Hoods are an integral and, of course, the most useful part of the kitchen equipment. Faced with the need to choose a design, consider not only how the product fits into the interior, but also the rating of the manufacturer, its reliability. Technical specifications are also important: type, dimensions, exhaust power.
Performance is one of the most important parameters, and for the device to function correctly, it must be powerful and cope with its goals. This article describes how to calculate the power of a cooker hood.
Species diversity
Structurally, the hood consists of a housing and an engine hiding inside it with coolers and filters. Dozens of firms offer hundreds of models that differ in:
- parameters;
- size
- form;
- design
- materials used during production.
But the main thing that you should pay attention to when buying a hood in the kitchen, especially if it is a combined room, is working capacity and productivity. It depends on how quickly the room will be ventilated, getting rid of unpleasant odors, fat, burning and the like. To choose the appropriate option, it is worthwhile to correctly calculate the power of the unit, and for this you will need to carry out several simple mathematical operations using the formula. It is not difficult to calculate the hood power.
The harmonious appearance of the room depends on how concise the design fits into the interior, so this point is also important.
Corner hoods
They fit well with the style of the angular headset, in appearance they are performed in the style of:
- high tech;
- classic;
- retro and others.
Island hoods
This option of equipping the kitchen is suitable for large and spacious rooms, for example, if you have your own home. The hood is located in the center of the room, connecting to the ceiling, directly above the island with a stove or hob. Such products differ significantly in cost from classic models.
Decorative hoods
The range of products on the market, differing in price, design, functionality and performance, allows you to choose a product from a particular manufacturer. Choosing a model and brand is not so difficult with the help of a consultant. Therefore, this option of hoods is more common than others.
Built-in hoods
This is a kind of convenience model. It is assumed that the body of the product is hidden in a wall cabinet, but this requires an accurate calculation of its dimensions. You need to know not only how to calculate the power of the hood, but also this parameter, which will have to be calculated for the correct choice of product.
Built-in hood is ideal for rooms made in the style of:
- high tech;
- Art Nouveau;
- other modern directions in interior design.
Some of these models are equipped with retractable bottom panels, which allows you to increase the working surface, and hence the ability to minimize the accumulation of unpleasant odors. The cost of such devices depends not only on the brand, but also on the functionality of the hood itself.
Flat hoods
This is an option that is affordable price. The most practical for rooms with a small area, where every square centimeter is worth its weight in gold. This type of design differs from alternative options in the amount of power consumption, significantly inferior to the others in this parameter. Therefore, before buying it is important to figure out how to calculate the power of the hood.
Functional types for the kitchen
Out of the abundance of goods, two types of hoods are distinguished, presented on the shelves of specialized stores: flowing and circulating. Below are more detailed schemes of the functioning of these products.
Flow hoods
This type operates by the type of removal of hot contaminated air masses into the ventilation through the air duct using the involved electric motor with blades. The passage of air includes a filtration step through a metal filter that collects particles of fat, soot, soot and other contaminants on its walls. Such a cleaner needs to be periodically cleaned or replaced, otherwise the operation of the hood will decrease, and its functioning will become ineffective.
In addition to this filter, the design of the hood does not provide for the presence of spare air-purifying membranes, since these masses do not fall back into the room, but are brought out into the street. The quality of work of this type of hood depends on the rule that determines how to calculate the hood power, as well as on the general condition of the air ducts in the house. It is worth noting that performance, regardless of power, is partially lost if the ventilation is clogged.
Circulation hoods
This type of structure is not necessarily suitable for a centralized ventilation system. Devices do just fine without it. Once inside the system by ventilation, the contaminated air goes through several degrees of cleaning, first encountering a special filter for initial cleaning. After this, the dirt settles on a special grill. Further flows pass through a carbon membrane filter, which is responsible for removing extraneous odors arising during cooking. At the final stage, air passes through a double filter, being completely cleaned and entering the room.
These types of hoods are most often installed in apartment buildings, where the ventilation system has not been cleaned for a long time and could not be repaired. They surpass flowing ones in their power. Below in the article is a diagram describing how to calculate the required hood power for its efficient operation in the kitchen.
Dimensions and other parameters
Before you buy a hood, you should decide on its size. Efficiency in operation is shown by those models whose area corresponds to or exceeds the surface of the hob. Such products fully cope with the goals and objectives set for them, namely, by cleaning the polluted air coming from the stove, and putting it into the ventilation.
Before calculating the power of the hood for the kitchen, you should familiarize yourself with the standard dimensions of the ventilation modules. Traditionally, the width of the hood is fifty to sixty centimeters, which is equal to the dimensions of the hob or stove. Sometimes on the market there are non-standard models with a width of 80-120 cm, but these are already semi-professional, which are rarely installed in the home kitchen.
It is worth considering that the comfortable use of the hood lies in the height of its placement, which should be at least 65-70 centimeters from the hob.
Do not neglect this rule, because the hood, hung below, will interfere with comfortable cooking, and above it will not be able to fully cope with the set volume of tasks and clean the air as much as possible.
Power indicators and their calculation
Power is a fundamental factor affecting hood performance. The higher it is, the better the coefficient of air purification in the room. The power value is measured in m 3 / hour, and its minimum value without deviations from the norm is in the range of 200-300 cubic meters per 1 hour.
How to calculate the hood power for a kitchen using a formula or algorithm:
- Measure the dimensions of the room, translate units and calculate the volume of the room in m 3 .
- Multiply the volume by the rate of air exchange. Air exchange is a value that shows how many times the air in the room is updated (through circulation) per unit of time, that is, 1 hour. By standard, this number is 10-12 times.
Then it’s not difficult to understand how to calculate the fan power for the hood. But first, decide on the mode of operation of the device, noting for yourself the advantages and disadvantages of both flow and circulation models:
- The first ones are more effective, but provided that the duct is brought out. In this case, experts recommend purchasing a device with a capacity of 600-1200 cubic meters per hour, even if this figure slightly exceeds the air circulation volumes calculated by you.
- When choosing the second circulation hoods, you will need to purchase a device with a capacity several times greater than the expected volume of air circulation, and all because of the closed circle of air circulation inside the room. It is recommended to choose a model that is 30-40% more powerful than a flow hood and it is imperative to replace the filter at least every 6 months of operation.
A range hood is the most important part of a kitchen room, and knowing how to calculate its power for a room with one or another area, you will save yourself from undesirable problems that arise during the operation of improperly selected kitchen equipment.