Range Hoods & Vents

[Joe Blowe]

That was what I was hoping to get here - a sense of whether the Wolf range hood is really worth the price differential.

Ah, but you didn't ask that initially -- the answer to that question is, of course, no! You are paying for the pretty Wolf nameplate...

Just like you're paying for those pretty red knobs

[scubadoo97]

Again I would advise more than 600cfm if possible but a discussion with your HVAC person would be advisable to get a better handle on your venting duct system. How large are the ducts, how many elbows, things like that.

From my experience I would also look at how the backdraft damper works. Mine is a butterfly design that passively opens and closes based on if there is air flow up or not. The fantech in the link above had a spring for positive closure. I'm sure there are other designs as well. I would have never asked about this damper before hand but now it seems a significant thing to look at in comparing one brand over another.

[phlawless]

I have a Kitchen Aid Architect Series 1200cfm hood, and it is fantastic: not too loud, and has no problem with my 6 burner range. A good friend is seriously thinking of replacing his Wolf 600cfm because of how loud it is and it's inferior sucking...I don't know what those cost, but you can check out mine at:

http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/product....at=248∏=170

[budrichard]

Our Viking sits beneath a Viking hood, fancy that!

It has two huge fans and sounds like a Tomcat Spooling up for takeoff. But what it does is to remove the heat along with any smoke or odors that are generated in a 20" duct to the outside with a simple draft type damper. These hoods are not just for odor or smoke removal. The installation cost more than the average person spends on a gas stove. Why would you purchase an appliance and then be wary of the makers recommendation? Install what Wolf recommends for your Wolf range.-Dick

[Teppy]

I'm installing a new hood now, designed to handle real commercial appliances. First the "before" picture:

The new hood and appliances go where that pantry is in the background. Here's the project as of last night:

And another view of the hood:

Next, the 3-foot diameter exhaust fan will be instaled on the roof:

The fan moves 4300 cfm/minute max, somewhat less with the ductwork. (Ductwork isn't installed yet; it will be 14"x14".)

Underneath, I'm installing an American Range 60" stove: 6x32k btu burners, 24" raised griddle (40k btu), and 2x35k btu ovens. Also an American Range 35/50 Deep Fryer (120k btu), and a jet wok burner (125k btu). I expect birds flying over the exhaust fan to drop from the sky, fully roasted.

[scubadoo97]

That is some serious equipment Teppy. That hood could suck white off rice.

[kbjesq]

The website for Select Appliance has some information about range hoods that I found useful when remodeling my kitchen (I went with the 48" Zephyr Tempest II over my 48" Bluestar cooktop, so far it works great). Here is an excerpt from the website:

Do you know... How much hood and CFM's you need?

Ventilation is a bit of a passion for me, but I don't want to confuse you more than you already may be. There are two important factors when choosing your hood:

Capture volume - the area inside the hood canopy, above the cooking equipment, to capture heat and smoke as it rises, while the fans remove it.

CFM's - cubic feet per minute - the rate of the blower(s) ability to move air.

Lots of things change the equation, like duct diameter, number of turns in the duct before it exits the house, the type of cooking equipment you are using, the height above cooking surface that the hood is mounted, the shape of the hood canopy and more. My general rule of thumb formula, which works in most cases, is:

Length of the hood (in feet) x width of the hood (in feet) x 100 (If against a wall and no stovetop broiler is used)

Length of the hood (in feet) x width of the hood (in feet) x 125 (If against a wall and a stovetop charbroiler is used)

Length of the hood (in feet) x width of the hood (in feet) x 150 (if in a peninsula or island and no stovetop broiler is used)

Length of the hood (in feet) x width of the hood (in feet) x 175 (if in a peninsula or island and a top broiler is used)

Example: Against a wall and over a 36" - 6 burner range, you install a 36" wide by 24" deep hood, then 3' x 2' x 100 = 600 CFM minimum required.

Example: In an island and over a 48" range with 4 burners, 12" grill and 12" charbroiler, you install a 60" wide by 30" deep hood, then 5' x 2 ½' x 175 = 2,187 CFM minimum required. This is usually achieved with a roof-mounted blower.

Again, there are some factors that could reduce or increase the CFM's to do the job, but this formula will work. You should always consult a local HVAC contractor to check for how well sealed the home is, what kind of heating or air conditioning system you have and how the hood may affect it and also if you have a fireplace nearby to be adjusted for.

Remember, your contractor is always welcome to E-mail or call me with questions about ventilation.

[budrichard]

"Underneath, I'm installing an American Range 60" stove: 6x32k btu burners, 24" raised griddle (40k btu), and 2x35k btu ovens. Also an American Range 35/50 Deep Fryer (120k btu), and a jet wok burner (125k btu). I expect birds flying over the exhaust fan to drop from the sky, fully roasted. "

This Model appears to be a Commercial Unit. Is the unit rated for NFPA Residential use or have you taken steps to upgrade your home to Fire Code requirements for this range? Have you consulted your Insurance Carrier about the installation? If not, you may do more than roast flying birds.-Dick

[Raoul Duke]

I'm using a 60" Viking range w/a Vent-A-Hood 4 fan system. To damn noisy when guests are in the kitchen and it's on. The roof mount surely is the way to go as suggested by Joe. I'm seriously considering a roof mount and gutting the fans from the hood.

[Teppy]

"Underneath, I'm installing an American Range 60" stove: 6x32k btu burners, 24" raised griddle (40k btu), and 2x35k btu ovens. Also an American Range 35/50 Deep Fryer (120k btu), and a jet wok burner (125k btu). I expect birds flying over the exhaust fan to drop from the sky, fully roasted. "

This Model appears to be a Commercial Unit. Is the unit rated for NFPA Residential use or have you taken steps to upgrade your home to Fire Code requirements for this range? Have you consulted your Insurance Carrier about the installation? If not, you may do more than roast flying birds.-Dick

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Yes, I had to remove the walls and install two layers of fire rated cementboard. Stainless steel will go on top of that. I checked with the local building inspector who confirmed that this was the correct way to install it. Also, the contractor I'm using has done many installations in restaurants. (Spending more on the exhaust system than all of the cooking equipment.)

[Jambalyle]

I just installed an Independent 27” x 54” Incline INHL54SS (w/ heat lamps) over my Wolf 48". I chose a 1400CFM external, roof mount blower. Works great and relatively quiet! I had it on low during our Superbowl party and no one knew it was on. I chose it over a Wolf hood.

Here's a picture (toward the end of our remodel):

My whole remodel thread can be found at: Jambalyle's remodel.

Edited to add: There is a good hood comparison guide on the Independent website (Hood Comparison Guide) that compares Independent hoods against Vent-A-Hood, Broan, and Abbaka. Shows pricing too!

Edited February 13, 2007 by Jambalyle (log)

[Teppy]

An update on my vent hood project: The interior work is now done except for the wood trim:

And the exhaust fan is installed:

All that's left to do is to weld the ductwork between the hood and fan, and run the gas lines. The equipment arrives next week - I'll post final pictures then!

[Bond Girl]

Anyone here have any recommendation on Island hoods? I don't have a vent out so it needs to re-circulate. Also I am a design freak, so the sleeker it looks, the better it is.

[KitchenMom]

Bond Girl , check out the Zephyr Milano island hood with the glass canopy. It is very sleek. I have the 42" vented version, but I think it has a recirculating option (thought I'd recommend venting if at all possible).

[Bond Girl]

MY apartment does not allow me to vent out. But I looked into the Zephyr...very very nice...the price ? Ouch! But, will get try to get it if I can find it.

[Chris Amirault]

Just thought I'd bump this up with a report 18 months down the road. It's been very good so far, with most kitchen odors going out the vent with ease. The one exception has been deep fry odors, for some reason. The issue there may involve amount of time on the stove as much as anything else: a meal of fried chicken here involves three or four batches, for a total of 30-40 minutes, before the food's on the table. In contrast, most sautéing takes far less time. I dunno.

Easy to clean and I love those lights....

[DerekW]

Prompted by seeing Chris's report, I thought to add one of my own:

We've lived with a Sakura R 747 now for about a year. It's installed over a BlueStar 30 inch range. So far we've been very happy with it. Separately switched dual speed fans, and a claimed 600 cfm. I'm inclined to believe the claim. When the big burners are running that range kicks out a lot of heat, but as soon as the fans are turned on the feeling of "the cook being broiled" disappears instantly, along with any smoke or vapour. No more opening the kitchen window in the depth of winter

Unlike most of the hoods offered here, the Sakura has no filter media as such, instead relying on fan blades which catch and spin the grease out into silicone ducts which lead to removable grease traps. The mesh fan guards have their own spin-off traps, and the guards themselves are easily washable. I think the idea is that the 'mechanical filtration' system offers less resistance to airflow than a partially gummed up conventional filter.

Downsides? It isn't particularly quiet. No noisier than the ancient piece of junk it replaced, but by no means whisper-quiet, especially with both fans on high. Oh, and the light is merely adequate, rather than loveable

[KennethT]

I'm looking into different exhaust options for my kitchen... a little background - I have a standard NYC tiny rental apartment kitchen - probably about 8 x 12 x 10' high... but it has a full sized window located near the oven/range...

I was debating putting in a seemingly robust window exhaust fan rated at 3400 CFM, but I don't know how this would compare to a similarly rated hood exhaust..

In theory, I would think that all CFM are the same - that's the volume of air that the fan will move per minute - whether it's located in a window, or in inline with an exhaust hood and outlet duct shouldn't matter...

Anyone have any thoughts about this??

ps - I am currently ducting the exhaust from the standard built-in microwave hood out the window with a rather Rube Goldberg-esque type setup... but, unfortunately, the fan capacity of the built-in "exhaust" is pretty meager, and really won't cut it when grilling indoors or doing anything really fun... so I was hoping to boost the fan capacity with the addition in the window (that's the easiest for installation)....

Thanks!!!

[toweringpine]

I'm looking into different exhaust options for my kitchen...  a little background - I have a standard NYC tiny rental apartment kitchen - probably about 8 x 12 x 10' high... but it has a full sized window located near the oven/range...

I was debating putting in a seemingly robust window exhaust fan rated at 3400 CFM, but I don't know how this would compare to a similarly rated hood exhaust..

In theory, I would think that all CFM are the same - that's the volume of air that the fan will move per minute - whether it's located in a window, or in inline with an exhaust hood and outlet duct shouldn't matter...

Anyone have any thoughts about this?? 

ps - I am currently ducting the exhaust from the standard built-in microwave hood out the window with a rather Rube Goldberg-esque type setup...  but, unfortunately, the fan capacity of the built-in "exhaust" is pretty meager, and really won't cut it when grilling indoors or doing anything really fun... so I was hoping to boost the fan capacity with the addition in the window (that's the easiest for installation)....

Thanks!!!

←

In your apartment setting my comments are not so important but I want to make them anyways as I have dealt for years with homeowners who have installed giant kitchen exhaust fans and are baffled later when they cause no end of troubles with their furnace and hot water heating systems...

In a standard residential house with a standard forced air furnace and gas fired hot water heater the large exhaust hoods can suck air out of the house so fast that the chimney becomes and air intake pipe rather than an escape route for the gases ( including carbon monoxide ) that are formed during the combustion of natural gas ( or propane ). I once did a service call at a house and found the all the plastic components of the gas valve on the hot water tank melted beyond recognition. It took a while to figure out why the flue gases were going down rather than up the chimney until the range hood was turned on. As the flames started pouring out of the bottom of the tank I figured it out.

Any exhaust system rated at 3400 cfm(!) that is installed in a house should certainly be discussed with a HVAC specialist before you purchase it.

In an apartment it is not a concern but in a house if your are going to install a big range hood ( anything over 1000 cfm ) make sure you install a carbon monoxide detector in the furnace room and install an combustion air intake to supply fresh air for the furnace and water heater! Older houses are leakier and less of a concern but newer houses are well sealed up and any air that is exhausted will be replaced somehow.

[rstagg]

Anyone have any thoughts about this?? 

Kenneth,

Toweringpine's thoughts are spot-on. A couple more -

CFM ratings are always nominal - the actual amount of air that a hood/exhaust/fan will move is affected by a large number of variables: Ductwork turns, diameter, lengths and topology, filters, make-up air, etc.

A window exhaust, if it's directly venting outside, would move a lot of air, but not it's nominal (3400cfm) amount if there's a filter or baffle. The filter slows the air.

It will never be as efficient in removing odor as a hood simply due to location - hot fumes rising into the hood give lots of natural advantage over downdraft, etc. A displaced vent will allow vapors to migrate into the room, no matter how many cfm you move.

Lastly, *most* residential HVAC guys I've run across won't touch a serious home exhaust solution, in terms of make-up air - and you need it with that much flow. I think it's a dirty little secret of the industry - most wouldn't think twice about installing a 1000+ cfm unit for you, and wouldn't even mention that you're not getting even close to that rated cfm without make-up air. Just think about sucking the air out of an empty plastic bottle - harder and harder as the bottle compresses - now think about it if you poke a hole in the other end.

[sandercohan]

Hi guys,

What are people's experiences with downdraft hoods? I'm putting in a gas range and due to a long complicated tale involving duct work, I'm looking for some alternative options. I've found that people either love them or hate them. What models would people recommend? Is it possible to have a good reciprocating downdraft hood?

Thanks,

Sander

[tsquare]

A non vented downdraft vent? That sounds like trouble with a capital T.

I'll let users of downdraft vented ranges speak for themselves. You are asking about a range, not a cooktop with separate vent, correct?

[MSRadell]

We have a GE Monogram retractable downdraft vent in our kitchen island and we love it. We have the fan mounted remotely so it's extremely quiet and it pulls in most everything (500 cfm). The only problem we've ever had is if we have a very tall pot (16 quart) with a rolling boil in which case some of the steam is not captured. Ours is outside vented, I've ever seen one that recirculated the air back inside but I don't think that would be a good idea. I still prefer an overhead vent for its collection ability but the downdraft unit certainly makes the kitchen was a lot cleaner and is a good compromise for our situation.

[ray goud]

Simply put: THEY DON'T WORK, hot air rises!

Ray

[mgaretz]

Hi guys,

What are people's experiences with downdraft hoods?  I'm putting in a gas range and due to a long complicated tale involving duct work, I'm looking for some alternative options.  I've found that people either love them or hate them.  What models would people recommend?  Is it possible to have a good reciprocating downdraft hood?

Thanks,

Sander

←

Range with a downdraft hood? An outside venting hood might be your only option (but that's a slim chance). All the self-contained ones I have ever seen have the motor and fan tucked forward of the vent - they are designed to be used with cooktops (which are shallow so the fan assembly sits underneath the cooktop). When used with a range the fan would be in the same place as the oven so it won't work. (I used to sell appliances and this came up reasonably often.) I have never seen a reciprocating downdraft hood.

I also seem to recall that (at least here in California) that it was against code to have a rear downdraft hood in anything but an island installation. This may not apply to you but keep it in mind.

Edited May 29, 2009 by mgaretz (log)