
Did you recently have a kitchen hood installed, only to discover that every time you turn it on it sounds like a Mack truck is driving through your kitchen? This usually means that you have a kitchen hood that is too powerful for your kitchen.
The best way to measure power in kitchen hoods is by using cubic feet per minute (CFM). A range hood’s CFM tells you the amount of power the kitchen hood puts out. More simply, it tells you how much air the fan inside the range hood can push. Commercial kitchens and residential kitchens that cook more often tend to have range hoods with a higher CFM than most residential kitchens do.
You want a high-powered range hood if you cook a lot, or if you tend to cook spicier dishes that produce a lot of heat, smoke, grease, and smell. The higher the CFM, the faster you can clear out your kitchen. Though, too much CFM may be overkill for the average residential kitchen. Conversely, what sounds like it may be too loud may actually be perfect for your kitchen.
If you simply don’t know what to make of your range hood’s CFM, our technicians at Ambient Edge can take a look to see what kind of range hood you have and whether it’s right for your kitchen. We can also help you find a better fit if we determine that your range hood ultimately does not. Give us a call today for a free consultation.
Sones
When shopping for a range hood, you might have noticed they all indicate what “sone level” they have. This tells you, essentially, how loud the range hood gets while running its fan. The more power the range hood has, the higher its sone level. This also means a noisier range hood. Though, what is “noisy” to one person may not be so loud to another. What matters is that you buy the right sone level for your individual cooking needs for proper ventilation.
Something important to keep in mind, though, is that you don’t always need to run your range hood at its max when a lesser setting will do. So, if you buy a range hood that can reach a pretty high sone level, you may not need to keep it at that level all the time. If you do, it’s more important to have proper ventilation and fire prevention than it is to hear a little noise from time to time.
Some folks feel so bothered by the noise that they will purchase a range hood with a lower sone level just to have a quieter hood. But you’ll know right away if this was a poor decision because after making a spicy or fishy dish, it’ll take forever for your range hood to clear the smoke and smell if it isn’t a good match for your particular cooking style.
How to Tell What’s a Good Sone for Your Kitchen
If you believe your range hood is too loud, the first thing you should do is consult the owner’s manual to find out how many sones it has. If you discover that it has a 7- or 8-sone rating, but you only cook the equivalent of an average household’s meals, then that’s probably too powerful for your kitchen.
You may be okay with a 1- or 2-sone rating, the noise level of which is about equal to the sound your refrigerator makes while it’s running. This is a very weak fan, so you should only get a sone level this low if you barely cook, or if the dishes you do cook require very little fanning and grease removal.
Sone level depends on what you cook, how often you cook, and how hot you cook your dishes at. If you tend to see a lot of smoke and grease coming off of your range at mealtime, then you know you need, at the very least, a 5 or 6-sone level range hood.
Figuring Out CFM
Before the sone level comes CFM. Calculating your range’s CFM will tell you the kind of power you should be looking for in a range hood. Your CFM is equal to the BTUs your entire range puts out. To figure this out, you first need to determine the BTU for each individual range (check your owner’s manual), then add up all the ranges, and that’s the total BTU for your stovetop.
Once you have that number, you can figure out how much CFM you need in a range hood. So, say you’ve figured out your range produces 60,000 BTUs. Now you know you need to look for a range hood with a CFM of at least 600. The general rule of thumb is, the hotter your range can get, the more CFM you’ll need to cool it off.
If this seems like too much to figure out on your own, don’t worry – our skilled team at Ambient Edge can help.
Range Hood Too Loud? Talk to Our Experts at Ambient Edge
Your range hood may seem too loud, but if it’s the right CFM for your range, then that’s, unfortunately, a fact of life. But it may be the case that you simply have a range hood that’s just too powerful for your kitchen.
Our technicians at Ambient Edge can take a look at your range and range hood to see if they’re compatible with each other. If not, we can help you find and install a better match. We offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee on all parts and labor, so there’s no need to stress over your range hood when you can give us a call to check it out for you.
You can reach us. We can help improve both your kitchen and quality of life, so don’t hesitate – call today!