
When you cook food on the stove, you open a vent or window to ventilate the kitchen. But often not very pleasant smells disappear for a long time. In addition, on the ceiling, walls, surfaces of the decoration of the room, a soot coating forms, due to which it is often necessary to make repairs. Kitchen hoods with a vent to the ventilation can solve these problems.
Content:
- Introduction
- The principle of operation of the hood for the kitchen and its types
- Flowing
- Filtering
- Classification of hoods according to the method of attachment and location
- How to choose a hood performance for your kitchen
- Hood size
- Number of fans, how to select speed levels
- Types of management
- Additional devices and functions
- Case types
- Types of air ducts for exhaust devices
- Differences by price categories

Introduction
To choose such a device for your kitchen, you need to take into account factors such as the location and size of the stove, performance and other technical parameters of the device. Many people take into account the price, design, noise level of the device. Let's take a look at how to make the right choice from a variety of models in this article.

The principle of operation of the hood for the kitchen and its types

Devices are needed for kitchens with any stoves: gas, electric
Exhaust devices work on the principle of activated ventilation and air filtration from harmful fumes and bad odors. The motor, fans, filters and other parts are in a reliable case with a control panel. According to the method of cleaning the room, hoods differ in flow and filter or circulation.

a - filter device b- flow device

Flowing
Hoods with a vent to the ventilation are called flow-through, retractable. These devices must be connected through an air duct to the ventilation through which polluted air is removed from the room to the street. Flow hoods have filters: metal meshes to trap grease that need to be washed regularly and usually acrylic filters to remove unpleasant odors - they must be changed according to the instructions.
There are cheaper models without filters. Such hoods need to be cleaned even more thoroughly. After all, when the fan and other parts of the device become dirty, the efficiency of air purification decreases.
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of flow hoods:
- hoods with outlet to the ventilation are much more efficient than filtering ones - they freshen the air of the kitchen by 100%, removing harmful substances to the street
- they are more economical, since you do not often have to change expensive filters, like circulation filters
- many models also contain the function of a filter hood
- some models are not as noisy as circulating ones
- they are more powerful - they can be used to clean kitchens with large dimensions and even an entire living area, if you choose a model for performance.
- require difficult installation, competent selection, installation of an air duct for ventilation

Filtering

Schematic principle of operation
Such hoods process air with the help of filters. The air from below is drawn into the device, which has coarse and carbon filters. Rough ones absorb soot, dust, drops of fat, carbon filters eliminate bad smells and trap the smallest particles of dirty substances.
Such devices are suitable for outdated houses with poor ventilation. After all, the efficiency depends largely on the serviceability of ventilation.
Although models of this type are cheaper than flow-through models, they cost more due to the need to often buy and change filters. And also these devices are noisier. If you purchase a filtering model, it is advisable to find out its noise performance - the norm for the human ear is 35-45 dB.
- you can easily carry out the installation yourself, because it does not require the installation of an air duct
- can be used in homes and buildings with poor or no ventilation
- devices are not so powerful and are suitable for small kitchens
- more expensive due to the need to buy filters
- make more noise

Classification of hoods according to the method of attachment and location
All hoods are located above the stove. By interaction with furniture, hoods are divided into suspended and built-in.
Suspended
These flat devices are mounted on the wall under the bottom of the cabinet. More often this type refers to circulation hoods, but there is also a vent to the ventilation. Suspended - small in size and not very powerful, so they are not suitable for large kitchens.
Embedded
Such hoods are installed in a cabinet above the stove. They harmoniously look with furniture, which gives the kitchen a beautiful, aesthetic look.
These models have a retractable panel, due to which the efficiency of air purification increases. It increases the volume of its processing. Built-in hoods are conveniently controlled and operate in several modes.
Most often they have two motors and excellent filters for trapping fat. Although they are more expensive than hanging ones, they are more powerful and look better in the interior.
By location, such hoods as chimney, corner and island are distinguished.
Fireplace
Chimney hoods are also called dome hoods. They were named so because they look and work similar to a fireplace chimney. The shape makes it possible to take large volumes of dirty air.
They are very beautiful and popular, vary in design. They are made of various materials: stainless steel, copper, glass, wood. Often the price depends on the design, and not on the performance.
These include new models - inclined hoods. They are also very productive thanks to their large body area. Pretty comfortable, beautiful, varied.
corner
They are suitable for small kitchens in which the stove is located in the corner. They may have different shapes. They are not in great demand, as they are bought due to one factor - the location of the plate.
Island
They are purchased for those kitchens in which the stove is not located against the wall, but anywhere. They are attached to the ceiling with a pipe or cable. They have good performance and a variety of work surface shapes and design.

How to choose a hood performance for your kitchen
The performance of exhaust devices shows their ability to process a certain volume of air per unit of time. It is measured in cubic meters per hour - cubic meters per hour. In fact, this is the most important quality of exhaust devices.
To calculate the required performance for your kitchen, you first need to calculate the volume of the kitchen using the formula: a*b*h, where a is the length of the kitchen, b is its width, and h is the height. According to the sanitary standard, the air in the kitchen should be cleaned on average 12 times per hour, so the resulting volume is multiplied by 12. There are factors that affect performance, such as bends in the air duct that reduce it, the quality of the ventilation system, furniture in the kitchen, so it is usually calculated the number is multiplied by 1.3.

Hood size

Minimum allowable width
The size of the hood should be at least equal to the width of the working surface of the stove. If it is narrower, this will greatly reduce the performance of the device, and the air will only be cleaned by 50-70%. It is better to choose a model so that its width is greater than the width of the plate.

Number of fans, how to select speed levels
The hoods have one or two fans, the power of which determines the performance of the device. Due to them, the forced ventilation system works. You can adjust the speed of the motors, depending on the task performed on the stove.

Hood control unit
If one burner with a boiling kettle is working, of course, work at minimum speed will be enough. If all the burners are on and a lot of fumes with odors are emitted, of course, you need to turn on the exhaust device at maximum power. Therefore, the larger the range of speed selection in the model, the better you can perform different tasks.

Types of management
There are two types of hood control: electronic and mechanical. Let's consider their possibilities.
Electronic control
Such control necessarily has a small LCD display. Buttons are touch and tactile. With their help, the speed parameters are adjusted, the lighting is turned on, some models are controlled remotely - using Wi-Fi.
Some models have a timer function to turn the fans on and off. There are devices with the function of responding to pollution, air humidity using sensors. They activate and deactivate the hood, automatically change operating modes.

Electronic control
Models with such control are more expensive, their microprocessors sometimes fail due to voltage drops in Russian power networks. They are more difficult to repair than mechanical panels. Nevertheless, they are much more convenient and suitable for those who are interested in comfort, for those who are often distracted while cooking in the kitchen for other things.
Mechanical control
It is simpler, cheaper than electronic and better repairable. On such a panel there are buttons, sliders and toggle switches, with the help of which speed modes are adjusted, lighting is activated.
Noise level

Noise level in dB. and his sources
This factor must be taken into account, since all people react differently to noise. It is measured in dB - decibels. A device is considered harmless to hearing if its maximum noise level does not exceed 70 dB.
Such devices, as a rule, have a high-quality electric motor and two fans. Their price justifies itself.
If we compare the noise of a device with a human conversation, we can divide it into several categories:
- when it is below 35 dB, it can be called very quiet and equates to a human whisper
- up to 45 dB - quiet and it is equal to human speech at a distance of 10 m
- approximately 50 dB comparable to soft speech at a distance of 3 m - this noise is normal
- 70 dB or more means high noise and is comparable to a loud voice at close range

Additional devices and functions
Consider useful additional devices and functions.
Anti-return valve
If a backdraft occurs due to strong winds and the dirty air returns to the kitchen, the valve prevents this. It is present in expensive models, but can be purchased separately from stores and installed on the duct.
Lighting
The lighting system is available on almost all models. Different types of lamps are used: incandescent, daylight, LED and halogen - economical in terms of energy costs.
In some expensive models there is a function of lighting control, auto-regulation, light focusing.
Residual fan stroke
This feature is available on expensive models. Allows the fan to operate for a short time after the device is turned off, which ideally cleans the room from the remnants of dirty substances.
Interval switching

Modern model with interval switching function
Automatically activates the hood operation at low power for a short time. This gives constant freshness to the air in the kitchen.
Case types
Three types of materials are used for the production of hoods:
- Stainless steel, colloquially called stainless steel. This material gives the devices an aesthetic appearance, it is easy to clean.
- Metal covered with different types of enamel. It is an economical, reliable and beautiful material, but it needs careful care.
- Strained glass. Hoods with such housings look very harmonious with the interior of the kitchen, but they are not cheap and require careful maintenance, since after improper cleaning they can leave stains.

stainless steel

Tempered glass option
Types of air ducts for exhaust devices
Air ducts are of two types:
- From corrugated pipe.
It is easy to assemble with your own hands without tools. The parts of the corrugation are connected with the help of clamps. It is very plastic - easily changes shape. The disadvantage of this material is a lot of noise during operation of the hood.

Air duct device
- From plastic.

Use round or rectangular tube
White color gives a harmonious look with any situation in the kitchen. During installation, it must be taken into account that each bend in the pipe reduces the performance of the device by about 5%, so experts recommend making no more than three elbows in the duct.
To correctly calculate the size and diameter of pipes, it is better to contact professional masters.
Differences by price categories
Models are sold in Russia at low, medium and high prices. Consider the differences between hoods of different price categories.
- Budget hoods are usually made from plastic and metal parts. They have a mechanical control system, usually no more than three modes of operation and a capacity of no more than 450 cubic meters per hour
- Models at an average price are made of stainless steel, aluminum and glass. Control can be either mechanical or electronic. The productivity of such devices can reach 650 cubic meters per hour.Various lamps can be used for lighting
- The most expensive models give maximum productivity, reaching up to 1300 cubic meters / hour. Control system - electronic with many additional devices and functions
How to choose a hood? Which one is better to buy?
You will find out the answers to these questions in this video /
It is very important to check the patency of the ventilation shaft before installing the hood. You can do this procedure yourself. It is enough to attach a notebook sheet to the ventilation grille. If it sticks, then the ventilation is in order. If the paper falls on the floor, then the ventilation is clogged and even the most expensive hood will not be able to perform its functions. The hood can be installed independently, the main thing is to make the correct measurements before buying. You should not save on the hood. It is better to buy a branded item once and use it for years than to save money and have problems with noise and poor quality coating of the hood body. On cheap products, the paint does not withstand thermal stress and lags behind the body, which negatively affects the appearance of the device. Also, greasy fingerprints remain on a low-quality stainless coating, which can only be removed with alcohol.