blog.Custom Range Hoods

More than custom range hoods - stock hoods as well

2012-03-05T22:30:50Z

In addition to designing unique designer range hoods we also supply standard range hoods similar to those found in appliance stores - the big difference between our range hoods and those in the appliance stores is our range hoods use the finest materials, have variable speed blowers that are included in the canopy and matched to your cooking equipment based on the cooking equipments power, dimmable halogen lights and a choice of stainless steel baffle filters or mesh filters.

We also supply inserts for canopies - stock sizes or custom sizes.

Standard design range hoods

2012-03-05T22:26:29Z

We also supply inserts for canopies - stock sizes or custom sizes.

Standard design range hoods

2012-03-05T22:26:19Z

We also supply inserts for canopies - stock sizes or custom sizes.

Custom range hoods with color

2012-03-01T13:36:01Z

Stainless steel range hoods are still very popular however an increasing trend we are seeing is mixing and matching finishes and colors that co-ordinate the cooking appliance and even tones in the cabinetry itself.

The timeless white or off white look is on the way back - hoora! Black also creates a stunning and exciting look.

White with stainless steel trim range hood

Range hood with black and hammered stainless steel lip

Red with stainless steel range hood

Custom range hoods with color

2012-03-01T13:35:32Z

The timeless white or off white look is on the way back - hoora! Black also creates a stunning and exciting look.

White with stainless steel trim range hood

Range hood with black and hammered stainless steel lip

Red with stainless steel range hood

Choices for range hood blower systems

2012-02-27T12:56:11Z

There are three basic forms of range hoods blowers:

Internal range hood blower - the range hood blower is located inside of the range hood canopy
Inline to the duct run - the range hood blower is located somewhere along the range hood exhaust ducting
External to the range hood - the range hood blower is located either on the roof or on an external wall

Internal range hood blower

External range hood blower

Inline range hood blower

If the cooking equipment - the stove or the range dicatate (based on the btu to cfm calculation that can be found on posts in this blog) that around 600cfm is required then there is not a great deal of benefit to be achieved by placing the range hood blower remote from the range hood canopy

Noise is one of the main reasons why remote blowers for range hoods are installed. If the range hood blower, whether inline or external is close to the range hood very little benefit in term so of noise reduction will be achieved.

An external blower mounted on the wall directly behind the range hood without any bends in the duct run will not help the noise a great deal.

For optimal noise reduction from an external blower there should be at least one 90 degree bend in the duct run.

For optinal noise reduction a duct silencer system can be placed in the duct run.

Duct silencers

The Home Ventilation Institutes take on range hoods

2012-02-23T13:19:57Z

PS31 SP Textured Black

Kitchen Range Hoods:

A kitchen range hood must move more air than a bathroom fan. about 50 to 140 L/s (100 to 300cfm) as a minimum. As a result, they are noisier, with the lowest rating about 4.5 sones, although they can be

relatively quiet on low speed.
The most useful units have a low noise rating, an energy-efficient fan, fluorescent lights, sound
insulation, anti-vibration mounts and duct connections. For heavy duty use, select non-corrosive
materials such as aluminum or stainless steel. High quality hoods may have heat sensors and a
safety shut-off.
Kitchen exhaust systems should discharge outdoors. Recirculating range hoods rely on filters to
capture some odours and grease. The filters are generally made of carbon which must be
replaced frequently to be effective. Grease will coat carbon, making it ineffective. With
recirculating fans, cooking moisture and odours will usually remain in the house.

Positioning:

Range hoods are most effective when they extend out over the stove surface and are close to the
stove top. Island units are less effective than wall units.

Cleaning:

Range hoods usually have washable, aluminum-mesh grease filters. Better quality filters have a
smaller diameter mesh over a larger surface area and can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Fire:

There is always the possibility of a grease fire with a kitchen range hood exhaust. Smooth metal
ducting, preferably galvanized steel, is safer in a fire than lighter assemblies.

Installation:

Install fans and exhaust systems so they make the least possible noise, vibrate as little as possible
and leak as little air as possible.
Anti-vibration pads or foam tape can isolate the fan housing from wood joists and drywall. You
can wrap fan housings and some duct sections in rubber or vinyl noise barrier mats.
DuctsInstall exhaust systems according to the building code and manufacturer's recommendations.
Straight, short duct runs, with few turns, will result in the highest fan flow

Determining the perfect range hood width

2012-02-22T13:45:55Z

How wide should the range hood be

The range hood should as a minimum cover the width of the range. The reason for this is that the hot vapours from the range expand as they billow up. Under ideal circumstances the range hood should be wider than the range by 3" either side - however this is not always possible.

Wall Range Hoods:
Wall range hoods should as a minimum be the same width as the range top

Island Range Hoods:
Island range hoods should as a minimum be 6" wider than the range top. The reason is quite logical - island range hoods are exposed to cross drafts in the kitchen from ventilation systems and even people moving around.

Here is a picture of a 12' wide range hood - the range top is a 30" induction cook top and we provided a 600cfm internal vent blower with stainless steel mesh filters directly over the induction cook top - 30" wide. The remainder of the island range hood underside was custom fabricated stainless steel panels with lighting. The lighting is controlled by two dimmable range hood light controls - one controlled the kitchen hood lighting above the induction cooktop and the other rangehood light controlled the island rangehood lights on the perimeter:

Link to range hood design information

What is make up air for range hoods

2012-02-21T13:33:27Z

Why does your range hood need a make up air system

What is make up air for range hoods

High cfm range hoods take out large volumes of air from the building space. If this air is not replaced at the same rate that it is expelled, the building will experience a negative pressure (the air pressure outside the building is greater than the air pressure inside the building).

A few common indicators of a negative air pressure problem are:

Exterior doors are hard to open
Drafts around doors and windows
Range hood may not be drawing vapours properly
Smoke from a wood burning fireplace is pulled into the room

PS11 Custom Range Hood Oyster White with Stainless Steel Trim

A make-up air system replaces the air that is expelled by a building's exhaust system, maintaining the proper balance between inside and outside air pressures while also providing many other benefits:

Provides conditioned air back into the home - cooled in summer, warmed in winter, de-humidified
Aids the proper functioning of range hood exhaust fans
Improves air quality
Stops backdrafting of fireplaces, natural gas fired furnace and hot water tank exhausts

In the colder northern hemisphere where the windows and doors are closed through the winter and where the homes have become increasingly air tight building inspectors are paying more attention to the need for make up air where high powered range hoods (some areas as little as 600cfm) are installed.

Range Hood vs over the range microwave

2012-02-20T11:46:47Z

Over the range microwave hoodfan vs range hood

What are the differences between an OTR vs a dedicated range hood.

Over the range micorwave:
PRO'S:

Saves space in small kitchens where counter top space is limited
Its convenient location above the stove
CFM (cubic feet per minute) is low - limits negative air pressure in the home

CON'S:

Typically very noisy as a hoodfan
Does not provide coverage over all cooking elements - so vapours from front burners are'nt captured
Poor grease filters
If vented externally then ducting is typically small and cfm is low - not a good situation if being used over say a gas range
CFM - cubic feet per minute of airflow is typically low - this is okay if over say a basic 30" electric top
Most OTR's are re-circulating and require constant charcoal filter replacement
Very low height over the range - "sort of" in your face
Typically difficult to keep clean because they are so close to the range top and get greasy quickly

Range Hood:
PRO'S:

If installed and sized to the range correctly these range hoods provides optimal extraction and disposal of those dangerous cooking vapours
Range hoods are typically visually appealing and enhance the design and look of the kitchen
These range hoods are easy to clean and the range hood filters come out easily for cleaning

CON'S:

Range hoods require a dedicated space above the range
A half decent range hood generally costs more than a good over the range microwave

Our latest happy customer

Ken and Charmaine love their new range hood as much as they love their new kitchen

PS15SP 54" wide by 28" high Oil rubbed bronze with

brushed stainless steel trim and a 1000cfm externally

mounted blower

Ventless Range Hoods

2012-02-17T20:16:30Z

A ventless hood is the last resort if you cannot find a way to get the fumes from cooking on the range to the outside. While such a hood will trap grease and will kill odors (while the charcoal in the filter is still active - very important - charcoal filters have a limited lifespan) it will not reduce the condensation and smoke caused by cooking. This is especially a problem if you cook with gas that generates a lot of condensation. Depending on how much you cook you may need to replace the carbon filters every 2 - 6 months to deal with the cooking smells.

While it may cost a little extra, over the years you will benefit enormously from a properly vented range hood - you will also save money by not having replace the carbon filters.

http://www.customrangehoods.ca

How high should a rangehood be installed

2012-02-17T20:16:22Z

Determining the proper height for your rangehood is a simple matter as long as you know the height of your ceiling. Let say for example that your ceilings are 9ft high, that’s 108 inches. You would then take the total 108 inches and deduct 36 inches for the height of your range leaving you 72 inches. Then you will need to determine how high you would like your range hood off of your cooktop. Modern-Aire recommends hanging your vent hood 30-34 inches above the cooking surface for optimal performance, so let’s just say that you have decided to hang it 33 inches above the cooking surface. You have 72 inches remaining, so deduct the 33 inches for the distance between your cooking surface and the bottom of your range hood and you now have a total hood height of 39 inches.

Contact us for your range hood installation questions

Factors effecting range hood noise

2012-02-17T20:16:17Z

The critical factors in noise reduction are:

- Type of filters

- Quality of duct work – appropriate size for the airflow, length and number of bends

- Quality and size of blower used

Filters:

There are in essence two types of filters – mesh and baffle. Baffle filters are quieter, 96% efficient and excellent fire travel blockers. Mesh are only recommended in lower cfm applications around 400cfm to 600cfm and over electric style cook tops.

Quality of ductwork:

The most critical element is the size and quality of duct material relative to the maximum airflow you try to move down that duct – for 400cfm internal blowers we recommend 7”, for 600cfm internal blowers 8” and 1200cfm internal blowers 10”. Inline blowers between 600 and 1000cfm need 8” duct and external blowers of 1000cfm 8” duct. Rigid metal duct is strongly recommended – flexible ribbed ducting will be noisy because the air is “tripping” of the ridges and makes noise.

The average duct length and number of bends found today is not too much of an issue – if bends and length is excessive then external blowers and more powerful blowers should be used – if a blowers is trying to “PUSH” a high volume of air down a long and wavy duct run the motor needs to work harder and of course will be noisier.

Blowers:

These come in all forms of quality – the quality blowers have less mechanical noise because they are well made and balanced

Contact us if you have any questions on how to ensure your range hood installation is as quiet as possible

Blackened Steel and Stainless Range Hood

2012-02-17T20:16:11Z

PS26 style range hood 54" wide with blackened steel body, brushed stainless steel straps and 4" lip. Professional style stainless steel baffle filters. 1000cfm infinite speed rheostat controlled external range hood blower and dimmable 50W halogen lights. Made by Modern Aire Ventilating.

54" Wide, 30" High and 24" Deep wall style range hood.

Custom Range Hood designed, supplied and installed by Custom Range Hoods of Canada

http://www.customrangehoods.ca/

Mantel Style Range Hood Insert

2012-02-17T20:16:02Z

This wooden range hood canopy - otherwise known as a mantel hood - posed some challenges as it was only 14" deep and 72" wide and was over a 27" deep by 48" wide professional range with a griddle and the client BBQ's extensively indoors during the cold Ontario winters. The challenge comes in that ideally there should be full coverage over the burners otherwise any cooking that took place on the front of the stove would not be captured by the hood.

We therefore needed to maximize the suction over the immediate cooking surface and accomplished this by placing flat panels on either side of the range hood capture area where the baffle filters where placed. Suction was achieved with a variable speed 1000cm external range hood blower. Lighting is dimmable halogen range hood lighting.

For more pictures of range hoods please visit our photo gallery at:

http://photos.customrangehoods.ca/

or visit our site at:

http://www.customrangehoods.ca

Range Hood Terminology explained

2012-02-17T20:15:43Z

Common Range Hood Terms

A very common term used in ventilation is cfm – cubic feet per minute – this typically measures the volume of air that the hood can process in 1 minute and is an important metric in sizing the ventilation to your particular cooking environment.

You may also hear of a term static pressure – very basically this is like horse power but the measuring and applying it gets pretty complex and is therefore mostly ignored.

Standard range hoods are available in widths of 24, 30, 36, 42, and 48 inches. For normal cooking needs, select a size that will as a minimum match or closely approximate the area taken up by the burners. (With high-performance cooking equipment, the manufacturer may recommend some overlap, perhaps 3 inches or more on each side.)

In deciding how powerful a fan you will need in the range hood, consider three things: the amount of cooking, the type of cooking generally done in the kitchen and the power(know as btu - British thermal unit - a measure of energy for gas or watts for electric) delivered by the cook top. The more frying and steaming that is likely to occur, the higher the cfm (cubic feet of air per minute) you will want handled. Fortunately the ventilation industry has developed a rule of thumb for cfm required - 1cfm for every 100btu's of cook top output - this can be calculated, by looking up in the owner’s manual for your particular cook top, the given btu's of each burner/cooking spot and add them ALL together - this presupposes the worst case ventilation scenario - all burners are on at the same time and running on the highest setting.

Finally we have a relatively new term – make up air. In the North of our great continent our new homes are almost 100% airtight – we make them so to keep drafts out. In the middle of winter everything is shut tight – we are cooking up a feast and we have our hood fan running on maximum and its sucking out 600cfm – that is 600 cubic feet of air every single minute – if our home is airtight where is the replacement air coming from – there is only one place it can come from and that is the exhaust pipes used by our furnaces, water tanks and fireplaces that are working at expelling carbon dioxide and a ton of other lethal gases – the result is that we fill our house up with poisonous gases – there have actually been a few deaths from this. The only way to combat this and still keep our beloved kitchen ventilation is to install a make up air system – a system that replaces the air in a controlled fashion as the range hood sucks it out. This is a pretty complex area and can also get very costly. There is no real regulation on this yet but authorities have set cfm limits that can be used in certain areas – typically very low at that – this is very frustrating for a ventilation person because we must match the cfm to the cooking equipment and if we can’t get enough cfm our whole effort at kitchen ventilation will be futile.

More ventilation terminology

BTU - British Thermal Units – this is a measure of the heat output of the cooking appliances.

Canopy – The decorative exterior of the system – sometimes referred to as a shell and can also be a wooden or stone canopy – see liner below

Duct or Ducting – The pipework that the collected is expelled through

External Blower - A blower unit that is mounted on the outside of the home.

Inline blower – a blower that is installed between the range hood and the outside – typically in the duct run

Liner or Insert - A non decorative range hood that is installed into the underside of a decorative wooden canopy

Internal Blower – A blower that is inside the range hood canopy.

Range hood duct installation how to

2012-02-17T20:15:37Z

Firstly we need to understand a critical element in range hood ducting – static pressure in the kitchen hood duct configuration

Follow this link to the author for additional useful range hood installation information

Static Pressure: Inside every duct, there is a constant pressure being exerted at any point from all directions. When an range hood fan moves air through the duct, the air counters resistance from this pressure which is known as static pressure. Thus, kitchen venthood fan has to have the ability to overcome the static pressure in a duct so as to effectively duct stale air to the outside of your home. This can be done by calculating the equivalent duct length of any duct for the range hood ducting.

Calculating Equivalent Duct Length (EDL): Simply measuring the length of a duct is not enough to know how much static pressure an exhaust fan has to overcome. Ducts may have one or more elbows, turns, or wall caps which add to the static pressure in a duct. Thus, you have to calculate the equivalent duct run and not the actual duct run so as to size an exhaust fan properly.

The static pressure in any duct run differs according to the material of the duct, number of elbows and turns, exterior wall cap and wall jacks etc. Listed below are the standard values for different duct components.

Smooth metal duct: Actual duct length x 1 (eg. 3ft of duct = 3EDL

Flex aluminum duct: Actual duct length x 1.25 (for 4”diameter duct)

Actual duct length x 1.50 (for 6”diameter duct)

Insulated flex duct: Actual duct length x 1.50 (for 4”diameter duct)

Actual duct length x 2.00 (for 6”diameter duct)

Wall caps/roof caps/back draft dampers: 30 feet for each cap (for 4”diameter duct)

40 feet for each cap (for 6”diameter duct)

Elbows and turns: 15 feet for each (for 4”diameter duct)

20 feet for each (for 6”diameter duct)

For example assuming 6” ducting for the kitchen range hood:

10ft of straight rigid duct		10
2ft of flexible alum duct	1.5 x 2’	3
2 elbows	2 x 20’	40
Wall cap	1 x 30’	30
Back draft damper	1 x 30’	30
Total EDL		113EDL

A rule of thumb is that a duct run for a range hood should not exceed 100EDL

Using the above values, you can calculate the equivalent straight duct length that an exhaust fan has to overcome so as to push stale air outside your home and counter static pressure effectively.

Inline and exterior range hood blowers

2012-02-17T20:15:32Z

Inline and external range hood blowers

Remote range hood blowers – also referred to as external or inline blowers

The majority of range hoods have the blower located inside of the range hood itself – internal blowers.

Typically a remote blower is called for when a high cfm unit is required because the stove or range dictates it – link to blower sizing.

Exterior blowers are installed either on the roof or an external wall. Installing an external blower directly behind the range hood has limited value in reducing range hood noise – ideally there should be a bend in the duct run between the range hood and the exterior blower and it should be at least 10 feet distant from the range hood.

Exterior blower Fantech

Exterior Blower Abbaka

Inline blowers are installed in the duct run – as far down the end of the duct run as possible. These are a great option for efficiency and noise abatement provided an inline silencer is used – the inline range hood duct silencer works in very much the same way as a car muffler does. An important element in inline blower installation is to ensure the ducting is well secured to eliminate duct vibration.

Duct Silencer

Inline Blower

Remote range hood blowers are more efficient than interior blowers purely because it is easier to pull air (as a result of creating negative air pressure in the duct) than it is to push air – this of course pre-supposes that the duct sizing is correct.
Due to structural restrictions, such as a range hood being on an internal wall it is not possible to vent directly outside with a short duct run and less than 2 elbows – no matter what size blower is recommended for the stove it is recommended that a remote blower be used – the reason being of you have a complex and long duct run an internal blower will be very noisy even on the lowest speed setting because today’s high efficiency actually pick up their work rate when they sense high static pressure in the duct run – resistance. This then of course leads to duct size issues – the beauty of remote blowers is that they typically require smaller duct sizes than an equivalent cfm internal blower

How to fix that basic undercabinet range hood

2012-02-17T20:14:48Z

Basic builder version under cabinet hood

A common situation we come across is new homes with the basic builder version under cabinet hood. Consumers mostly say the following:

Its noisy

It doesn't capture the smoke or vapour

Its difficult to keep clean

Grease accumulates on the cabinets around the range hood

Why do these problems exist:

Builders are under pressure to keep costs as tight as possible - unless you request otherwise and pay for it they will install the most financially economical range hood they can

The range hood has a $5 blower installed that probably draws between 100cfm and 300cfm

The grease filters are aluminum mesh that has large holes in them - low density of mesh - saves money

A combination of poor cfm/suction power and filters results in these problems

Here's your typical builder version range hood filter

Here's a picture of your typical 3 speed rocker switch under cabinet builder version range hood:

Dont get me wrong - i am not knocking these range hoods or the builders - i am merely pointing out that you get what you pay for.

So how do you resolve this issue as a home owner.

Find out what duct size has been used and what type of ducting has been used

Once you know this you can decide to use the existing duct work for a new range hood or modify this ducting to that which is suitable for the cfm your range requires which in turn drives the cfm capability of range hood you should have

Establish the width available for a new range hood

How high must the new range hood be to ensure that gap between the range and range hood is 30" to 34"

Will there be unfinished cabinetry if you remove the existing range hood

Research the market for an under cabinet range hood that will do the following

Have adequate cfm for your range

Requires a duct size that you can accomodate

Is of course the correct width and height and depth to cover the heat elements on the range

Below features of a range hood solution we typically offer clients with the above situation:

PS1010 under cabinet range hood

304 stainless steel construction or powder coat colors of your choice

Stainless steel baffle filters for optimal grease collection - 92% efficient

Variable speed range hood blowers - 400cfm, 600cfm and upwards

Dimmable halogen lighting

7" or 8" vertical duct take off

Easy to install

Follow the link for a detailed specification sheet of this under cabinet range hood solution

Interesting discussion on the magic lung vs baffle filters

2012-02-17T20:14:32Z

Follow this link to read unbiased consumer discussions on the magic lung filter system vs the baffle filter system - we run into this issue all the time with range hood filters - people are sold on the "magic lung koolaid" as someone put it, the less expensive hood and don't appreciate that baffle filters are by far the best form of filtering a range hood:
- Easy to clean
- 96% efficient
- Best fire spread retarder
- Realtively quiet

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0208411027007.html?22