If you missed part 1 or part 2 of what to consider when choosing a range hood.
No matter what style of kitchen you have, there is a range hood to complement it!
Under cabinet mount
The most common style is probably the undercabinet mount. These mount to the underside of the cabinet above your stove. Often, particularly in small kitchens, the hood is combined with a microwave.
One concern with a combined unit is if the microwave’s electronic control panel is directly over a large burner in the front. Such a burner is commonly used for boiling pasta and soup. The large amounts of steam produced can play havoc with the sensitive control panel.
Wall mount or freestanding
If you don’t have a cabinet over your stove, you may opt for a wall mounted hood. The fans in these hoods are generally more powerful and efficient than in the undercabinet type. If crafted from warm and rustic copper or professional-looking stainless steel, these hoods can quite often make a statement in your kitchen.
Ceiling mount
These range hoods are typically used over islands. Because they are visible from all sides, they are often quite a focal point in your kitchen.
Downdraft style
These hoods sit at the back of the stove and pull the air and grease down and out rather than up and out. They are often smaller and less obtrusive than higher mounts.
Whatever style hood you choose, it should be at least as wide as your cooktop or stove; allowing an extra inch or so on each side is better.
In order for your fan to be effective, it needs to provide sufficient airflow to exchange the air in your kitchen at least 15 times each hour – that’s once every 4 minutes. To figure that out, find the volume in cubic feet of your kitchen and divide that number by 4 minutes. The result will be the cubic feet per minute (CFM) your fan needs to move.
A kitchen that is 10’ long x 10’ wide with 8’ ceilings has a volume of 800 cubic feet. 800 cubic feet ÷ 4 minutes = 200. Your range hood should have a CFM rating of 200 or higher.
Another method for determining the proper CFM for your kitchen is to allow 10 CFM for every 1,000 BTUs of your cooktop. Generally, a 30″ stove requires a range hood that can remove at least 300 cubic feet per minute from your kitchen.
There are other considerations to keep in mind:
Since gas burners produce more heat, along with combustion products, they require a more powerful fan than an electric stove.
A cooktop located on an island typically requires more CFM than one located against an exterior wall. That’s because it requires more ductwork, so the fan needs to be more powerful in order to push the air that extra distance. The exhaust must be vented to the exterior – never to the basement or attic!
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when choosing your new range hood. Contact us and let our design professionals help you find the perfect range hood for your unique kitchen.
