Range Hood

The range hood is an often overlooked, but necessary component to well-done kitchen remodel. A good quality hood will effectively remove all manner of odors and grease from settling in the immediate cooking area as well as the rest of the kitchen.

With regard to a basic house flip, unless you are remodeling a large house in an expensive neighborhood, you probably don't need to spend a lot of money on a vented hood with a lot of bells and whistles when a simple hood that cleans and recirculates the air is adequate.

There are, however, many economical as well as more expensive models to choose from when deciding what to install in your kitchen remodel.

Look for the following features when deciding on the type of range hood you're looking for:

Rotary, or centrifugal fans are what move the air. Centrifugal fans are better suited for moving air through a duct because it's more efficient, and quieter to operate. If you just want to recirculate the air in the kitchen (and not vent it out), select a hood with the traditional rotary bladed fan. It costs far less than the fancier centrifugal fan hood and still does an adequate job of cleaning the air.

The amount of air and how fast it's moving is measured in CFM (cubic feet/minute). Choosing a hood with higher CFM is likely to move more air, but be advised the noise created (measured in sones) will be higher as well.

(To give you some idea of a particular noise level, consider that normal conversation is rated at around four somes)

Higher priced models come with extra goodies such as automatic fan shut-off and heat sensors to detect increased heat.

Most hoods have extra lighting capability.

The main aspect of a range hood, however, is to remove the air in the immediate vicinity of the range top and either clean and return it, or vent it out altogether.

Non-Vented

If you choose the non-vented (duct free), you'll be getting the system that circulates the air through a washable filter, and returns it back into the kitchen clean and fresh. The filters are removable and can be easily replaced. Economically-priced range hoods generally start around $35 and can rise from there to just over $100 depending on what size you need.

(Very important to note that all different sizes have there respectively-priced models)

Vented

If you want to completely move the air out of the kitchen, you need to select the vented (ducted) system. vented range hood

This unit is generally more expensive and has a few more bells and whistles. Expect to pay more with a basic 30" hood starting out around $60 to well over $100 for a convertible hood that can be switched to ductless or vented. Whichever way you choose.

Note When venting the air out of the kitchen, always vent it outside. Never move the air into the attic or basement. If possible, use an outside wall in the kitchen to mount your unit so you have a shorter span to exhaust.

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