The range hood is one of the must-have appliances in the kitchen. The hoods are invented to exhaust the smoke, grease, odors, etc. that are released into your kitchen while cooking. It is a good helper for refreshing the air in the kitchen. If you still don’t have a hood, we strongly suggest you install one. Different types of hoods and tips on how to install a kitchen exhaust hood are all here.
Benefits Of Kitchen Hood
Improve The Kitchen Air Quality. It is no doubt that the main purpose of the range hood is to remove the polluted smoke so as to purify the air. The fan will suck up the gas and smoke-producing while cooking to carry them outside.
Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Some studies show that the range hood will carry the exhaust gas like carbon monoxide outside. As a result, the indoor carbon monoxide level reduces, and therefore, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning reduces.
Easy Cleansing. Cooking without opening the range hood will leave the grease and moisture to form a film on other furniture. It would be very hard to clean that film.
Make Comfortable Cooking. When you are cooking, there would be heat and steam production. The range hood will help to take away those annoying gas to make comfortable cooking.
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How To Choose The Range Hood?
Choosing what type of range hoods will mainly depend on your kitchen layout and where you want to install them. There are five kinds of kitchen exhaust hoods that are designed to locate in different places. They are the wall-mount range hood, under-cabinet range hood, range hood inserts, island range hood, and downdraft range hood. You can opt for one of these 5 types according to your personal habits. Moreover, the style and finishing of the range hood also matter. Remember to select one that can match and complement your kitchen.
Types of Kitchen Exhaust Hoods
The kitchen exhaust hoods can be classified into the above five types in accordance with their installation location. However, there are two main categories of their venting options, ducted and ductless. A ducted range hood is a hood that takes the grease and smokes out of the house through the venting duct. On the contrary, the ductless range hood comes without a duct but to purify air through the filter. Speaking from the effect, the ducted range hood is considered to be more effective to keep kitchen air clean.
Are Range Hoods Plug-In Or Hardwired?
The range hood can be both plug-in and hardwired. If your range hood comes with a plug outlet, you don’t need to make hardwiring. On the opposite to this situation, the range hood will require hardwiring. But it does not mean that there is only one way to power a range hood. Read the specification carefully since some range hoods with plug can be hardwired, and some hardwired hoods can also be made to plug in.
When choosing the kitchen exhaust hood, you should also take its power method into account. People usually install the ducted range hood to be hardwired. And the ductless would be more accessible to be plug-in.
How To Install A Kitchen Exhaust Hood?
Before the range hood installation, you should know the basics of this installation. The range hood is always located right above your stove. Its hood part faces down to the stovetop and collects smoke, heat, and grease with a multi-speed exhaust fan. And then it runs those exhaust gas out of the house from the venting duct that extends to the sidewall or through the roof. That means the installation mainly includes two parts–vent installation and hood installation.
Vent Ductwork Installation
Plan Duct Route
Make sure which is the shortest route towards outside for your vent duct. Also, make sure this route comes with the least turning. And remember not to duct into any enclosed space.
Install The Ductwork
Cut a range hood vent hole on the wall. Then use an extra-long drill bit to mark the sidewall and cut a vent opening. Run the duct through the two holes and make the connections unseamed. You can make the hole wider for a better view and the cap installation. Next, attach the vent cap to the sidewall or roof and secure it with screws and caulk.
Run The Electrical Wires
The range hood should be right over the cooking stove, with the electrical wiring coming through a hole in the wall or cabinets. Run the electrical wires from the range hood into the electrical box. Use a wire stripper to pair the wires and then connect them with wire connectors. Put them back inside the junction box.
Range Hood Installation
Install The Interior Damper
Insert the damper in the back of the kitchen exhaust hood and fasten it with screws. Make sure the damper is facing the right direction.
Attach The Range Hood
The duct connector should slide into the ductwork. So set the range hood in position and find out where the vent ductwork hole is. Make sure it is centered and mark the hole. Then You can attach the range hood to make it align with the center and fasten it with screws. If there is still exposed ductwork, conceal it with a vertical cover.
Finish The Wiring
Finally, strip and connect the wiring with wire connectors to provide power to the vent hood’s light and exhaust fan.
