will this suffice for UVA protection? Can UV rays pass through the blackout fabric? I have also considered buying UPF 50+ fabric as well, but blackout seems better for this purpose (correct me if I'm wrong). There's also one more problem associated with the blackout curtain method. How can I prevent light spillage from the sides of the curtains? I need a way to block the light that spills in from those areas (preferably a way that doesn't look awful). Some fitted window shades might work well for this purpose, but I'm really not sure so suggestions would be good. I would greatly appreciate any advice, suggestions, or information anyone can offer. Thank you for taking the time to read and for any help!