The power of suction in a range hood is usually measured in meter cubes per hour. Suction power means the amount of air sucked out of the kitchen by the range hood. So the amount of suction power required doesn’t really depend upon the size of the kitchen.
To check the suction power, open the front panel of the hood, and clean the carbon filters under the sink using soap water; do not put the filters into the dishwasher. Fix the filters, place a smoke candle under the hood, and switch it on. As the smoke is colored, you can easily observe the hood’s suction.
How To Test Range Hood Fan Motor?
The kitchen needs clean air ventilation as heat will always build up. In addition, the surroundings of the cooking area are affected by smoke, heat, and the brumes of grease in the air. To remove all these from your kitchen, you must have a range hood with a proper fan.
Range hoods have different suction power and various ranged fan motors. Some factors determine the functionality of these; let’s check them now:
- The size of the duct
- Number of angles used while installing
- Cooking style
- Design of the duct
The Size of The Duct
Duct sizes in a range hood usually vary depending on the model and manufacture of the hood. Most of them are between five to 10 feet only; some may have little more than that. In addition, the suction power will be different because a small amount of force is enough to pull out smoke from a five feet duct, whereas a fan needs twice its power to pull out smoke or brumes from a ten-foot-long duct.
Number of Angles Used While Installing
Many people use many angles and curves to fix a duct while installing, usually because of less space in the kitchen. Therefore, having a proper kitchen layout is important. The more the angles and bends, the faster the fan motor needs to run because there are so many obstacles in the way.
Cooking Style
Studies have revealed that people who cook meat often need more suction power than people who cook vegetarian food. This is because of the time taken to cook and the aroma released; as the time taken to cook increases, more heat is released into the surroundings.
Design of The Duct
The design of the duct and hood is also an important factor that affects the suction power of the fans and filters. Usually, a normal wall-mounted range hood requires a 700 cm3/hr range of suction. In contrast, the high-end models require 800 to 1200 cm3/hr.
Conclusion
As observed, the more the suction power, the better the cleaning and purifying of air by the range hood. But the only drawback is the motor produces slightly more noise while running at high speeds.
Usually, many people install a 10 feet duct, so the range of the suction should be around 700 to 900 cm3/hr. This range can ensure proper cleaning and venting of smoke and mists from the kitchen, reducing the kitchen’s temperature.
