What is a range hood insert?
A range hood insert is a kitchen exhaust fan that fits inside and powers a custom hood. Most residential range hood inserts are between 28” and 60”. They typically pull between 600 and 1200 CFM.
You’ll sometimes see inserts called liners. These are the exact same thing. Most of them are ducted, but some low-profile inserts can be converted to ductless.
Inserts typically lack sufficient power for restaurants and other commercial environments. Commercial hoods can pull 5000+ CFM to filter grease and dirt from several ranges, fryers, and grills. But, commercial hoods are great for use in your home too.
How do you pick out a range hood insert?
Size
Range hood inserts for your home come in 28”, 34”, 40”, 46”, 52”, and 58”.
When buying a range hood insert, you need to determine the size of the opening for your custom hood and the size of the insert.
Ideally, the opening for your custom hood should be six inches larger than your range. For example, if you have a 42” range, cut out an opening that is at least 48” wide.
Your range hood insert will be slightly different. It needs to be two inches smaller to fit comfortably inside the custom hood.
So, in our above example, your insert should be 48” - 2” = 46”. Your insert range hood will be in the custom hood for years to come, so you want it to fit smoothly. This will reduce the risk of dents or scratches on your insert in the long run.
Our Recommendation
If possible, buy an insert 10” larger than your kitchen range. This ensures that you have maximum coverage of your cooktop. All the grease and smoke will be moved out of your kitchen much faster with a larger vent hood. If you don’t have the space, buy an insert four inches larger than your range.
CFM
Buy an insert that moves at least 600 CFM of air. Unfortunately, you can’t increase range hood CFM. So, the more CFM, the better.
Our Recommendation
If you don’t cook often, invest in a 600 CFM range hood insert. If you cook 4-5 times a week or more, invest in a 900 CFM insert. Finally, if you enjoy cooking Asian food and greasy food, go with a 1200+ CFM insert.
Blower Type
A high CFM insert range hood isn’t as valuable if you don’t have a variable speed blower. This allows you to adjust the speed to adapt to your cooking style. Also, you can strategically use the lower speeds to make your hood last longer.
You have three blower options for your range hood insert: local, inline, and remote.
- Local - the blower sits inside the range hood
- Inline - the blower sits inside the ductwork
- Remote - the blower is installed outside the home
Our Recommendation
Variable speed is a must for your insert range hood. We don’t recommend an external blower. Even though it's quiet, it is expensive to install and requires more maintenance than other blowers. Inline blowers are a little more expensive to install than local blowers, but they are significantly quieter. So, if you’re bothered by noise in the kitchen, an inline blower might be right for you.
Should I buy a ducted or ductless range hood insert?
Ducted range hood inserts vent outside your wall or through your ceiling. A ducted insert vents greasy air through ductwork to the outside of your home.
Unlike ducted insert range hoods, ductless inserts do not vent your greasy kitchen air to the outside. Instead, carbon filters neutralize the cooking odors and capture grease from your kitchen air. Then, that air recirculates back into your home.
Our Recommendation
Ducted insert range hoods are more efficient and effective at removing bad air than ductless. Especially with custom cabinetry or a custom hood surrounding the insert, you want to keep it grease and grime free. In most cases, a ductless insert range hood won’t have enough power to keep your kitchen air clean.
Type
When it comes to type, you have two options for your custom hood. You can install it over your island or against a wall. Here are a couple of photos of our customer kitchens showing these different types.
Our Recommendation
The type of insert you choose is up to your personal preference. Inserts over an island may need more maintenance because greasy air will move into the hood from all sides. But a wall custom hood is easier to maintain.
What’s the difference between an under cabinet range hood and a range hood insert?
Under Cabinet Range Hood
An under cabinet range hood fits under your existing cabinetry and over your stove. It has outer stainless steel housing, so no additional framing is needed or used. They are stand-alone units.
Range Hood Insert
Range hood inserts reside inside custom cabinetry or a custom hood surround. Inserts, or liners as they are sometimes called, are the “guts” of the hood. They can hide from your guests in the kitchen in lots of creative ways.
What is a hood liner for?
Just like a range hood, a hood liner vents unwanted contaminants and smoke outside your home. If you have a kitchen setup with custom cabinetry or a custom hood, you will need a range hood liner that fits inside your custom hood – not a range hood.
What CFM do I need for my range hood insert?
For the best results, you want at least 600 CFM. If you cook often or prefer to cook Asian, wok-style, spicy food, or food with a strong odor, consider a liner with 900 CFM or more.
If you’d like more information, check out the two articles below.
How Many CFM Do I Need For My Range Hood?
Range Hood CFM for Electric vs. Gas Cooktops
At Proline Range Hoods, our hoods pull between 600 and 2000 CFM. Most inserts are rated between 600-1200 CFM – our Hurricane, PLJL, and the PLZW – but the ProV inserts can have a 1300 or 1700 CFM blower as well.
Keep reading; we’ll go over each of those models and share our pick for the best range hood insert below. For a complete review of each model, check out our top 3 Proline inserts article.
How much does it cost to put in a range hood?
Typical wall, island, and under cabinet hood installations cost between $200 and $500 and take between one and three hours. For more detailed information, click here.
You can install a range hood liner yourself in just a few minutes.
What is the minimum duct size for a range hood?
The minimum duct size, or diameter, for a range hood is 4”. We recommend larger ductwork, though. Since most inserts at Proline pull between 600 and 1200 CFM, their minimum duct size is 7-8”.
But, if you choose to go above 1200 – a 1700 CFM ProV liner, for example – you’ll need a minimum duct size of 10”.
For more information on ductwork sizing and length, click here.
What is a remote blower on a range hood insert?
A remote blower is a blower that is outside of your vent hood and located within your ductwork.
At Proline, one of our models, the ProV liner, comes with a remote blower which runs at 1300 CFM. Most of our inserts come with local blowers – a blower or motor that is in the hood itself in your kitchen.
If you would like to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of local versus inline blowers, click here.
Is it necessary to have a range hood insert?
A range hood insert will keep your air free of harmful contaminants, chemicals, grease, and dirt. Consider investing in an insert especially if you cook often or cook stir-fry, steaks, pizza, and other similar foods.
You won’t have to worry about airborne grease and dirt accumulating on your counters, appliances, and walls. A liner will filter all of that dirt outside your home.
In addition, too much indoor air pollution can cause skin irritation; some may even experience shortness of breath, especially those with asthma or asthma-like symptoms.
Finally, inserts are a wonderful way to minimize or maximize the visual impact of your vent hood. You can keep it hidden from your guests if you wish. Later in the article, we’ll highlight some of our favorite customer kitchens with inserts.
If you’re interested in seeing our selection of inserts, click here.
Ductless Range Hood Inserts
Most ductless range hood inserts are rated at 600 CFM or lower, although high-end kitchen appliance companies sell 1200 CFM models as well. A ductless range hood insert requires a recirculating kit and charcoal filters to clean the air and vent it back into your kitchen. It is not a popular choice in today’s kitchens, since ducted inserts are much more efficient.
Most range hood inserts duct to the outside. At Proline, we sell a wide variety of ducted inserts that you can browse below.
How to Install a Range Hood Insert
To install a range hood insert, follow these four steps:
- Install the adaptor on the back of your vent hood.
- Slide your range hood insert into the back of your custom cabinets or custom hood.
- Attach ductwork around the adapter.
- Screw the insert into place.
Take a look at this video for more information on how to install your insert. This video goes beyond simply inserting the insert into your hood, and covers everything from building the custom hood frame to installing the ductwork.
If you do not want to install ductwork yourself, look to hire a professional. Contact your local HVAC companies and request quotes or do some research to find an experienced contractor for the job.
We love how this installation was done, but have one important note on the duct installation: be sure to allow at least 18 inches of straight duct run before installing an elbow, and between elbows.
If you’d like a more in-depth look at this process, we’ve published a complete guide with three different videos and step-by-step instructions, which you can check out here.
How to Size a Range Hood Insert
As you may know, range hood inserts are two inches smaller than standard range hoods. For example, while range hoods come in sizes 24”, 30”, 36”, and up to 60”, inserts are sized as follows: 28”, 34”, 40”, and up to 58”.
To size your range hood insert, first, measure the width of your range.
Then, add six inches to that measurement for indoor inserts and 12 inches for outdoor inserts. This is the width of the opening in your custom hood – the area where you slide the insert into place.
And finally, subtract two from the width of your custom hood to determine the width of your range hood insert.
For example, let’s say you have a 36 inch kitchen range for your indoor kitchen. Your custom hood should be at least 42” wide, which means that you will need an insert that is at least 42” - 2” = 40”.
This leaves you with an extra two inches of space, which ensures that your range hood fits comfortably inside the custom hood.
During installation, it should slide in smoothly. You don’t want to scratch the inside of your custom hood during the installation or leave it under constant squeezing pressure for a long period of time.
For more helpful advice on sizing your insert or range hood, check out this ultimate guide!
How do you measure for a range hood insert?
The process for measuring your range hood insert is similar to sizing your insert, but it involves a few extra measurements:
- Measure the width of your kitchen range.
- Add at least six inches to that width for indoor ranges or 12 inches for outdoor ranges.
- Measure the length, width, and depth (height) of your insert.
- Use a pen or marker to mark the length and width on your custom hood so you can cut out the hole for your insert.
The most common depths for range hood inserts are 15”, 18”, and 21”. But yours may be different. So be sure to double check the measurement and cut an appropriately sized hole.
What size range hood insert do I need?
We recommend that your range hood insert is at least one size larger than your range – two sizes when possible.
Most inserts come in 28”, 34”, 40”, 46”, 52”, and 58” widths – two inches smaller than range hoods. So, while your typical range hood will extend three inches past your cooktop on both sides, an insert one size larger than your range will extend two inches past your cooktop on both sides.
Here’s an example. You own a 30” range. An insert one size larger than 30” is 34”.
An insert two sizes larger will extend 10 total inches past your range – or five on both sides.
So, add 10” to your 30” range and you get 40”.
It is important to note that you can afford to purchase a large range hood insert, but not one that is smaller than your cooktop.
In other words, if you purchase a large insert (two sizes larger than your range or more), you can simply run it on lower speeds to match your cooking style. But, if you purchase one that is smaller than your range, you may find that you are left wanting more power to vent grease and smoke outside the home.
What size range hood insert do I need for a 36” range?
For a 36” range, purchase at least a 40” insert. 46” will give you optimal coverage of your cooktop.
What is the best range hood insert?
Our Pick - Hurricane Insert
The Hurricane is one of Proline’s most popular inserts. It comes with the option of a single 600 CFM blower or dual blowers for a total of 1200 CFM. With its four-speed control panel, you’ll have a lot of flexibility and you can adjust the power based on your cooking style.
As you can see in the photo above, this hood insert offers great lighting of your cooktop, thanks to dimmable Halogen lights. When you’re wrapping up in the kitchen, remove the baffle filters and toss them into the dishwasher for an easy clean.
Sizes: 28”, 34”, 40”, 46”, 52”, 58”
Each size comes in 15”, 18”, and 21” depths. Purchase yours here:
Take a look below for a few more of our favorite inserts from customer kitchens!
If the Hurricane isn’t your style, no problem! We reviewed three of our best inserts in great detail here. Be sure to check it out!
Some of Our Favorite Customer Kitchens
While a vent hood liner helps you live a more comfortable and healthy lifestyle, it is also a beautiful addition to your kitchen.
We’ll let our customer kitchen photos speak for themselves; take a look below!
PLFL 832
The PLFL 832 features stainless steel baffle filters to efficiently filter air out of your kitchen. It includes a single blower that runs at 1000 CFM at max speed and can be adjusted to six different speeds.
This hood produces just 7.5 sones on its highest setting, approximately equal to your average conversation or background noise of a TV.
ProV
The ProV is our most versatile liner. It is rated at 1200, 1300, or 1700 CFM, making it the most powerful product on this list. It includes stainless steel baffle filters and an adjustable knob to change the blower speed however you like.
Sizes: 28”, 34”, 40”, 46”, 52”, 58”
PLJL
The PLJL liner comes with a powerful 900 CFM blower. At max power, it runs at 7 sones which will allow you to carry on a conversation with your family in the kitchen while it's running!
Sizes: 28”, 34”, 40”, 46”
Each one of these widths comes in two depths: 15” and 18”.
We hope you found this information on range hood inserts helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at (877) 901 - 5530. Thanks for stopping by!
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