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Cooking can add unpleasant by-products into the air such as grease, heat, moisture, smoke, and odour.

These contaminants affect the air quality in your home as well as the look and performance of cabinets, countertops and other appliances. Using a vent or hood can help to collect those contaminants and vent them outside the home or through filters before recirculating the air back into the home. It can also help prevent some of the buildup and odors inside the home.

Your ventilation hood should be at least as wide as the range or cooktop, but preferably 3 inches longer on each side.

Cubic Feet per Minute. Unit of measure for how much air is exchanged in one minute of time. The higher the CFM the more "powerful" the exhaust fan is.

There are a few different ways you can determine how many CFM you need for your kitchen.

Generally, the rule for a GAS cooktop is, for every 10,000 BTU your gas cooktop generates you will need 100 CFM. Example 60,000 BTU's = 600 CFM.

You can also calculate how many CFM you need based on the size of your kitchen.

Multiply length by width by height to get total cubic feet. Multiply your total cubic feet by 15, which is the recommended general amount of times your kitchen's air should be cleared per hour (X).

Lastly, you can calculate it by the style of cooking you commonly do on your cooking surface.

Light Cooking: Introduces steam and some cooking by-products into the surrounding air. In general, 300-400 CFM units are sufficient.

High-Heat Cooking: Releases large amounts of heat and steam into the kitchen, which would require at least 600 CFM units.

Frying & Stir-Fry Cooking: High heat and cooking oils produce more cooking by-products. As much as 800-1200 CFM or commercial-style ventilation is strongly recommended.

After taking into consideration all these factors, and doing the necessary calculations, choose the result with the HIGHEST CFM.

Hoods circulate air in one of two ways. They can vent air to the outside or they can recirculate air.

Once smoke, moisture and grease are pulled into the hood, they move through grease and charcoal filters inside the vent system to help clear the air of contaminants, then recirculate back into the kitchen.

Most under cabinet hoods and microwave hood combinations are set to recirculate air.

The grease filters can be hand washed with warm water and detergent. Many grease filters are also dishwasher safe. Consult your Owner’s Manual to confirm if yours can go in the dishwasher.

For recirculating units with a charcoal filter, It should last up to 6 months with normal use. Replace with Charcoal Filter as specified in the Owner's Manual.

ELECTRIC:

Minimum 24” and maximum 36” from the cooking surface to the vent.

GAS:

Minimum 27” and maximum 36” from the cooking surface to the vent.

A downdraft ventilation system captures smoke, steam, grease particles and odors at the cooking surface, pulling them down and out of the kitchen before they can escape into the air.

Unlike traditional range hoods that are mounted above the cooking area, downdraft ventilation systems are installed directly into the countertop or cooking surface itself.

Unlike traditional range hoods that feature a centralized exhaust opening, perimeter venting hoods have vents or slots distributed along the edges or perimeter of the hood. This design allows for more efficient capture of smoke, steam, and grease, as it creates a larger capture area.

A sone is one unit of noise as perceived by an individual with regular hearing, and is used to measure loudness. A lower sones rating indicates that a ventilation product is quieter.

Makeup air refers to the replacement air brought into a building to compensate for air that is being exhausted by various mechanical systems such as ventilation. It ensures that there is a balanced airflow within a building, preventing negative pressure situations which can lead to issues such as backdrafting of combustion gasses, inefficient operation of exhaust systems, or discomfort for occupants due to drafts. In essence, makeup air helps maintain indoor air quality, temperature, and pressure levels within a building.

Whether you need a makeup air kit in your home depends on various factors such as the type of exhaust systems you have (e.g., kitchen hood, bathroom exhaust fan), the tightness of your home's construction, and local building codes. If your home is tightly sealed or if you have powerful exhaust systems, a makeup air kit may be necessary to prevent issues like negative pressure and poor indoor air quality. It's best to consult with a professional HVAC technician or building inspector to determine if a makeup air kit is needed for your specific situation.