No quality variable speed hoods available to ship?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Our kitchen remodel is wrapping up, and I was recently hit with some bad news. We had ordered our vent hood through Bluestar at the end of June. However when it arrived, it had a three speed blower instead of the variable speed blower I ordered. Bluestar phased out the variable speed, but talking to them before I ordered they stated they could still get one for me.

Disappointing, but not a huge deal I thought; there are surely other hoods that meet my needs? Prestige makes almost the exact same hood as the one I ordered, but theirs still has a variable speed blower. I contacted multiple resellers and the company directly, and they will not be available to ship for 6 weeks.

Okay so who else is out there ... ModernAire has a great product ... but they aren't available for 12 weeks.

Okay what about a vent-a-hood, using a remote blower instead of the 'magic lung'. The remote blowers are variable speed. However that is apparently a 'custom' order and will take up to 15 weeks.

So here I am just weeks away from our kitchen wrapping up. I've already been without a kitchen for 10 weeks now, and the soonest I can get a hood I like is another 6 weeks.

This post is partially just me venting, but I am also really hoping someone has some advice on another hood that will meet my needs and be available to purchase!

Here is what I am looking for:

Classic 'Pyramid' style wall mounted hood
36" width, 24" depth
Good capture area/design
Internal or Remote blower with around 1200 CFM (more is fine, a little less is okay)
Variable (infinite) blower speed adjustment
Commercial Style look and feel, no cheap buttons or little LCD displays or unnecessary electronics

Here is the hood I had picked from Bluestar: http://www.bluestarcooking.com/products/hoods/pyramid-hoods

Here is the hood I had picked from Prestige: http://www.prestige-america.com/36-pyramid-classic-hood/

Here is the hood I had picked from ModernAire: http://www.modernaire.com/modernaire/PS-20.html

Thank you for any help you can provide everyone!

Featured Answer

PRO

Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)

8 years ago

I have a PS20 in my showroom 30" high x 27" deep 36" wide, with a 1200 cfm internal blower variable switch for lights and blower if your interested in a shop floor model ?

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Comments (16)

hvtech42
8 years ago
Can you get a "shell" hood with no blower at all within a reasonable time? If yes, then it would be super easy to just mate that with a generic, easy to find external blower like Abbaka. No need to match the brand of the hood and the blower if you're installing them separately.
plllog
8 years ago
If you otherwise like the hood you have, have you considered having the switch changed? Or putting in a variable speed remote switch on the wall or deck?

Years ago, people in this forum were doing that.
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Joe Henderson
8 years ago
The only other one I can think of is the viking. VCWH53648SS

Otherwise, what about using the bluestar you got, powering it for lights, but not using their blower. Then just mount a fan tech inline blower with an infinite switch in the wall. Basically just run the blower separately.

variable speed control

FKD10XL inline blower
mkeys5000
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thank you everyone for responding.

@hvtech42

I would be open to that idea, but I am not aware of anyone offering a 'shell' that meets my needs and isn't backordered. Definitely open to suggestions tho!

@plllog

From my understanding, the problem with the Bluestar hood is that they have redesigned it to the point that the variable speed blower no longer even fits inside of the new hood. And the '3 speed' motor is not capable of variable speed. So it seems it would be more than just changing out a switch. Also I am looking to find a solution that will be warrantable.

@Joe Henderson LRG

I did actually see that Viking one too, I am a bit dubious about the design of the capture area compared with the other hoods on my list. I am also not a big fan of that big viking badge on the front and the 6" tall front lip. With that said, that hood or a Wolf hood that I have similar reservations about are the next best options I know about if I don't want to wait another 6 weeks.

As far as using a remote blower with a separate switch, that is an interesting idea. Unfortunately we just finished tiling all the backsplashes with some pretty pricey handmade glass tile, and I am not sure about getting a switch installed at this point. I am also not sure how I would feel about having the orphaned fan switch on the hood.
plllog
8 years ago
You can have the switch deck mounted or on the apron or inside the cabinet or drawer.

You can also have the wiring and junction box fitted from the other side of the wall, if that's easier to patch, and just drill a big enough hole in the tile for the switch itself, if that's allowable by code.

You might be able to have the wiring run through the hood to the place where the switch is now (voiding warranty, of course). You might even be able to adapt the current fan switch to work with the new controller.

What's the deal with an orphaned switch, however? So what if it does nothing but provide company for the light switch?

Maybe have both a blower switch and light switch installed in the wall? If you're going to interrupt the backsplash, do it right?

BTW, were you referring to the backsplash just behind the stove? Something special? Because if that's the case, it's okay, the switch shouldn't be behind the burners anyway, but off to the side. It's not safe to reach across hot pots to use it.

Are you just looking for reasons to get a different hood? That's okay! If you don't want the BlueStar hood, you don't have to make do to keep it.

My ModernAire hood was made wrong and had to go back, then it was delivered badly scratched and had to go back. It was put up well after the rest of the kitchen was finished. It was fine in the end. Annoying, but it's pretty and works a treat.

Maybe you should just take a deep breath and wait a month or two until your best choice can be delivered? It's grilling weather after all...
gigelus2k13
8 years ago
I'd like to speak on behalf of the 3-speed switch. Unlike the variable control, which is electronics-based, a simple switch is very reliable, much less likely to fail...
hvtech42
8 years ago
Solid state variable speed controls are pretty darn reliable.
kaseki
8 years ago
And for reasonable power ratings they are inexpensive.

Broan/NuTone/Best makes external roof blowers also.

Wolf resells roof blowers (perhaps designed to their specification)

If I had to do what you need to do, I would choose a suitable roof blower, run its power cable to a junction box somewhere accessible, in an attic say, install a variable control in the hood or on the wall, depending on the hood design, and run its power cable to this junction box. Last I would run a suitably fused house power circuit to the box. Some research and assembly needed.

kas
mkeys5000
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks everyone.

@plllog

While waiting an extra 6 weeks is definitely possible, we are anxious to have this project finished. I realize the orphaned switch thing wouldn't bother some, but I am prone to letting details like that irk me. I do like the Bluestar hood, so in a perfect world it would have the variable speed fan functionality out of the box and that would be that.

@gigelus2k13

It is my opinion that a 3 speed switch makes sense at relatively low CFM, say 300-500. Once you get into something like a 1200CFM blower, those three speed settings leave a lot to be desired in fine-tuning your vent performance and volume.

@kaseki

I am looking pretty hard at roof blowers now, however not necessarily to go with the Bluestar hood, but as a complete package. I am going to a kitchen showroom in town today to look at the Wolf hood and get pricing for their 1500CFM roof blower.
plllog
8 years ago
Okay, I get it about the switch. But you could do something really cool with it too. Like attach it to a small sound module that plays Ride of the Valkyries.
mkeys5000
Original Author
8 years ago
:)
mkeys5000
Original Author
8 years ago
I checked out the Wolf hood today. It is a good looking hood that checks most of my boxes. The capture area is not ideal, but I think it is my best bet if I don't want to wait.
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ProHoods
8 years ago
@mkeys5000 Im sorry to hear about your range hood situation, maybe I could help. Considering that you are looking at other hood options I would recommend that you check out our Proline Professional 36" PROV wall mounted range hood. It has a 24" depth and looks identical to the styles in the links that you have shown. It comes with full variable speed fan controls, 2 heat lamp sockets, dishwasher safe baffle filters, and has that commercial design that you like. Take a better look here at the product [HERE[(https://www.houzz.com/products/proline-prov-professional-wall-mount-under-cabinet-range-hood-36-prvw-vr~15116687?lid=5819964)

For more specific details about CFM, measurements and other details check out the quick spec sheet HERE

Customer Kitchen: Featuring the Pro V wall hood. · More Info

What do you think? If you have any other questions please do ask!
mkeys5000
Original Author
8 years ago
SOLD!
mkeys5000
Original Author
8 years ago
The PS20 arrived today from Trevor at Eurostoves just as described. I'd like to send a very big thank you to Trevor for saving the day here! In the end I got an even better hood than I had originally planned for, fantastic.

No quality variable speed hoods available to ship?

Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)

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hvtech42

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