Adding a range hood part two and if you missed part one click here. We will wrap it up next week with part three.
A range hood is hardworking, yet sometimes overlooked component of a kitchen remodel.
It removes smoke, food odors, airborne grease, mold-promoting humidity, and dangerous VOCs from your home. It can also help reduce your air conditioning bills by keeping your kitchen cooler and more comfortable for the cook.
Frying or sautéing produces fine, airborne particles of grease that will settle on your walls and cabinets if not promptly removed from the air.
Once it settles on a surface, it becomes a dust magnet. The filter in a range hood collects that grease before it has a chance to spread throughout your kitchen. Not only will your kitchen remain cleaner, but the air you breathe will be healthier, too!
So, what should you consider when choosing something as important as your new range hood?
- A grease trap that is convenient and easy to clean. The rest of the vent should be equally easy to clean – a nice smooth surface and fully enclosed bottom helps with that.
- A vent fan that exhausts to the outside with as few bends and the shortest run possible. The duct should also have a flap or baffle on the exterior to keep out cold air and moisture, as well as insects and other critters!
- A low sones rating for the amount of air moved. If two fans move the same amount of air, but one has a sones rating that is half as high as the other, that means that it’s only half as loud at its highest speed. For reference, a quiet refrigerator produces approximately one sone.
- Good lighting is always helpful when cooking and your range hood can help with that. Look for one that provides even lighting that reaches every corner of your cooktop. An Energy Star rating can help keep your utility costs low.
- A variable speed control allows you to adjust the fan speed to suit your needs at the moment. At the very least, the fan should have multiple speed settings.
Optional features you may appreciate include:
- Automatic heat sensors that sound an alarm or increase the fan speed in response to increased heat coming off the stove.
- Automatic shut-offs that turn the fan off after a predetermined time. If you leave for a movie right after that delicious fish dinner, you won’t come home to a ‘fishy’ smelling house or a fan that’s been running needlessly for hours.
Of course, you’ll also want a range hood that suits the style of your beautiful kitchen! There are a variety of options available. We’ll discuss those options, as well as the correct size fan for your kitchen area, next.
