Wall mounted ventilation hood for kitchen

[gatorgrabber]

I know, not much of garage topic but does anyone here have experience with wall mounted ventilation hoods for use over a gas stove? I'm not looking for an under-cabinet style, I'm reworking my kitchen and would like to upgrade to a full stainless hood (wall mounted). All I know is what I've seen at the big box stores, so I'm 'informationally challenged' at the moment. The width between the cabinets is 30". Any suggestions as to what to look for? Thanks!

 

[Voi]

I know, not much of garage topic but does anyone here have experience with wall mounted ventilation hoods for use over a gas stove? I'm not looking for an under-cabinet style, I'm reworking my kitchen and would like to upgrade to a full stainless hood (wall mounted). All I know is what I've seen at the big box stores, so I'm 'informationally challenged' at the moment. The width between the cabinets is 30". Any suggestions as to what to look for? Thanks!

We have a 36" Kitchenaid above our gas cooktop. The space between the upper cabinets in 36" and there is about 1/4" clearance on both sides so it's really like 35 1/2".

Eight foot ceilings and I wanted it mounted a bit higher than normal so I made a template of the top flue trim piece and traced it onto my ceiling and carefully cut the drywall out and extended the flue cover slightly up into our attic space. Came out nice.

Once the exhaust pipe was up in the attic I bumped the pipe up to 8" or something like that so I could go with an in-line blower in the future to cut down on noise. Even ran a wire up so electric would be ready for that blower.

After doing a more reading I think I'd go to a roof mounted fan to cut down on noise even more. But I've also read that there is so much noise produced by the baffles themselves that it's not worth spending a bunch of money for minimal noise reduction.

Ours is noisy, no doubt. I'd read up more on that part before making your final choice.

Not sure what else to tell you other than read a lot of reviews and read what you can about different approaches to noise reduction.

Also, check now to see what you have for trusses or joists above the space that might be in your way.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Super Mech]

I have DCS 36" hood I put in about 10 years ago. It's been trouble free so far. The thing is plenty noisy but it can really move some air! It's so powerful that it lifts the SS baffled grease filter right off its mount. It also has a heat lamp that keeps food warm on the shelves on the backsplash.

 

[gatorgrabber]

I've seen the KitchenAid but not the DCS. Do you recall the model you have?

 

[Boomer343]

You should check clearances to your upper cabinets from the top of the stove. We have a 36" Bluestar cook top and we left 12 inches on either side of the 36" vent hood.

The vent hood is a Venmar unit that has been working since 1999 when it was originally over a 30 ceramic cook top. If we didn't have it already I would have put in a 48" hood over the 36" cook top.

You could check out Costco.com and see what they offer.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

At the new house I am doing a 48" range with matching hood. Ideally you would want a stand alone hood that doesn't hang under the cabinets. The wall mount ones can support bigger fans and move some serious air. Venting can get tricky if you are not on an outside wall.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Since this snowballed and turned into an entire kitchen overhaul, I actually have up to 36" between the cabinets to work with, depending upon how I hang them. The stove is 30" wide, so I have that extra room to work with.

For venting, I have a 7" pipe going straight up and out through the roof. That's a short trip since this is a FL house with a low pitch.

 

[Boomer343]

If you have room for a 36" hood then from my experience that is what I would go with.

Look for a hood that isn't flat across the bottom but has a capture area to collect the cooking and gas fumes. Ours came with a matching stainless steel back splash. A friend got a stainless hood then a different mfg for the back splash and to my eye it isn't a close match so looks poor.

 

[gatorgrabber]

That's good advice. I like the idea of having the cabinets 3" offset on each side from the stove, if only to keep them further away from the heat.

 

[buildyourown]

I just put one in my remodel. Vent-a-hood. Go to a appliance only store that sells higher end stuff and you can check them out.
I've seen some decent ones online but still expect to put some money down.
I put a 36" on a 36" stove because I found one used. After reading a bit, they recommend going wider than your stove if you are going to be doing serious cooking. Wish I had. My front burners are 22k btu ea.

 

[Super Mech]

I've seen the KitchenAid but not the DCS. Do you recall the model you have?

I don't recall the model that I have but I can check my files and look at the original paperwork. I will try to post back later.

 

[MagKarl]

I have a Broan hood and a remote blower unit. My kitchen is centrally located in the house, no exterior walls or roof. It's much quieter than a normal hood because the blower is actually about 40 feet away in the crawl space.

 

[gatorgrabber]

I like the idea of the remote blower motor; did your hood come with that as an option or was it something you created?

 

[nolimits76]

I realize commercial construction and city codes will be likely be different in your area, but on a project I was managing locally we had a few issues regarding something similar. The short & sweet version resulted in our food service contractor having to replace hoods that was equal (and in some cases) narrower than the cooking surface below. Best I recall, code required a minimum 6" overhang of the hood on each side.

That always stuck w/ me for whatever reason. But based on that, I would think you'd be better using a 36" wide hood and 30" range if that is a real option for you.

Of course, if it's a complete kitchen remodel I'd be expanding my range selection to a much wider commercial range & hood that works in a residential application. Thankfully we are years from a kitchen remodel, but that's our plan when the time comes. Of course, my wife is a kitchen nut like guys here are garage nuts.

 

[yeldogt]

I have 48" DCS Stoves/ Hoods in two different houses. The commercial stoves have higher BTU burners and in my case a grill and griddle -- so the hoods have to move a lot of air.

You better check the vent pipe size required prior to ordering.

My hoods have the washable grease baffles and lights -- they work very well. I did the remote motor/fan on the second one. All the hoods seem to use off the shelf blower units in them -- mine is a broan .. I think.

 

[artrem]

For what its worth, I bought a Zephyr Hurricane hood for my kitchen rebuild (http://zephyronline.com/). As others have indicated, venting is critical-- no bends or twists if possible since the hood efficiency can be affected by any back pressure in the exhaust.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Since this snowballed and turned into an entire kitchen overhaul, I actually have up to 36" between the cabinets to work with, depending upon how I hang them. The stove is 30" wide, so I have that extra room to work with.

For venting, I have a 7" pipe going straight up and out through the roof. That's a short trip since this is a FL house with a low pitch.

Beautiful! Straight up and out is the best. Most end up coming out a sidewall. Since this is residential I don't think you need a larger hood than range. Your 7" pipe is fine on a 36" hood. I would match the range and hood...36" and 36". You will regret having a 30" range with a larger hood and vise versa.

If you ever sell the home having a large range will be a selling point. Women will want that compared to a similar home with a 30" range.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Let's take out the guess work! Here's the code you need-
IRC (International Residential Code)
M1901 Ranges and Ovens
M1901.1 Clearances

But you also need to follow the manufacturer's Installation Guidelines. The IRC code gives a lot of latitude to manufacturer's specifications. The common dimension is VERTICAL CLEARANCE- but side clearances can vary from one manufacturer to another.

As for the roof penetration- don't be in such a hurry! I know Gainsville doesn't fall under Miami-Dade Building Code, but there are still certain aspects of it that I'm sure Alachua County and/or the city of Gainsville have adopted. Mainly, wind rated appliances, and restrictions on roof penetrations.

For that, I would consult with your AHJ as to what is or isn't allowed.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Thanks for all the info! While Alachua County is not on the coast, we tend to adhere to the higher wind requirements (at least I do!). My question, basically, is what width to go with. My new range is 30" wide, so that's a given. I can arrange the new cabinets to give me either 30" or 36" of width over the range. One line of thought is to go with a 30" unit (traditional approach); the other is to center a 36" hood over the range and build around the extra 3" on each side of the cook top. The vertical clearance will be whatever code calls for. Thoughts??

Don't worry about me being in a hurry, it won't happen!

 

[yeldogt]

I have seen installations where the hood is larger then the stove. This is normally done where a grill or griddle is installed as they can create lots of smoke/ steam -- it allows the hood to capturer more of the rising fumes without needing all the CFM's

I thought of doing it on the 2nd 48" unit as I hate the noise of the fan in the blower -- but I would have had to go to a 60" unit -- and it was just too big and massive looking. I wanted a matching hood to the stove. On my new rebuild I am using an insert and will be making the hood just a bit bigger ... a couple of inches works well.

My brother has a 30" Viking stove with a 36" hood. He does not have a grill but he likes to cook and often does so at extremely high heat .. his looks and works very well. I don't understand your thought on the 3" filler around the stove -- the cabinets don't have to match top/ bottom.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Thanks for all the info! While Alachua County is not on the coast, we tend to adhere to the higher wind requirements (at least I do!). My question, basically, is what width to go with. My new range is 30" wide, so that's a given. I can arrange the new cabinets to give me either 30" or 36" of width over the range. One line of thought is to go with a 30" unit (traditional approach); the other is to center a 36" hood over the range and build around the extra 3" on each side of the cook top. The vertical clearance will be whatever code calls for. Thoughts??

Don't worry about me being in a hurry, it won't happen!

Check the manufacturer's installation guide of the range and see if there are any restrictions. The hood manufacturer will probably only give a vertical clearance dimension.

 

[gatorgrabber]

The install guide calls for 30" between the grill surface and the bottom of any overhanging cabinet that's not protected; 24" to a hood. The 3" side gaps on each side of the stove (to base cabinet sides) may not be too much once I install the stove and get a look at it. The counter tops have not been ordered yet, so I have time to ponder if I like it or need to do some adjusting.

 

[why worry]

The extra width can be a nice feature especially if you let it all overhang the counter. That way when you are using a portable griddle or deep fryer the hood will help keep the odors down and the kitchen cleaner.

 

[Boomer343]

Are you sure you need 3 inches from the side of the unit to the base cabinets? I have seen specs where the unit needs that kind of space to a wall or a full height cabinet like a pantry.

I think the 3 inches is clearance from the top surface of the stove to the sides.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Nope, the 3" gap is not from the stove specs but from the cabinet size I'm having to use to fit the kitchen. My total space to fill on this wall is exactly 84"; (2) 24" base cabinets + (1) 30" stove gives me 78". Since the stove can only go in one spot without seriously reworking the ceiling, that gives me a 6" gap to deal with. If I center the stove between the two cabinets, that gives me 3" on each side of the unit.

 

[Boomer343]

Ok now I understand about the 3" gap. A chance to be creative either with a filler panel or a narrow pullout for spices/cooking trays. Maybe even an open box made out of stainless for trays etc. I love spending other peoples money....and time....

 

[gatorgrabber]

I'm actually looking at those very options at this time. Funny, I've spent more time thinking about this kitchen in the last month than I have in the previous 30yrs I've lived here!

 

[MagKarl]

My stove is 30 wide and the hood is 36. The upper cabinets are up against the hood, and the lowers are up against the stove. They make matching filler panels for the cabinets that are used to fill the gap you are worried about. The filler panel gets ripped to be a perfect fit between wall and cabinet.

The remote blower unit is a separate piece from the hood and sized based on the airflow desired for a given installation.

 

[yeldogt]

So you are installing this in an existing opening? or you already ordered the cabinets?

They make 36" units -- much nicer IMO over 30" .. naturally more $$

3" is not much -- we have installed two narrow open cabinets in the last two kitchens we have done ... they are great for cutting boards and tall baking sheets.

 

[gatorgrabber]

The 84" I have to work with is set; cabinets have yet to be ordered. I found out they have a 27" wide version that would solve my 'gap' issue. Sitting and staring at it right now...

 

[NotEnough]

Another vote for the Vent-A-Hood and the "magic lung". Pretty quite for the cfm and in the hood fans.

 

[Farres]

We just finished a full gut and rebuild of our kitchen. We put in a 48" Wolf range and matching hood. The cabinet makers allowed for 48 1/4", and the hood fits like a glove. The fan is mounted on the roof, and it's about a 7' run down to the hood. I purchased the most powerful fan option they had. works like a charm.

 

[Boomer343]

The comment from Farres jogged my memory.... our hood fan is rated up to 900 cfm.
We would end up back drafting the gas water heater and furnace. The fireplace was already converted to a sealed fresh air gas unit so that wasn't a problem. We now have powered direct vent furnace and water heater. Vent hood was cheap compared to them...

Make up air has to come from somewhere even when running these fans on low speed they pull more air than you realize.

 

[fivespdcat]

The comment from Farres jogged my memory.... our hood fan is rated up to 900 cfm.
We would end up back drafting the gas water heater and furnace. The fireplace was already converted to a sealed fresh air gas unit so that wasn't a problem. We now have powered direct vent furnace and water heater. Vent hood was cheap compared to them...

Make up air has to come from somewhere even when running these fans on low speed they pull more air than you realize.

This is the big one to consider when remodeling. A lot of newer homes were made without outside venting hoods and backdrafting can be a problem. Check your local codes as they will have some guidance on this topic. I also don't think that you need a huge fan but definitely something better than what you can get at HD. I've got a 390cfm Broan in a 20x15 kitchen with openings to adjacent rooms and it works great.

 

[bmwjerry]

Vent-A-Hood makes a big deal about how much quieter they are- Can anyone verify that? We're looking at 30" model, under a cabinet, then venting out the side of the house about three feet up.
They want $850 for the 300cfm, and claim their 300 is equivalent to other's 450cfm. So, expensive - especially if the hype is greater than reality.

The old Broan lasted 35 years, it was a bit noisy though.

Jerry