To build a house or make major repairs in an apartment, without equipping a kitchen with a suitable range hood, is money wasted. Soot from fire, fatty fumes and the smells of cooked food very quickly impregnate furniture and walls not only in the kitchen, but in all rooms. In addition, clean air is the key to health and good appetite!
The role of the cooker hood
Modern design solutions in the design of the kitchen consider the hood as part of the decor. Naturally, the integrity of the ensemble of furniture and equipment is pleasing to the eye, but nevertheless, its functionality should become the main parameter in choosing this equipment.
The exhaust kitchen fan should work properly:
- purify air from harmful combustion products;
- prevent grease and soot from entering the furniture;
- remove odors as much as possible;
- Do not make a lot of noise at work.
The performance of all functions is fully possible if the hood performance is selected correctly. Companies specializing in the production and sale of this type of household appliances offer numerous options for hoods for kitchens, their capacity is indicated in the passport. How do you know which one is right for you? This will help the calculator and a simple but accurate calculation.
Performance and power
These two concepts, although closely related, are not the same thing.
The performance of a cooker hood is the amount of air that it can pump through itself in one hour. Measured in cubic meters per hour (m3/hour).
Power determines the amount of energy that will be spent on the operation of the fan, lighting and other exhaust functions. This indicator most likely affects the calculation of profitability. When deciding the question "how to calculate the hood power", you should pay attention to both maximum loads and intermediate loads when working in various modes. The most correct power calculation is average.
The standard formula for calculating productivity is as follows: the area of the kitchen, multiplied by the height of the ceiling and multiplied by 12 (coefficient of air renewal, adopted by sanitary standards), or (SxH) x12.
What affects performance?
A simple basic formula does not give a complete idea of what kind of hood will be needed in your case. In addition to basic indicators, it is necessary to carry out a calculation correction, taking into account:
- Working principle.
- Location features.
- Hood design.
How these parameters correct the formula for calculating productivity, we will consider in more detail.
Principle of operation and performance
With all the variety of designs, the principle of operation of hoods comes down to two options: for air exhaust and for recirculation.
Air vent operation
In this case, the fan absorbs polluted air along with soot particles and discharges them out through the ventilation ducts. Since the air must constantly be updated, for full cleaning requires access of fresh air to the room.
Recirculation work
This method cleans the air in the kitchen, if there is no possibility of removal. Kitchen fumes pass through metal and charcoal filters and return to the room.
How do these metrics affect the calculation calculator? Typically, recirculation hoods have lower performance, higher noise levels and require more power.For fans with exhaust, the capacity is adjusted in direct proportion to the length of the exhaust.
Location and performance
The increase in efficiency is associated with the location of the kitchen air purifier and the area of the cleaned room. The fact is that the standard calculation involves an enclosed space of the kitchen. If the kitchen is connected to the living room or between the rooms the doorway is decorated with an arch without a door, you need to consider the total area of both rooms.
Effective operation of the hood is ensured if it is placed directly above the hob and slightly exceeds its width.
The adopted SNiP coefficient of air exchange 10-12 is also a relative value. Using the hood economically allows an increase in the coefficient of up to 15 for electric stoves and up to 20 for gas hobs.
Calculators proposed on many sites for calculating the power and performance of hoods mainly offer standard forms. The calculator in which you want to specify more parameters will be more accurate.
In any case, it’s more advisable to buy a hood that has a performance slightly higher than the maximum required for you. This will ensure its operation is not in full mode, which in turn will reduce power consumption and, accordingly, extend the life of the device. And the noise level is significantly reduced, which is important, especially with long cooking.
Which design is better?
There is no single answer to this question. Again, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the kitchen arrangement.
Dome hoods
A large hood in the form of a dome over the stove is considered to be the most effective at this time. Such ventilation is appropriate in large kitchens, preferably with island placement of the hob.
Flat hoods
A traditional design of this type is very common in places where there are problems with the installation of an air exhaust system. Basically, flat forms of ventilating devices are equipped with a filter system and work for recycling and cleaning.
Integrated hoods
Dome shape resembles its shape, but smaller in size. The main part of the structure is hidden in a cabinet, only the control panel and the main panel remain in sight. The most ergonomic option, usually the most low-power. But there are exceptions.
A small kitchen area does not mean a hood with low productivity. In small enclosed spaces with large volumes of work of the stove, the air is polluted much faster.
To summarize: calculating the required hood performance is not a complicated matter. Using a calculator is easy to handle. The only rule is an individual approach to this event, taking into account all the nuances.
