How to install a kitchen hood

Aromas in the kitchen are always present when cooking. Moreover, the steam that comes from the pans and pots, flying fat droplets, carbon monoxide gas produced by the gas stove, and smells spread throughout the apartment or house, which brings discomfort to the inhabitants and adds to the work of the housewives in cleaning the kitchen. Installing a kitchen hood will help solve this problem and get rid of inconveniences.

In order to install the hood, you need to answer a few questions in advance.

Which model of kitchen hood to choose?

In our time, the market is full of various models of hoods, and in order to choose the most suitable, you need to take into account several parameters. Most often, the owners of houses and apartments acquire them together with a gas stove so that they look harmonious and fit each other in size.

According to the type of action, they are divided into two types:

1. Recirculation
2. Evacuating

Circulating hoods suck air over the gas stove, lead it through special filters and release it into the room. It should be noted that the recirculation hood is much more expensive, and, after prolonged use, it can not completely absorb all odors, and also, it does not absorb the excess heat that is formed by the gas stove. This is due to the fact that filters that absorb odors become clogged and come to a standstill.

Evacuating, after absorbing air, immediately release it through the duct to the outside. If you have a desire to convert an evacuating hood into a circulating hood, by simple manipulations, you can attach a carbon filter instead of the duct, which are also used in gas masks.

At the place of installation of the hood, they are divided into integrated, island ceiling, table, fireplace. The table hood has a horizontal oblong socket, but in most cases it is used in professional kitchens, along with technological kitchen units. Installation of a chimney hood can be found in elite kitchens and, in most cases, it is designed individually. At the same time, it is a separate device that is not connected with other items of kitchen furniture and it will be problematic to calculate the cost at the initial stages.

Ceiling island hood implies the presence of a false ceiling and is installed on a small area above the stove, which will accommodate several air intakes. The cost of a similar design of the hood is quite large, at the same time, it is almost impossible to mount it with your own hands.

For an average family, the ideal option would be to install a hood - a cap in the kitchen cabinet. This method is attractive because you can install the hood in this type of kitchen on your own, at the same time you will need minimal cost to buy the necessary parts and appliances, and you will not need a lot of professional tools.

How to take care of security?

Despite the paradox, the kitchen belongs to a place of heightened danger. Therefore, before you install the hood, you need to clearly understand where the dangers can come from if you skip one of the steps or do not give it proper importance. In particular, the hood is connected to electricity, and given the fact that moisture and grease settles on it( they can provoke electricity breakdowns from the motor installed in the fan), you can get injured or burned with a current when you touch the metal case of the hood. Modern kitchen hood is connected to the mains using 3 wires( grounding, neutral wire, phase).To eliminate the possibility of injury, you need to carefully take care of grounding.

At the moment, in new homes, ground loops and euro sockets are installed and this ensures reliable safety from injury by electricity. However, in most houses, such circuits are not installed, therefore, in order to avoid breakdowns, it is required to carry out work on grounding. You do not need to dig trenches and carry out other capital works. Moreover, there is no need to ground the hood to the heating, water or gas pipes, because this option can provoke even greater evils. You must choose a neutral( with nothing connected) grounding method.

To do this, it is enough to have access to the electrical panel( be careful, because there is a current with a voltage of 220V).Opening it, you can see with the naked eye that the wires go out from the walled-up pipe. In the overwhelming majority of cases, a pipe is placed on it with threaded threads or a threaded bolt, to which other wiring is most likely already connected, which provide grounding for other devices. Stretching from the kitchen hood flexible wire with several conductors, it must be connected to the bolt. After connecting the ground wires from the hood to the bolt, you can be absolutely sure that the current does not break through the metal circuit of the product being installed. If the threaded tube does not have enough space to connect, in any case you do not need to disconnect one of them, it is very dangerous for you and other family members. In this case, use the terminal and fix the ground wire. If threaded serifs are not applied to the tube, it is advisable to use a clamp for a secure fit.

Which duct to buy and where to connect it?

A corrugated aluminum tube is the ideal duct. When buying, you need to choose a pipe diameter that is approximately equal to the diameter of the upper cap on the hood.

The most obvious solution for connecting the duct is to lead to the ventilation pipe or directly outside the dwelling, making an opening in the wall. However, these methods are not the most optimal. In the first case, when a stove emits a large volume of combustible gas with all operating burners, as well as steam from the prepared food, the air duct may corny and some will disperse around the dwelling or get to the neighbors.

With a big wind on the street, with such a connection, the hood can be completely useless, while all the secretions can be returned not only to your kitchen, but also to the neighbors' rooms through an exhaust hood, which obviously will not please them. In the second case, there are questions of a constructive nature: to pierce the wall is not an easy task, moreover, permission of the relevant authorities is needed for this, because the wall is a carrier. At the same time, a large amount of condensate will settle in the duct, which can certainly lead to breakdown. The best option is to perform an additional segment of the air box with the installation of the valve - flapper.

Installing a check valve - flapper

To install a valve - flapper, you need to take into account several mandatory, crucial explanations:

1. Most often, the hood, which is planned to be used under the duct, has an aspect ratio of 3: 4.The diameter of the duct is purchased with a value that should be approximately equal to the larger side. In this case, the hood will be completely closed, and the installation will not cause any trouble.
2. The flap for crackers must be made of lightweight material. A sheet of PTFE with a thickness of 0.5 mm or tin can best fit. The easier this valve is, the more efficient the flapper will be.
3. A thin and weak spring should be attached to the damper. This will ensure its unhindered opening and a smooth return to its original state. Therefore, rigid springs are not highly recommended. Recommended dimensions of the spring material and its dimensions: wire - 0.2 mm;diameter - up to 5 mm;length - up to 1.5 cm.

Filters or odor neutralizers in the kitchen hood

In the modern market there are 3 types of neutralizers, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Chemical neutralizers do a good job. However, if we take into account that fat, which also covers active elements, is deposited in the hood, it will not serve as much as it is written in the warranty period of operation and it is almost impossible to calculate it. Therefore, they will have to change very often.

Electroionization neutralizers have the same principle of operation as standard air ionizers. But in terms of power, it exceeds the room sample, because the concentration of steam is several times greater than in residential areas. This creates a rather voluminous magnetic field, which is higher than the permissible norms.

Ultraviolet neutralizers solve the problem of both cleaning and lighting the built-in stove. They do a good job with the task and are completely harmless. But the lamps require periodic cleaning of fat, and they need to be replaced at intervals of once every 2 years, which will be significant to afford, because they are not cheap.

A few tips on installing the

hood In order to install the hood, you need the tools that are available for almost every owner. The exception is a jigsaw that you can buy or rent.

Installation of kitchen hood, begins with the manufacture of boxes for crackers. The most suitable material for the manufacture will be tin, galvanized or thin aluminum plate. Then, it is necessary to circle around the contour of the crackers with a pencil for subsequent installation and fixing with foam.(See also: DIY Kitchen Hood Repair)

To free the cabinet above the stove. Calculate the exhaust area as accurately as possible and use the jigsaw to cut the same size in the bottom of the cabinet. It is best to attach the hood and outline the contour on the bottom shelf with a pencil. No need to be upset if the cutout turns out to be not quite neat and accurate, all the flaws will be hidden and the cabinet will not lose its appearance. Then, freeing the cabinet from the shelves, you need to cut holes for the duct. At the top of the cabinet, you need to make a hole for a clapper, where the width and height should be 3-5 mm larger.

Then you need to attach the hood to the bottom of the cabinet with self-tapping screws. Next, fasten the corrugation to the hood. It is not necessary to hermetically tighten it( later it will facilitate the cleaning of the structure), it will be enough to wrap it with thin and flexible wire. To connect the hood to the mains, you need to take care of laying the cable in advance. If the connection is through an outlet, the wire can be skillfully hidden behind furniture fixtures. In case a direct connection is planned, it is necessary to place the box in which you need to attach the wires and connect them to the mains.

Tip:

If you do not know how to install a kitchen hood, it is best to use the advice of a specialist, as well as study the tips above.

Each specialist performs the operations of fixing the hood individually, to your liking. However, it is worth considering that all operations must be carried out carefully, calculate all the smallest details and try to allow the smallest error.

Maintenance of the hood

The exhaust hood must be cleaned with soot. This step is necessary for several reasons:

• The efficiency will be reduced, because the duct, fan, etc.will be clogged with soot. This will lead to the fact that part of the fumes will fall into the living quarters, which will bring discomfort.
• Due to the soot that will settle on the walls of the duct and the working parts of the hood, the probability of ignition of the hood increases. This fact is particularly relevant, because in this case, housing can burn completely.

The recommended interval between each maintenance is about six months. This will require almost complete analysis of the structure. Each individual part of the structure must be thoroughly cleaned with soot, lubricated the fan, and the electrical connection checked.