A cooker hood is an essential part of modern kitchen appliances. It is especially in demand in kitchens with poor air ventilation, which are often found in high-rise buildings. Installing a kitchen hood can be done by hand, even if the kitchen is already equipped. Installation does not require the removal of furniture from the room, since a large amount of construction debris and dust is not formed during the work.
Varieties of kitchen hoods
The hoods are powered by an electric motor that rotates a wheel with blades, due to which a reduced pressure is created and air is drawn in along with odors and fumes. Accordingly, this device must be connected to the mains. Powerful hood models also require grounding. To do this, the device is connected to a deaf neutral located in the shield, which is located in the entrance, less often in the apartment. It is a pipe immured in the wall. The cross section of the wire from the hood to the neutral must be at least 2.5 mm2. You should work carefully in the shield - the wires are energized, and they are bare. Electrical safety rules prohibit using a simple folk method - grounding appliances on a water, heating or gas pipe. If there is no desire or skills to work with electricity, then it is better to invite an electrician.
According to the principle of operation, kitchen hoods are divided into:
- Removing.
- Circulating.
The first type draws in air and discharges it into the ventilation shaft. The appliance requires a ventilation hole in the kitchen to operate. The disadvantage of this scheme is the need for a functioning ventilation duct. An alternative would be to throw it outside through a window or hole in the wall, but these options also have their drawbacks and are rarely used.
Circulation devices pass the drawn air through carbon filter and throw it back into the room. They do not require connection to the ventilation system, which simplifies installation. After the expiration of the service life of the carbon filter, it must be replaced. The circulation hood has a number of disadvantages that make it unpopular:
- The cost of the device is higher with reduced performance.
- Charcoal filters need to be replaced regularly, otherwise the quality of cleaning is reduced.
- The filter does not remove all contaminants, and the use of a hood does not remove excess heat.
Depending on the installation location, the following types of hoods are distinguished:
- Embedded or integrated. Installed inside a hanging cabinet, which allows you to make a single design for all kitchen furniture, but the cabinet can quickly deteriorate from hot air and fumes.
- Suspended. Installation is carried out by mounting on the wall. It is easy to install, but visible pipeline, especially corrugated, can spoil the appearance.
- Desktop. It is an elongated rectangular socket, included in the complex of kitchen equipment. Such devices are used in professional kitchens.
- Fireplace or dome. They are used in elite kitchens, which are designed and created by professionals.
- Ceiling island. It is a set of air intakes located on a false ceiling. Like fireplaces, it requires a lot of money and is installed by professional installers.
It can be concluded that for the owner of an apartment or a private house with an average income level, a built-in or suspended extractor hood, installed above the cooking surface, is a good option.
Arrangement of the ventilation system
The use of a kitchen hood significantly changes air exchange in the apartment. Its air duct completely covers the ventilation window. Also, the hood changes the movement of air flows in the ventilation shaft. Depending on the draft in the mine, various unpleasant effects can occur, including the entry of polluted air from neighbors into the apartment. To protect against this, a check valve is installed that allows air to pass only in one direction - into the ventilation shaft.
check valve for domestic use is a short piece of pipe, inside which there is a disk rotating on an axis, or its halves. In the closed position, the valve is held by a spring. From the movement of air created by the hood, the valve opens. When the hood stops working, the valve closes under the action of a spring.
In kitchen ventilation, plastic round valves are mainly used. Plastic devices operate silently, metal devices require a rubber gasket. There are also plastic ventilation grilles that contain a built-in valve.
The hood ensures the removal of polluted air, so there is a need to supply clean air. In rare cases, the kitchen has a second vent and no additional ventilation is required. If it is not there, then the easiest way to supply fresh air is to implement ventilation. Modern metal-plastic windows have a winter ventilation mode, in which a small amount of air enters the room. Another way is the organization of forced ventilation by devices built into a wall or window.
The location of the hood and air duct
Installation of a kitchen hood and ventilation to it is easiest to do when the ventilation window is located above the stove. Otherwise, you will need to air duct along the wall to the ventilation shaft, which does not look aesthetically pleasing. Also, the efficiency of the air duct is reduced by pipe turns. Sharp corners are highly undesirable.
For the correct operation of the device, it is important to choose the height of its installation above the stove. The required minimum distance between the stove and the hood is 700 mm. This protects the hood from overheating and does not lead to power loss. Also, when choosing the height of the hood, one should take into account the height of the person working at the stove and the layout of the room.
The air duct is not included in the package of hoods, it must be chosen independently. The choice consists of a corrugated aluminum tube and a rigid box. The advantage of corrugation is flexibility and ease of use. It is easy to give it the required shape, with smooth bends.
The design of a rigid ventilation duct must be considered and the connecting elements purchased in accordance with the plan. The box has a more aesthetic appearance and is easier to fit into the design of the kitchen.
Despite the smooth inner surface, the air resistance of the box and corrugations differ little over such a short section. Much higher air resistance in the ventilation shaft due to dirt and random air turbulence. However, the internal corrugated surface dampens sounds well, and the corrugation does not hum during operation or from strong gusts of wind, which can suddenly appear near the box.
Hood installation
Installing a do-it-yourself kitchen hood requires hand tools and a drill. To place the hood built into the kitchen furniture, you will also need a jigsaw with a wood saw. If a hood of this type is purchased, but there is no corresponding cabinet, then a U-shaped frame is assembled from aluminum profiles.
Before installing the hood, it is desirable that the rest of the kitchen furniture is already installed. If it is not there, then the furniture is marked on the walls.This will make it possible to provide for the location of the wires and the air duct. Wires should not be squeezed by furniture and located close to the stove.
A ventilation grill is screwed to the wall with dowels, a check valve is installed on it. Before drilling holes in the wall, check the absence of electrical wiring. According to the norms, the wiring is laid vertically upwards from sockets and switches, but this rule can be violated.
In houses that have been in operation for a long time, under the action of moist hot air, the bricks that form the ventilation window lose their mechanical properties, they crumble and crumble. In this case, the edges of the window are restored with putty.
When installing the hood in a kitchen cabinet, holes are marked and made in it using a jigsaw. To start cutting, a hole is drilled and a jigsaw file is inserted into it. Similar operations are performed with cabinet shelves, if any. To fix the cabinet or hood to the wall, dowels or connecting elements are used, which have one part of the dowel and the other in the form of a bolt. The hood is inserted into the cutout of the cabinet and secured with self-tapping screws. A box or corrugation is put on it, fixed with clamps.
After installing the hood, it remains to connect it to the mains. Wiring must be laid in advance. If the hood is connected with a plug, then the cable is simply routed behind the furniture. When using a permanent connection through the machine, the wiring is hidden in a box, under a sheathing or a plinth. This connection method also requires grounding, so it is recommended to entrust it to a specialist.
After completing the electrical connection, the operability of the device is checked. The last step is to install a PVC box to hide the air duct.
