Under the Cabinet Range Hoods

Under-cabinet range hoods are often installed below a kitchen cabinet. The primary purpose of this type of range hood is to ventilate your kitchen by expelling smoke, steam, heat, and unpleasant smells that result from frequent cooking or food preparation. Some of the important things you need to consider when installing under cabinet range hoods are the height of your cabinets and the width and depth of the hood. When your range hood is very low, then you are likely to lose more headspace as it will be closer to the steam and heat.

Installing it too high can also reduce its efficiency in getting rid of airborne grease, smoke, and combustion products from your cooking area. You might consider looking for a deeper range hood as it delivers higher CFMs. The recommended width for ideal ventilation is a space of 2 to 3 inches on either side of your range hood. It is important to clean the filter periodically since too much grease or airborne particles that accumulate over time can reduce the efficiency of your range hood.

An under-cabinet range hood is installed underneath existing cabinets. If ducted, the ductwork is typically placed in adjoining walls. Due to smaller size, under-cabinet range hoods are convenient for many kitchens, especially those with limited space or lots of cabinet storage. Like other types of range hoods, under-cabinet range hoods serve to filter air-borne pollutants like grease or smoke produced while cooking, thereby ventilating your kitchen.

How Does an Under Cabinet Range Hood Work?

Under-cabinet range hoods can be either ducted or ductless. Ducted range hoods vent air to the outside of your home while ductless hoods filter the contaminated air before circulating it back into your kitchen. Installing under-cabinet range hoods is easy if you already have the required cabinetry and ductwork in place. However, it may require the extensive knowledge and experience of a professional when installing a ducted under-cabinet range hood, as they need to configure the vent from your kitchen to the exterior of your home.

Different under-cabinet range hood models may work differently based on their level of efficiency and mode of operation. For typical kitchens, an under-cabinet hood usually extends about halfway across the stove to vent smoke and steam away from the cabinet doors to the suction end of the hood. Although this design may steal your cabinet space, it works best for those who cannot achieve the recommended clearance between the hood and stove using a standard under-cabinet hood design. Sleek models allow you to slide out a shallow hood from the upper kitchen cabinet when you need to use it. This makes it easier to access your upper cabinets without any obstacles when the range hood is not in use.

Generally, under-cabinet range hoods have powerful fans that trap and absorb grease to prevent combustion products from building up on your cabinets or kitchen appliances. It is also important to consider the fan speed and loudness when purchasing a range hood as it determines its efficiency and level of comfort when in use.

The primary purpose of a range hood is to ventilate your kitchen to remove the smells, steam, smoke, and heat that result from frequent cooking. By doing this range hoods also help absorb and trap grease so that it doesn’t build up on your cabinets and appliances. When purchasing a range hood, you’ll want to consider the speed and loudness of the hood. The speed is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute) which determines the rate at which the hood replaces air. The higher the CFM, the more air it will move, but the louder it will be. Noise volume for range hoods is measured in sones. For more on life with and without range hoods, see this post: Do You Have a Range Hood? And Coping Without.

Distinctive Features of Under-Cabinet Hoods: Under-cabinet range hoods are exactly what they sound like: they’re range hoods attached to the underside of kitchen cabinets. They can be either ducted (or vented, which means they vent air to the outside) or ductless (re-circulating, which means the range “cleans” the air and circulates it back into your kitchen)