What are the Different Type of Range Hoods?

Which Type Of Range Hood Is Right For You?

The range hood can be an important purchase for your kitchen, especially if you want to keep the air clean. There are many different types of range hoods on the market and it is important to know what type will work best for your needs.

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We will review some of the most popular options in this article including under cabinet, ductless installation, and wall mount ranges.

Benefits of Range Hoods

Did you know that a range hood can help to protect your family from dangerous carbon monoxide? It can also remove odors and excess moisture from the air. Range hoods are designed to remove hot air, steam, smoke and cooking odors from kitchens. In fact, they play a crucial role in kitchen ventilation systems.

Range Hoods Can Protect Your Family From Carbon Monoxide

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. People who succumb to this gas do so quietly as it has no color or odor, making it difficult to identify before its too late.

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting and sleepiness.

Undoubtedly, carbon monoxide is a silent killer that can cause thousands of deaths every year. Fortunately though, you have the ability to protect your family from this deadly gas or its effects with a range hood.

You see, range hoods are designed to remove excess moisture in the air along with cooking vapors containing carbon dioxide and other hazardous gases. This protective feature can save your life by mitigating the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning in your home kitchen. Range Hoods Can Improve Air Quality And Prevent Indoor Pollutants

If you’re like many homeowners who suffer from allergies or asthma then you’ll be pleased to learn that having an effective ventilation system will reduce indoor pollutants such as dust, pollen and mold spores. This means that range hoods can also help to improve air quality throughout your home.

Furthermore, having an efficient range hood system will reduce the amount of moisture inside your kitchen. This is important because excess humidity can lead to various problems including mold growth, peeling wallpaper and destroying wood finishes.

Range Hoods Can Help To Prevent Kitchen Fires

Did you know that cooking equipment like stove-tops and ovens are among the leading causes of residential fires?

Indeed, according to statistics released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking equipment was responsible for an estimated annual average of 15,900 reported U.S. home structure fires between 2015 and 2020.

Fortunately though, you can put a stop to these cooking-related fires before they happen with the help of range hoods.

Range Hoods Can Improve Your Kitchen’s Curb Appeal

Last but not least, installing range hoods in your kitchen will improve its overall look and feel. For example, one type of contemporary range hood is called an island mount because it is installed at the center of the room over the stove-top or oven.

This particular style looks similar to a decorative light fixture which can be used to enhance any kitchen décor scheme. Other kitchen hood types include decorative recessed models that are installed on the ceiling near the home’s entrance along with chimney wall models that are mounted inside your kitchen wall near your stove.

With so many impressive benefits associated with range hoods, it only makes sense to have one installed in your home. Simply contact a professional kitchen designer to learn more about the variety of options available for this important kitchen appliance.

What are the Different Type of Range Hoods?

A range hood is a ventilation appliance attached to a cooking stove designed to extract the air and odor from the room when cooking. The two main types of range hoods are island mount and under cabinet mount.

These name define where they hang from, but there are also other type such as professional range, downdraft, microwave range hoods etc. This article will explain the different types of range hoods in detail so you can choose which one is best for your needs.

Island Mount Range Hood:

An island mount range hood is what most people picture when they hear “range hood.” It hangs from the wall over the countertops behind the stove top. There are several styles of island mount hoods that hang at different heights to allow differences in countertop heights and varying stove sizes.

Under Cabinet Range Hood:

An under cabinet range hood slides into a cut out (hole) in the underside of the cabinet above and below the stove. They cover across top and sides of your stove offering more ventilation but less aesthetic appeal.

These are often used when aesthetics are not an issue because they can be hidden by adding custom cabinets or covering with tile or wallpaper to match the kitchen décor.

Professional Range Hood:

A professional range hood is typically mounted higher than normal home installation to accommodate commercial cooking appliances such as griddles, charbroilers, deep fryers etc that require heavy duty venting because they sometimes produce fumes at a very high that other standard residential grade vents cannot handle.

Downdraft Hood:

A downdraft vent is a vent hood that sits at countertop height and vents air directly outside through the bottom of the unit instead of up and out the top like most range hoods.

It works by pulling hot air from your stove down into a ducted plenum and then pushes it through an exterior wall to an external fan located on another part of your home or garage.

No matter what type of Range Hood you use, every cooking appliance produces water vapor and heat which rise and collect over the kitchen as grease particles from cooking.

Your stove will pull these gasses from above but when operating certain appliances such as deep fryers, woks or grills there is not enough ventilation available above so it is necessary to install a downdraft vent hood.

Microwave Range Hood:

A microwave range hood is a type of ventilation that pulls the smoke and odors from a stovetop down into a plenum which then vents outside through an exterior wall or roof.

It does not produce any visible light while in operation because it works with the microwave to pull gasses from above without using its interior fan. However, if you turn on your microwave when using another cooking appliance at the same time, this could interfere with the airflow due to insufficient CFM (cubic feet per minute).

If you have limited cabinet space under your range and do not want to use an island mount model, these are options for increasing ventilation where it is most important without sacrificing too much space.

Once you have decided which style is best for your kitchen, consider hiring a professional to install the range hood for safety and security as well as peace of mind.

Types of Vent Hoods

Ductless Range Hood

The ductless range is the most popular type because it’s easy to install, but not as effective at ventilation. This means you have less capacity for filtering and releasing air back into your kitchen during cooking time – so if this doesn’t suit what you need in terms of functionality then an installed model might better suit your needs!

Ducted Range Hood

A ducted range hood is a great way to keep your indoor air clean. It does this by capturing fumes, harmful contaminants and grease in an efficient manner so they can vent outdoors for good measure!

Fators to Consider When Choosing the Best Range Hood

There are lots of things to think about when choosing the best range hood for your cooking needs. The size, design, horsepower, noise level, and features will all affect your decision. Here’s a list of things you should consider before making your purchase.

1) Ducted vs. Ductless

Ducted kitchen ventilation systems work exactly as they sound—they connect directly to the outside with a vent installation through the roof or wall.

While inexpensive and simple to install, ducted systems can be costly to run long-term because they require professional installation and regular maintenance from licensed electricians. If you’re renting an apartment or condo it isn’t advised that you choose this type of system because it requires permission from the building management.

On the other hand, ductless kitchen ventilation systems don’t require you to have a central air system or even an open wall. It’s a compact unit that only requires electricity and usually plugs into a standard wall outlet.

There are both vent-free and vented versions of this type of system. While it may seem easier just to purchase a new stove instead of getting ducted ventilation, there is actually no good reason for skimping on your hood if you can afford one.

It’s possible to get one in nearly every style imaginable and they all clean up grease much better than trying to wipe off grease accumulation in your oven and stovetop with paper towels (not recommended).

2) CFM Ratio

CFM stands for cubic feet per minute. It’s the volume of air being moved by your range hood and is measured at a rate that accounts for all fan speeds. If you have a powerful under-cabinet fan, it should be easy enough to find one with a low CFM ratio.

3) Fan Speeds

Most range hoods come with two or three fan speeds—high, medium, and sometimes low. The additional “high” setting allows you to quickly remove smoke at the end of cooking without having to wait as long for your hood to catch up with the heavy air flow demand from high speed. If there are only two speeds, then “high” will usually be plenty strong enough for most uses.

4) Features

Some range hoods come with features designed to make them more useful in your kitchen, while others are made only for decoration.

Features that are useful include buttons that allow you to keep the light on while having the fan run or turn off automatically when the hood is set at a certain level (this usually requires powering it with an AC wall plug).

Other great features include timers and clocks which can be used to time cooking and automatically roast/bake food overnight.

5) Appearance

Who would’ve thought that appearance could even be a consideration? If you’re thinking about placing your range hood over an island, you’ll want to make sure it matches your kitchen decor.

If you don’t like stainless steel, choose black instead. Also, if matching paint has been applied to your cabinets, make sure the metal color of your hood doesn’t clash with them.

6) Noise Level

It should come as no surprise that range hoods are usually louder than average kitchen fans. You can find very quiet models by looking for those with a sone rating of less than 1.0 (a lower number means quieter).

Those designed to recirculate air will be much noisier due to the extra fan noise caused by pulling air from inside your kitchen rather than outside through an exhaust tube.

The difference between having it ducted or not is also important—ductless hoods are much easier on the ears since there is no motorized fan inside the wall cavity, but they still take out about 90% of smoke and odor, which is just as good.

7) Installation

Range hoods that are ducted will require professional installation unless you’re very experienced with this type of work, so expect to pay for this service if it’s not included in the cost of your range hood.

Other than this requirement it should be a cinch to install one on your own—most DIYers can do it in about an hour or two and possibly even less time than that if they’ve installed a few before and know their way around them.

Some can last for up to ten years without needing any maintenance, while others may need more frequent checks of the filter and cleaning of the glass (if applicable).

The price varies depending on several factors such as fan speed, CFM, power source type (AC wall plug or hardwired), and additional features.

8) Price

Range hoods with a metal exterior tend to be cheaper than those made from stainless steel. They’re also often less expensive if they’re not designed for recirculating air, but again this depends on the wattage of the fan used to move the air around your kitchen.

One thing you can always count on is that more features means higher price. This being said, buying a cheap range hood only to have it break down after a year isn’t such a bad idea if these extra features aren’t necessary for you—you’ll have spent less time checking over your purchase and less money replacing it when the time comes.

9) Hood Size

Your range hood’s CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) rating should be enough to tell you how large it needs to be. Make sure the hood is sized for your cooking area—if not, it will pull too much air from around you and force it back into the kitchen rather than out of the house.

Conclusion

When shopping for a range hood, there are many different features or type of range hood to consider. From style and size, to the type of material your budget can afford, you have plenty of options.

However, when it comes down to what matters most in choosing which range hood is right for you- quality should be at the top of your list. Quality ranges from durability and performance all the way through how easy it will be on your wallet over time.

You might find that investing more upfront saves money down the line because some higher end models have warranties up to 10 years long while lower-end ones don’t usually offer any guarantees at all.

Thank you! The Brooklyn Grill

Paul Goral

Paul Goral

I am the founder of Brooklyn Grill and I have a master’s degree in Engineering Acoustics. I love cooking, grilling, and trying new recipes. I also love camping and high-quality knives. I wanted to start this blog and share my passion with others.