Many people seriously underestimate the role of ventilation in the kitchen, considering it not paramount for purchase and installation. They are deeply mistaken, since a good hood can significantly extend the life of the furniture facade, appliances and walls. For small apartments, where every square meter is expensive, a built-in hood was created. In this article, we will talk about the features, positive and negative sides of this compact device, show a photo and options for how to integrate it into a hanging cabinet.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
Attention! Earned on our website kitchen designer. You can familiarize yourself with it and design your dream kitchen for free! May also come in handy wardrobes designer.
- Appearance. Some models, which we will talk about in detail below, have a mechanical retractable design. Being in the retracted position, the hood is completely invisible to prying eyes, therefore it does not spoil the overall interior of the room.
- Saving space. Like any built-in kitchen appliances, this one is small and takes up a minimum of free space. The ideal solution for a small Khrushchev in Moscow has been found.
- Power consumption and volume. Due to its small dimensions, the built-in hood does not consume a lot of electricity. For the same reason, it is less noisy than conventional models.
Flaws:
- Power. Again, this disadvantage stems from the compact size of the device. The smaller it is, the less efficient the hood will be.
- Range. On the home appliance market, there is not a very large selection of built-in kitchen ventilation. Much more, for example, offered various variations of the dome shape.
- Price. Choosing any built-in household appliances, you should understand that all of them will be much more expensive than conventional, independently located models. Hoods in this case are no exception. Such a high price makes it difficult to assemble and install.
Main parameters
Now on the home appliance market there are many models from various manufacturers. So that you do not get confused in this variety of shapes and colors, we have prepared a list of certain parameters. It is he who should be guided by when choosing a built-in hood.
Covered area
This indicator is most often indicated by the manufacturer in the description of the product, so you do not have to measure and calculate something yourself. It indicates the volume of air that the cooker hood is able to clean in a certain period of time. The measurement figures directly depend on the power of the device.
It is preferable to choose the hood that can make the air in the room fresh and clean in no more than 5-10 minutes. If we talk about square meters, then make a choice in favor of a model, the covered area of which is about 15-20% more than the area of your kitchen.
Exhaust width
The width of the built-in hood is one of the most important characteristics. First, any ventilation system (not just an integrated one) must be wider than the hob underneath. Otherwise, smoke, steam, unpleasant odors, grease particles and water droplets will settle on the walls of the furniture facade or on the ceiling, absorbing and forming an unpleasant dirty coating.
Secondly, a fully built-in hood must be carefully dimensioned. If even one side differs from the declared indicators by at least half a centimeter, it will no longer be possible to place ventilation in the cabinet. Therefore, you should carefully, several times double-check all the numbers, carefully monitoring the work of the designer and builders.
Power regulation
This feature will be useful in any kitchen, as everyone prepares different dishes. During intensive culinary work, when oil splashes and squirts in all directions, food is abundant exudes strong odors, boiling water boiling is heard, you will need the most powerful cleaning mode air. Conversely, you will not need to turn on at full power, for example, to boil eggs or reheat an already prepared dish.
The power control, which controls the pulling force, is the most useful function, which additionally helps to save energy and reduce the level of uniform mechanical noise.
Backlight
Once this option was a novelty to people, only the most expensive models were equipped with additional light sources. Now you won't surprise anyone with this luxury - each hood has a built-in illumination. From manufacturer to manufacturer, only the number and location of bulbs, as well as the brightness of the lighting, change.
You can check the brightness level in a hardware store, turning the backlight on and off, comparing different models with each other. Courteous counselors should help you make your choice.
When choosing a model according to this criterion, remember how well the work area is lit in your kitchen. It is not necessary to buy a hood with illumination, which in terms of power and strength of work is comparable to a searchlight.
Noise level
Buyers do not always pay attention to this point when choosing, but in the end, it often turns out to be decisive. No one wants to feel constant pressure on their own eardrums, and too loud noise from technology can sometimes be very annoying.
The noise level of the hood directly depends on the power indicator. That is, the more powerful the ventilation, the louder sounds will accompany its operation. Choose models with noise levels below 55 decibels.
Air purification type
It is divided into two types:
- Air outlet. This traditional method involves sucking in air and sending it into the ventilation system through a special outlet provided in the kitchen. This type of cleaning is classic and budgetary.
- Air recirculation. In this case, the air passes through a complex filtration system, and then is released into the room again, but already purified. This type of cleaning is more expensive than the above, both at the stage of purchase and during operation. The point is the filters, which need to be replaced from time to time.
Other possibilities
There are also various secondary options that are a nice addition to the main functionality of the device:
- a removable front strip allows you to hide the hood in the closet from prying eyes, to make it built-in;
- different cleaning filters that can be matched to a recirculation hood;
- automation - in expensive models, whole systems are provided that can make life easier for a person in small things (automatic detection of the mode, turning on the light when you approach, starting work after the appearance of signs boiling liquid).
Installation features
Installation of a built-in hood has some important features, the observance of which will ensure a long service life of the mechanism.
First of all, you need to correctly calculate the height above the hob on which the cabinet will be located. The optimal height is just above the main level of the hanging headset. Then the most important thing begins. The main difference between the built-in hood is that the device is not attached to the wall, as usual, but to the inside of the cabinet. A special hidden cavity inside securely fixes the device, preventing it from falling. Thus, both hoods with an air extraction system and recirculation hoods are connected.
Do not forget to hide the air outlet with a special cover so that the ventilation pipes are not visible. That's it, the job is complete, enjoy your use!
