Two Questions to Help You Determine the Size and Power of Your Range Hood

When selecting your new range hood the two most important things to consider are how you use your cooktop and how much you use it.

How Do You Use Your Cooktop?

Consider these key questions when choosing your new range hood:

• What types of foods do you cook? - Different cuisines create different amounts of smoke and odors
• How much food do you cook at once? - Larger quantities need more ventilation power
• Do you do a lot of canning? - This creates significant steam that needs proper venting
• Do you cook with oil or fry frequently? - Grease and oil smoke require stronger exhaust
• How often do you cook strong-smelling foods? - Fish, spices, and garlic need effective odor removal

How Much Do You Use Your Cooktop?

Your cooking frequency directly impacts which range hood you need:

• Daily cooking time - How many hours per day do you use your stove?
• Meal frequency - Do you cook three meals a day or just dinner?
• Burner usage - Do you use every burner or just one or two?
• Special equipment - Do you have a griddle or grill on your cooktop?

The more time you spend cooking, the more important it is to size and select the right range hood.

High-Heat, Occasional Cooking

Some families use high-output gas stoves (Check out our newest ranges) but cook only once or twice per day. For these situations:

• Size up your hood one size to ensure sufficient CFM
• Choose a powerful hood that can be adjusted based on your cooking needs
• Plan for coverage during the most extreme cooking sessions

All-Day Cooking

Other families use the cooktop throughout the day for various foods and prep. In these cases:

• Size the range hood for the most extreme possible case
• Use lower speed controls to fine-tune exhaust as needed
• Consider energy efficiency for extended use

Most of the time, customers think they need much more exhaust capacity than they actually do. Usually higher exhaust capacity equals more expensive units both in initial cost and the cost of installation.

It also increases how loud the hood is when it is running on high; it can reduce the sound when running on low though.

What Size Ductwork Do I Need?

With a larger capacity hood, larger ductwork and fittings will be needed to maximize its efficiency. For new construction, this is generally not a problem. The range hood ductwork installation and materials can be included in the heating and air conditioning contract.

For customers that are remodeling or renovating an existing kitchen or outdoor space, increasing the duct size from 4" to 6" to 8" to 10" can be costly. Take this into consideration as you plan your project and look at your different vent hood or range hood options.

Ensure that your ductwork is the right size based on the CFM of your range hood, just as you would when attaching a garden hose to a fire hydrant.

Buying a powerful hood and attaching it to ductwork or ducting that is too small is like attaching a garden hose to a fire hydrant and expecting the hydrant to operate at full capacity. To ensure you get the most from your hood, be sure to increase the duct size as your range hood's CFM increases.

Proline Range Hoods sells a wide variety of hood styles ranging from 600 CFM to 2000 CFM, including wall mounted range hoods, island range hoods, under cabinet hoods, and range hood inserts. Our hoods are incredibly versatile and will accommodate your unique needs.

We recommend the following:

Some customers buy a large and powerful range hood only to discover they primarily use it on the first or second speed. This can be ideal, especially to reduce volume. A larger motor or blower can run slower and quieter and move the same amount of air compared to a smaller motor.

Choosing a range hood that is easy to use, looks great, and still has plenty of power has never been easier and more affordable. Let's look at a few other factors that influence a range hood's performance.

Range Hood "Effective Capture Area"

One of the most important things to consider with your new range hood is the "effective capture area." This is the area of the range hood which most effectively traps and channels airflow to the exhaust blower for removal. Think of the area as a funnel. You want to draw in and capture the cooking smoke, steam, and odors with as little additional air as possible.

Blower size, range hood design, and hood size all impact the effective capture area. We will discuss each of these factors below.

Range Hood Blower Size

Fans inside range hoods are called blowers and are measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow. More airflow means more air removal from your cooking area.

Why Bigger Isn't Always Better

Oversizing your blower or running at maximum speed constantly can cause problems:

• Wasted electrical energy - High speeds use more power unnecessarily
• Removes paid-for air - You lose heated or cooled air you've already paid for
• Inefficient process - Creates unnecessary energy consumption

The ideal situation is one where you move as much air as you need to clear the cooking fumes from the kitchen or cooking area and no more.

Matching Blower to Hood Size

The blower size should match the hood size for maximum efficiency:

• Some large range hoods have very small "effective capture areas"
• Higher quality hoods engineer the optimal blower size for each specific design
• Multiple speed options let you adjust airflow to your cooking needs

Range Hood Design

Range hood design dramatically affects the effective capture area. The key factors are hood shape and blower position.

Flat Bottom vs. Pyramid Design

Flat Bottom Hoods:

• Air drawn across stainless steel baffle filters
• Main capture area directly underneath the blower motor
• Reduced suction closer to the edges

Pyramid Shaped Canopy Design:

• Blower positioned higher up in the hood
• Cooking exhaust filters more efficiently
• Air is drawn up and funneled evenly to the blower
• More effective overall design

The pyramid design consolidates and funnels cooking exhaust into the blower much more effectively than flat designs.

Range Hood Size

The third variable which affects the effective capture area of your range hood is the size of the hood: the width and depth. You can have the strongest and most precisely designed vent hood and if you don't cover the cooktop, you will constantly have issues venting your cooking exhaust. Unwanted contaminants will remain in your home which can have an adverse impact on your health.

This is especially true for range hoods installed over island cooktops. Unlike with wall mounted range hoods, air can enter island hoods from all directions.

You may be wondering: do I need a large vent hood? We'll show you how to determine the size of your hood below.

Width

When possible, size the hood 6" larger in width than the cooktop. For example, if you have a 30-inch cooktop, the size of your range hood should be 36" inches.

Depth

Most range hoods come in 22-27" depths with some range hoods being 30" deep.

The more coverage, the better for the serious cooks, especially for island range hoods.

If you use your cooktop often or are serious about cooking then remember "coverage is king."

This is especially true for an island range hood as the air moves much more freely over and around an island cooktop than it does around a cooktop by a wall.

You can also help yourself by keeping your cooking under the primary capture area of your range hood. BBQ and heavy smoke cooking environments, both indoor and outdoor, need adequate coverage as well; the size of the range hood is critical. If you can't catch the smoke and exhaust, you can't get rid of it.

Be aware that it is also possible to have a hood that is too big and too powerful. You don't want to suck too much air from your kitchen; otherwise, you may require a make-up air kit to supply your kitchen with additional oxygen.

These are some key factors to think through so you end up with a hood that will meet your needs, whether that's a large 60" vent hood, a 30" hood, or anything in between.