The kitchen is easily one of the most well-put places in a household. Under no circumstances you would want your kitchen to be dirty.
Airborne dirt is as real as any other form of dirt, and can leave your kitchen with a ghastly odor. But with problems comes solutions. This problem can easily be fixed by installing a range hood in your kitchen.
Before buying the device, you must know that there are several things at play here. You must know what you are getting and what purpose it will serve.
Want to find out the considerations for choosing a range hood for your kitchen? Let our article help you!
Table of Contents
What Is Range Hood?
A range hood is a specific exhaust area in a kitchen that removes fume, steam, heat, and airborne pollution through the evacuation and filtration of air. It is also known as an exhaust hood or kitchen hood.
Range hoods are ideally located above the stove in a kitchen. This device consists of a mechanical fan that performs the filtration and evacuation processes.
Types of Range Hood
Range hoods come in different styles and designs. Here are some common types listed.
Ducted Range Hood
Ducted range hoods are range hoods that are connected to pre-installed ducts. These ducts help to remove the airborne particles produced in the kitchen. You can install these range hoods only in the kitchen.
Ductless Range Hood
Unlike ducted range hoods, you can place ductless range hoods anywhere. They are not confined to the kitchen area only. As the name suggests, this particular type of range hood is not connected to a duct.
Island Range Hood
An island range hood is a type of range hood that you install on the ceiling of your kitchen. It not only as interesting as it sounds but also an elegant addition to your kitchen. You need a lot of ceiling space for the installation of this range hood.
Canopy
A canopy range hood is quite similar to an island range hood. It hangs over the cooking space like a canopy. Providing an impressive appearance, this range hood is often found in professional cooking spaces.
Under Cabinet Range Hood
An under-cabinet range hood is one that you place on the space under your upper cabinets. It is relatively small and uses less power. As a result, it delivers a slightly low-quality performance.
Recirculating Range Hood
Instead of venting out, a recirculating range hood is responsible for recirculating air inside the household or working space. It produces a loud noise and requires more energy.
Wall Mount Range Hood
Wall mounting range hoods are firmly mounted against any wall in a kitchen. These are venting-type range hoods and can either be ducted or ductless.
Commercial Range Hood
As the name suggests, commercial range hoods are used for professional kitchens and commercial use. These range hoods can handle and vent a large amount of smoke as well as grease from kitchens.
Why Should You Install A Range Hood?
Every household should have a range hood. It is a must-have device that you need in your kitchen. Here are the reasons why you must install a range hood.
Health Concerns
A range hood ensures that the air in your remains pollution-free. It filtrates and evacuates excess smoke as well. You should install this appliance to secure better air quality in your kitchen.
Greasy Kitchen
While cooking, heat and fume are not the only unwanted substances produced. Grease is also produced from air. Range hoods help to remove these greasy substances.
Kitchen Interior
A range hood improves the interior of a kitchen by many folds. Not only does it look chic, but it also provides additional lighting to help you in the cooking process.
Aesthetics
Every kitchen has elements that add to its aesthetics. A range hood is one such element. It helps to make the kitchen look cleaner and odor-free.
How Does CFM Calculation Impact the Choice of a Range Hood for Your Kitchen?
A proper cfm calculation for range hoods is essential to ensuring your kitchen has adequate ventilation. A higher CFM is needed for larger kitchens or when using powerful stovetops, as it helps remove smoke, grease, and odors effectively. Accurate CFM selection guarantees better air quality and performance in your kitchen.
Considerations for Choosing a Range Hood
There are several factors that you should take into consideration while choosing a range hood. We have mentioned some of the common and most essential factors here.
Filter
One of the most important parts of a range hood is its filter. It is a component that entraps all the dirt, impurities, and grease produced from cooking. A filter is where most of the air filtration takes place.
Three kinds of filters are most popular – mesh filters, baffle filters, and charcoal filters. Compares to baffle filters, mesh filters are more efficient. They entrap more impurities than the baffle ones. Besides, they cost lesser too.
Installation Height from Stove
Something that people often overlook while choosing a range hood is the height of installation space from the stove. How high the range hood is placed is important because the functionality of the device depends on it.
The stove is where the cooking takes place. You must place the range hood at an ideal height above it. Also, you should take the height of the cook under consideration. Since every kitchen has a different layout, there is no specific height range for this.
Frequency of Cleaning Rangehood
Range hoods don’t work properly if they are not cleaned from time to time. If the grease and dirt from the stove remain trapped inside the body of the range hood, it will stop functioning properly and may even release a bad odor.
Some range hoods require more maintenance and cleaning than others. If you can maintain the required frequency, get those.
Size
Another pivotal factor to consider here is the size of the range hood. You might like a certain range hood. But you need to determine whether it will fit in your household or not.
Under-cabinet range hoods and wall mount range hoods are usually smaller than the regular ones. If space is an issue, you can consider getting one of these.
Price
Finally, price is a necessary factor to consider no matter what you are buying. Depending on the quality, style, and material, range hoods come in different price points.
Pinpoint your needs, set a budget, and choose a range hood that fits all your criteria.
CFM Calculation of Range Hoods
Other than the mentioned factors, there is one other essential factor that you don’t want to skip. It is the CFM calculation of range hoods. This factor denotes the calculation of air volume for a cubic feet area per minute.
Although there is no generally recognized CFM for range hoods, there are specific numbers required for the device to power. How much you require depends on your stove, power, and cooking.
Ducted vs Ductless Range Hood
Ducted and ductless range hoods are both unique in their way. A ducted range hood is connected to a duct pipe and a ductless range hood is one that is not. This duct pipe has to be installed beforehand.
Although the installation of a duct pipe seems like a hassle, it is worth it to get a ducted range hood. While ductless pipes perform a decent job at filtering and recirculation kitchen air, they are no match for a ducted pipe. Ducted pipes not only filter your air but ensure that it is evacuated from the property.
Exhaust Fan vs Range Hood
Although they are often considered the same, exhaust fans and range hoods are quite different in construction and specifications. An exhaust fan is a fan placed above the cooking area that helps to remove impurities. Range hood serves the same purpose but has a different design.
If you install an exhaust fan, the vent must be placed on the exterior of the house. Rather than recirculation, this device works on venting out products. With range hoods, you have the option of recirculation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Range Hood Is Best?
The answer to this question depends on your needs and what you are looking for in a range hood. We have mentioned several types of range hoods here. Each one best suits its specific needs.
Which is The Quietest Range Hood?
A couple of range hoods have extremely quiet features. Among them, the FOTILE Range Hood, the Cosmo QS75 30-in Under-Cabinet Range Hood, and the Hauslane – Chef Series 30″ PS18 Under Cabinet Range Hood are mentionable.
What Type of Duct Is Best for Venting a Range Hood?
Ducts that are solid and firm are best for venting a range hood. The more solid and rigid they are, the better.
What is The Best Way to Vent a Range Hood?
Vents should be placed on the exterior of the household. There is no ideal way to vent a range hood, each one has its course.
Does A Range Hood Have to Vent Outside?
A range hood does not necessarily have to vent outside. Instead, it can recirculate the filtrated air.
Wrapping Up
Well, we are finally at the end of this long yet informative article. Packed with information, we delivered all the considerations for choosing a range hood for your kitchen in this piece.
Make sure you refer to this article while getting a range hood by yourself. All the best!