Help finding a 42 inch wall hood -- or do I really need it?

15 years ago

Please help... My kitchen is completely torn up as part of a whole house remodel. I am narrowing down all my appliance choices... but have hit a roadblock on the one I've done the least research on, figuring it would be a fast and easy pick once we had figured out the layout and "feel" of the kitchen. Now the time has come and I'm having a hard time finding the function I want with the form my designer wants.

I am getting a 36" gas cooktop with a total of 54K BTUs. I can never imagine myself using all the burners at once, but I do plan to use the big burner for stir frying fairly regularly, and I'd like the blower to be able to handle whatever the top can put out, if needed. It's my understanding that I should have a hood that is 3" bigger on each side than my cooktop for the best capture, and that I should have at least 10 cfm for each BTU.

Based on that, I am looking for a 42" unit, 600+ cfm. My designer thinks the style of my kitchen would best lend itself to a stainless hood that is slim and simple with straight lines, like an upside down T, nothing bulky or professional-looking, no big triangles or curves. I would prefer baffle filters, do not want the squirrel cage or oil cans. It will vent through the roof, a nice straight shot about 9-10 feet up. It will hang all alone on the wall, no wall cabinets to either side of it. I would prefer an external blower.

There are lots of 36" units with internal blowers with forms that I like but it seems the ones that fit my function criteria are all the bigger, bulkier pro-style versions.

Am I looking for something that doesn't exist? Are my expectations unrealistic? Would a 36" hood be okay? If I get one with an internal blower, which ones are the quietest?

Please forgive me if this question has been asked before... trying to search the archives is very, very tedious at dial-up speed!

TIA,

Linda

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Comments (8)

lascatx
15 years ago
I have a Best by Broan that is 42" and has baffles -- but they were ordered separately. Mine is a different style, and I don't have the catalog now. I would suggest looking online or try to get a catalog so you can see which models have the baffles.

There are other brands. I've looked at so many, I don't remember them all and which have baffles. The style you are talking about could be a classic chimney or a more comtemporary style. I think you may get more baffle options with the classic. I'm not sure I saw them with any of teh more contemporary styles. If you want comtemporary, clean and simple, you may have to compromise on that one feature (we wanted a dimmable light and had to settle for on and off :-D ).
weissman
15 years ago
You can certainly make due with a 36" hood particularly if you have cabinets on either side - I have a 30" hood over a 30" range and the side cabinets do not get greasy. On the other hand, the depth of the hood is important - get one that is at least 24" deep (front to back) or ideally 27" deep so that it covers the front burners.
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OK, youall have succeeded in drawing me into another argument. Let's start with the purpose of the overhead vent. The vent is intended to capture and contain effluent contained in the rising and expanding cooking plumes. It has an overlap capture requirement that depends on height, and a flow rate containment requirement that derives from plume velocities and secondary factors. It is not for capture or blockage of grease splatter, as that could require enormous air velocities to achieve. Down-draft "venting" and pop-up side-draft "venting" cannot achieve the needed capture and containment provided by an overhead hood of proper specification for these reasons: Air flow velocity drops rapidly as a function of the smallest dimension of a slot air intake (see the 2003 ASHRAE HANDBOOK, HVAC Applications, Fig. 6). The air velocity in all cases is too low to significantly change hot cooking plume momenta except those plume portions close to the pop-up, so the overhead hood depends on the natural rise of the plumes. Deviation of the upward momentum to the side, or by 180 degrees to head downward, can only work if the plume has low momentum, as in steam from boiling water. Hot oil/grease/moisture plumes from wok cooking and searing will be poorly deviated sideways or in reverse. Fume hoods can have horizontal hood configurations, but the top and sides are blocked from allowing fumes to leak out. The turbulence issue is complicated. Up-rising plumes can be disturbed by side drafts, poor insertion of make-up air into the kitchen, and cook motion. Side-drafts will be pulling air across pan and pot clutter, so some added turbulence is possible, but I don't think it will be a significant addition except close to the pop-up due to the velocity fall-off introduced above. On the other hand, a pop-up can block splatter trajectories from the burner up the the angle between pan and the top of the pop-up and as far as the pop-up sides shadow the area beyond. For this function, no air flow is needed and much of the pop-up system hardware can be dispensed with. If a blank face is used (no vent holes/slots), cleaning may be greatly simplified. Underfloor ducting, blower, external cap can all be deleted. Some cabinet space for the elevation mechanism has to be sacrificed. While a pop-up splatter blocker is a good idea if the degree of blockage is deemed sufficient for the expense, the subject raises the question of why children are sitting in range of hot grease splatter. At a minimum they would need eye protection. There are requirements (that I don't have at hand) for desirable rises and/or runs of seating countertops connected to cooking surfaces. I recommend proper desks in quiet areas for studying. The student should be fully absorbed into the material to be studied without distraction (or at least as little distraction as a post pubertal youth can manage).
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I'm hoping it clears up what part is what - it's just a sample using two different hood inserts. So the liner fits into the wood hood, the insert fits into the liner, the duct attaches to the insert and there is a back draft damper that is either already attached to the insert or purchased separately and fitted to the ductwork. A blower is fitted to the insert or is mounted outside if external or is fitted near where the duct exits, but still inside the house if in-line. The blower is generally the part that makes the noise - so mounting it elsewhere is usually quieter but also more expensive. The filters are mesh on this unit, but they could just as well be baffles. Mesh filters can have issues with clogging because its like using metal cheesecloth. Baffle filters are closer to using a drying rack - more air through bigger holes. In real life, and for this particular unit, the blower is built-in to the insert, and the entire insert is 38+" wide. Lower on the page is a selection of liners implying that the size can start at 48" wide and end at 60". The liner is the metal part that wraps around the woodwork. If you look at the closeup of the liner, it takes some distance on both sides to slant up towards the insert, so I think this insert with its liner is likely too big to fit into a 42" wood hood. The wood hood itself will take some of that width - maybe 1.5", the liner looks like 1"-2" per side and the insert is close to 38.5". It might be a phone call to find out if there is a 42" liner. So you might be better off with this insert, even tho it says its 33-3/4" wide. You can order the 42" liner, choose your blower and it has baffle filters. There is an option for the stainless backsplash with tilt-up shelves. It's not very tall, so if you have slanty sides on the wood hood, it should fit just fine. This might be similar to your parts list or it might not. A 33" base insert with a 42" liner, internal blower for the insert and baffle filters.
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Usually the diameter of the hood matches the range and the cfms required are determined by a formula (there was a chart here with that info long ago -- anyone have it?) that calculates the length of the duct run, room size I believe and one or two other factors. Getting it right is not arbitrary or merely a matter of opinion. An overpowered hood sucks too much air out of the room and becomes inefficient. Going too wide risks ventilating your counters. A good quality, efficient hood with cfms appropriate to the range type will be optimal. Femmelady's kitchen shows that perfectly. She has a pro range with an indoor grill plus a 24" wok stove next to it. I think they went with a 900 or 1200 cfm VAH and a photo she posted showed it drawing out the grill smoke -- even installed extra high as her husband is tall. Here's a link. Surely there are enough hood styles that one can be found to look good with the cabinets. I'd be much more concerned with technical issues, a good brand and proper ventilation calculus, especially if you plan to go with a high-powered range and one of the monster gas ovens. Here is a link that might be useful: femmelady's hood install
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sara_the_brit_z6_ct
15 years ago
I found this 40" hood, for my 36" Bertazzoni cooktop. I'm a bit concerned about posting about it, in case I get accused of spamming, because I've mentioned it before, but I assure you I have NO connection with the company. The brand was recommended to me by my sister, in London, who has one of theirs - they're a popular brand in Europe. They really are made in Italy (not 'designed' there but made in China) and I've been very pleased with the quality and low noise. My GC liked it and was happy with the venting arrangements, and installed it easily.
The website is the only US source as far as I can see: they're a regular store in Brooklyn NY, and their shipping was great plus the price is a great one.

Here is a link that might be useful: 40
alexstanton
15 years ago
Not the "only" US sourceÂ You can check them out on eBay, where they sell them right along with the rest of the "Italian-style" or "Italian-design" junk. I strongly doubt that a REAL European-made product can be sold at prices same or even CHEAPER than the hoods made in China. And I've never seen a respectable company selling on eBay.

Also, the address of the factory does not mention any Italian origin. Most likely, those guys import them from China into England, and then advertise it as Italian. Maybe I'm missing something here, but Italy wasn't part of the United Kingdom the last time I checked...
pschmid
15 years ago
Lindastr - I have been searching for a hood like you describe, with little luck. It seems like all of the 'contemporary' styles have internal blowers. I did find one - maybe Modernaire? or Independent? I can't remember. Anyway - I was quoted close to $3000 for that style with an inline blower. Why is it so much more to have an external/inline blower?

I have thought about finding out how much it would cost to fabricate the stainless hood style I want (small rectangle), then buying a liner and blower separately. I'm interested in what you decide on!
sara_the_brit_z6_ct
15 years ago
alexstanton - doubt as much as you like. In the EU EVERYTHING has to have the country of origin labelled. I've got the packaging. My sister has the packaging from hers. MY GC is familiar with the Chinese-made hoods, and considers mine to be very different in quality.

As for "I've never seen a respectable company selling on EBay" - you should read some of the posts here on this forum. I have personal experience of some very, very sound companies in the marine business who do masses of their business on EBay. I'm sorry you've apparently got such a negative impression - but not everything in life is disreputable.

I'm satisfied it's made in Italy. What anyone else believes is up to them, but I know what the EU laws are, and I can read.
heimert
15 years ago
I guess Ventahood is out, if no squirrel cages.

I think you are going to have a hard time finding a high power hood that it also slim--they're either style or performance, but not both.
homepro01
15 years ago
This is tough without doing a custome hood which is a lot of money. VAH has a hood but if you don't want squirrel cages, then that is out. Gaggenau and Miele have hoods in this style but they are not 24" deep and they have mesh filters and are quite under spec'ed. I think the Gaggenau is something like 500cfm for a 48" hood.

One option to consider is to get a liner from Prestige or Independent and build a box with your cabinets around it. You can ask your cabinet maker to make you a box(the shape of the hood you want) to match.

Good luck!

Help finding a 42 inch wall hood -- or do I really need it?

Comments (8)

lascatx

weissman

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