Makeup Air Accessory Kit

Updated residential building codes (2009 International Residential Code) require that all kitchen exhaust hood systems capable of exhausting in excess of 400 CFM shall be provided with makeup air at a rate equal to the exhaust air rate.
 
The Makeup Air Accessory Kit  is an optional accessory to help keep the whole-package solution 100% with a GE Appliances dealer. Not brand specific, this kit can be used with any GE Appliances' or competitor's hood since it attaches to the home HVAC system and not the hood itself.
  • Connected into home HVAC system by HVAC installer
  • Stand-alone solution
  • Not attached to or part of the vent hood itself
  • Code requirement does not apply to Over-the-Range models
  • Warranty / customer service is through the supplier, Broan, not GE Appliances

Makeup Air Accessory Kits

  • 8” ducts: JXMUA8 (formerly the ZXMUA8) 
  • 6” ducts: JXMUA6 (formerly the ZXMUA6)
The accessory must be installed by a licensed HVAC technician per each municipality's individual codes. Accessory support and service is not handled by GE Appliances but by Broan.
 

How the Makeup Air Kit Works

Connected to the home HVAC system, a sensor located in the hood automatically senses barometric pressure changes between the interior and exterior of the home. The sensor sends a signal to open a damper in the HVAC system to bring conditioned air into the home through the house duct system to offset the air being pulled out of the home by the ventilation hood.
 
There is a pressure switch that is installed in the airflow of the exhaust of the hood. That is what signals the makeup air damper to open. There is no need to cut into the internal wiring of the hood.
 

Additional Information

The Makeup Air Kit is needed with new construction and new additions only, not replacement units, because today’s new homes are tighter-built and better-insulated, thus requiring a makeup air solution. Older homes have more natural air leakage and do not require offset air by a makeup air system.