When you are looking for a new stove/oven, an important part of the process is making sure you have the best vent hood for your needs. There are many aspects of range hoods that should be considered while you are searching. Some starting off points are what type of cooking are you doing the most? Will you be frying a lot of food? How big is your home? What types of stoves are you looking for? Here are some options for vent hoods.
Range Size
One of the most important parts of choosing a range hood is making sure it covers the correct amount of cooking area to trap the most grease, debris, steam, etc. while you are cooking. You can measure the width of the ranges you are looking at determining the size the of the vent hoods you should consider. The vent hood should be as large, if not slightly larger, than the range that you choose to buy. Vent hoods can come in widths of 30”, 36”, or 42” wide. Common vent hood widths are 30” and 36”. It is best to measure and measure again to make sure you have the best one.
Noise Level
Vent hoods make noise during their use. The unit of loudness for a vent hood is a sone. When considering which vent hood to buy, the level of sones will be a deciding factor. There are many places on the Internet which give you a reference to what each level of sone is like. For example, 1 sone is around the noise that a refrigerator makes while it is running. 3 sones is equivalent to a face-to-face conversation. If noise is measured at 6 sones then the sound is equivalent to a sporting event. Some fans/ventilation devices can be measured at <0.3 sones to give you an idea of how quiet they can be.
Height of Vent Hood
Another important aspect of the range hood is how high it is placed above the appliance. A range of 28” to 36” above the appliance is best to best use the ventilation capacity of the vent hood. The minimum 28” is to ensure that the vent hood is far enough away from the cooking to do its job without being damaged by the heat. If the vent hood is too high, then it won’t move the air efficiently.
Fan Speed
The speed of the vent hood is rated in CFM—cubic feet of air moved per minute. It is important that the CFM is best for the size of your kitchen, the size of the cooking appliance, and proper for the type of ductwork in the home. While this might seem overwhelming to determine, we can help you design the kitchen remodel of your dreams!
Talk to one of our experts at 440-884-4600 to get all of your kitchen remodel questions answered.
