Installing a range hood is among the most important things whether you are building a new home or remodeling your old one. While many homeowners decide to install it, they do not know the right height to install it. Such an installation can result in a lack of inefficiency for air evacuation.
Join us as we uncover all the important aspects you must consider when installing a hood inside your kitchen,
What Should Be Your Key Considerations When Hanging a Range Hood?
When installing a hood over your cooking range, you must keep the following things in consideration.
The Rate of Air Extracted
The rate of air extracted is measured in cubic feet per minute. The higher this number is, the better the ventilation from your hood will be. The normal range of this air extraction is 400 to 1500 CFM, and it depends on your usage methods.
Remember that getting the right CFM and installing the hood at the wrong height will get you the ventilation but the smoke and grease from cooking will not be eliminated efficiently.
The Capture Area
The hood first chambers the smoke from your stovetop and then expels it from your home. This process relies on the capture area of the hood. The capture area is the product of the height, width, and depth of the hood. Getting the biggest might be overkill for your home while keeping it too small will reduce the air-sucking efficiency.
The Overall Length and Shape of Your Duct
The duct length and structure are crucial just like the height of your hood. Usually, the duct from your hood to the air exit must not exceed 30 feet. Additionally, whenever there is an elbow in the duct, you must remove at least 6-8 inches from the total length to maintain the same ventilation performance. Short and straight ducts are best for seamless ventilation.
Size of the Duct
The size of the duct is also important as it can impact the sucking performance of the blower. A minimum of 6 inches width is essential for most ducts to offer your hood optimal performance.
However, some blowers require 8 or even 10 inches of width inside the duct. That ensures perfect airflow so there is no grease buildup inside the kitchen or the duct.
What is the Sweet Spot for Hanging a Range Hood?
The sweet spot for hanging the hood over your cooking range will vary according to your ventilation requirements. However, according to the general guidelines from most manufacturers, here are some heights that you can choose according to your stove type:
- If you have a gas stove, then you can install the hood anywhere between 24-30 inches since these produce a lot of heat and need powerful ventilation.
- If you have an electric stove, then you can install the hood anywhere between 28-36 inches since these can tolerate a little more heat.
Apart from these general guidelines, you must consider the type of hood as well.
Pro Range Hood with Higher Air Extraction Rate
If you have a professional cooking range, then you need a professional range hood for it. These hoods are capable of higher CFM levels thanks to the bigger and more powerful blowers. Such hoods must hang at 30-36 inches above the cooking surface for the best ventilation.
Microwave Ovens Over the Range
Homes that need to use their space efficiently often go for microwave ovens that go over their cooking range. These ovens have built-in ventilation features, but the ventilation is not that powerful. That’s why you cannot install these far away from the stove. The ideal height for installing these will be around 14 to 15 inches from the cooking surface.
Ceiling Blower
A ceiling blower is an innovative type of hood for kitchens where you want to keep the space over your stove clear for better views. These have powerful blowers and provide good suction performance. So, installing them around 4 to 7 feet high from your cooking surface will be good enough.
Island Hood
The island hood is much like the ceiling blower, but the difference is that you do not get unobstructed views of the kitchen. Their ventilation power is another difference and that’s why you must install these at less height. You can achieve optimal performance from island hoods if you install them between 24 and 36 inches high from the cooking surface,
Range Hoods Under Cabinet
Some people keep their cooking range under kitchen cabinets, and this is the most common configuration. This common configuration has a hood under the cabinet. Such hoods are installed between 18 and 24 inches high from the cooking surface for optimal performance.
Mistakes to Avoid When Installing Your Range Hood
Here are some common mistakes to refrain from when installing a hood in your kitchen over the cooking range.
Hanging it too high: Extra height can result in a lack of performance.
Weak installation: Not having strong anchoring means that the hood can fall at any moment.
Ignoring guidelines from the manufacturer: Manufacturer guidelines tell the best height for installing a hood. Ignoring that range will result in bad ventilation.
If you don’t make any of these mistakes, the ventilation performance of your hood will be exceptional.
Adequate ventilation is key for every household, and it has crucial importance for a kitchen. That is why a range hood provides essential ventilation over your cooking range.
However, for its efficient performance, you must hang it at the right height. Since different range hoods have different performance figures, we discussed all the important things you must consider when installing yours.
Hanging the range hood at the right height is crucial for its efficiency. You must hang the range hood according to its type and your stove type.
If you are still confused then remember that anywhere between 24 and 36 inches will be good enough.
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