How Does a Range Hood Remove Cooking Odors?

Purpose of the Range Hood

Preparing meals on a stove produce a number of pollutants such as steam, moisture, smoke, grease, and other chemicals which can spread throughout the kitchen and other portions of the home. Range hoods filter and circulate air in the vicinity of the stove.

How a Range Hood Works

There are two fundamental designs of range hoods: ductless and ducted. Ductless hoods filter and recirculate air. Ducted models direct contaminated air outside the home.
All range hoods are designed to have their power supplied from the household electrical system. A vent hood is normally a metal construction that houses a fan and, possibly, lights. The fan pulls the air from above the stove and either sends fumes and odors outside the house through ventilation ducting, or routes air through a grease filter and a charcoal filter before returning it to the room.

Choosing a Range Hood

Range hoods are available in wall, under cabinet, and chimney styles. The appropriate choice depends on the location of the range. To ensure maximum odor removal, a ducted range hood is best, but this may not be an option, depending on the home's construction and ventilation access. When using a ductless range hood, special care must be taken to keep the filters clean.
The next factor to consider when acquiring a range hood is its capacity. A rough rule of thumb for gas stoves is that the range hood requires a rating of 100 cubic feet per minute for every 10,000 BTU's the stove generates.
The final piece to consider for range hood purchase, is the noise level. Like other appliances, range hoods are also rated for noise in sones, a unit of measure of sound. The lower the sone rating, the quieter the range hood is while operating.

Resources

• Range Hood Buying Guide from Lowes