The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house, and home cooking offers healthier alternatives to eating out, as well as time for the family to gather together. The range hood is an integral part of the kitchen and home cooking experience—it provides an effective way to ventilate the kitchen and provides a healthier environment by trapping unwanted odor, grease, smoke, dust, and moisture.
When purchasing a range hood, or updating an existing one, there are a variety of accessories to consider to make your range hood as stylish, durable, and functional as possible. Finding the right accessories will provide you with better air quality and less kitchen noise. A few common range hood accessories include backsplashes, blowers, duct covers, filters, and hood liners.
Backsplashes
The backsplash is a great way to add function and dynamic design to your range hood. Backsplashes protect the back wall from cooking splatter and wipes clean easily. It also adds style to your kitchen. The variety of finishes allows you to coordinate with the rest of your kitchen and house.
There are three different types of backsplashes to choose from: wall shields, individual tiles, and pre-assembled tile splashes.
Whatever style you choose, it is important to first measure the area where your backsplash will go to ensure you know what dimensions to look for.
- Wall shields can come in different colors and materials like white, black, and neutrals, which are generally less expensive. Or you can find them in stainless steel, which is usually a bit pricier. You can also find wall shields with useful features, such as utensil bars to hang your utensils and storage shelves to store condiments or keep plates warm.
- Backsplash tiles can come in brass, copper, bronze, pewter, and other colors. You can also find tiles in different sizes with various designs that will allow you to mix and match to create a custom look.
- Pre-assembled tile splashes can come in ceramic or marble and provide easy and convenient installation. However, they tend to be more expensive than wall shields.
Blowers
The blower is another vital accessory to consider when buying a range hood, since all of the cooking contaminants collected in the hood are exhausted to the outside by the blower unit.
When buying a blower it is important to know what CFM you need and what style range hood you have (wall mount, insert, island, or under cabinet). CFM stands for cubic feet per minute and refers to the amount of air a fan can move. Depending on your needs and where the range hood is located, you may require a higher or lower CFM. However, the higher the CFM, the more noise the hood will make and the more expensive it will be. Also, many blowers are designed specifically for use with certain ranges, so it is important to take note of this while shopping for a blower.
There are two types of ventilation systems to consider when buying a blower: recirculating and external. Recirculating blowers are usually internal and are mounted on the interior of the house. They use a filter system to clean the air before circulating it back into the house. External blowers vent contaminated air outside the house through a series of vertical and horizontal ducts.
External blowers are located outside of the range hood and come in two versions: in-line and exterior. In-line blowers are located within the house structure between the hood and the exterior vent cap. Exterior blowers can be mounted unobtrusively on the roof or outside wall of the house, depending on your appearance preference or to best suit the ducting requirements of the application. Exterior blowers generally have a safety screen to keep small animals and debris away from the blower and motor. Some of the advantages to locating your blower on the exterior of the home include cleaner air and reduced kitchen noise.
Many blowers come with a rough-in kit to make installation clean and simple, but some do not, and require the rough-in kit to be purchased separately. Furthermore, some blowers have built-in dampers, while others require the damper to be purchased separately. The damper allows you to adjust the volume of airflow to various parts of the ducting system. Finally, when purchasing a blower you should keep in mind amps, hertz, duct size, dimensions, and weight, as different range hoods have different requirements.
Duct Covers
Duct covers provide you with many stylish options to cover unsightly ducting systems. You can find duct covers to match the style, size, and finish of your range hood. Although there are many options to choose from, some duct covers are only compatible with certain styles of range hoods. For example, one duct cover might be compatible with a wall mount range hood, but not with an island range hood. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind which style range hood you have and which type of duct cover you need fit it.
You should also know the height of your ceiling, as most duct covers are specifically tailored to fit certain ceiling heights. However, if you find you have purchased a duct cover that does not properly fit the height of your ceiling, duct cover extensions which extend the height of the range hood are available.
Filters
The filter is an inexpensive but important part of your range hood. It traps grease, smoke, dust, and odor, prevents bacteria build-up, and protects the motor. Replacement filters are a necessary part of keeping your range hood at its full operating effectiveness. When purchasing a filter, you can choose a combination of style and power. Many filters specify which brand of range hood it fits, but it is possible to use filters with other brands if the dimensions are compatible. Filter replacements generally come in convenient multipacks to reduce the number of times you must purchase them.
There are two installations types when it comes to filters: baffle filters and regular filters. Baffle filters are made of heavy gauge stainless steel for optimum performance and a professional look, although they do tend to be more expensive. Regular filters can be aluminum, charcoal, or carbon. There are also many options to purchase filters with special features. For instance, some charcoal filters change color when replacement is necessary. Other filters come with a light lens, while some are dishwasher safe.
If you are the type of person who has enough to do and doesn’t want to worry about changing your filters, you might consider a self-cleaning range hood with filterless operation, or perhaps a range hood with an indicator light to let you know when it is time to replace your filter. Whatever your choice may be, the filter is one of the most important components in successful operation of your range hood.
Hood Liners
Hood liners provide a way to finish your custom hood and protect your cabinetry. Liners allow you to create a sealed, non-combustible perimeter around your hood, protecting its exterior base. As always, you must know what specifications you need when purchasing a hood liner. The liner and the outside cover must meet at the bottom edge of the metal liner in both width and depth. Conveniently, most hood liners allow depth adjustment of a few inches to provide application flexibility. Also, most hood liners feature a stainless steel finish, making them easy to wipe clean.
Now that we have discussed a few common range hood accessories, you can find even more accessories to improve the style and performance of your new or existing range hood at Build.com. Some of these other accessories include downdrafts, transitions, controls/switches, pot rails, rough-in kits, and trim kits.
