What Types of Range Hoods are There?
OK, so first off, in order to know what kind of venting you need, and what type of venting is available. Most kitchen range hoods are based on the size of the stove that you are using. You need about 100 CFM for every 12 inches of stove width. CFM means Cubic Feet per Minute (of air) that flows through you vent hood. A certain amount of air is needed to whisk away all of those pesky odours and smoke (unless you never burn anything on the stove 🙂 ). The range hood can be big or small, and the venting can be anywhere from 4 inch diameter and up. The vent can go out of the side of the house, or out the roof, but ideally, it all depends on the size of the stove. So are there any codes that specify the range hood size?
Typical Range Hood Vent Installation in Fredericton New Brunswick (what should I vent it with??)
Four inch is the standard size for venting for most stoves. If you have a bigger stove, you’ll need a bigger vent. There are many different kinds of venting available:
- Plastic slinky type
- Metal slinky type
- Solid Metal
For a kitchen hood, solid 26 gauge metal ducting should be used. If a fire ever occurs on your stove, from grease or anything else, you do not want that fire to find it’s way to the interior of a wall. An ideal range hood should be solid, with no air leaks, and if it is solid metal, should be secured by screws and metal taped together. The vent should go to an obstruction free section outside of the home.
Not All Range Hoods are Vented
As you might know already, many homes do not have the range hood vented to the outside. Instead, they have a charcoal filter on the inlet that is supposed to filter the air and then deposit it back in to the home. These Charcoal filters are very light at best, and do a very poor job of cleaning the air. If possible these types should be vented to the outside.
In conclusion, venting your range hood is a great idea, and although there are a number of technical aspects involved (here’s a good website for some techy info – Today’s Homeowner ), it is worth it. For a range hood vent installation in Fredericton New Brunswick, or surrounding areas such as New Maryland and such, you can give me a call. You have lot’s of options for an install like this, and I think that no matter what you’ll really enjoy having a range hood in your home that takes away the smoke! Check out my blog for other home maintenance items.
– Mike
Double Check Handyman.