Our Complete Guide to Kitchen Ventilation Systems: Different Types of Ventilation for Your Kitchen
Ventilation hoods play an essential role in the kitchen as they help with air circulation and contribute greatly to the overall aesthetics of the space.
Your kitchen is often the heart of your home so, whether you are moving into a new space or renovating your dream kitchen, it’s essential to pick a kitchen ventilation hood that is both stylish and functional. However, with all the different kitchen ventilation options available, choosing the right ventilation hood for your kitchen can be overwhelming.
At Caplan’s, we carry a wide range of ventilation hoods to meet all of your style and function needs. We are experts in all of the products we carry at our Canadian appliance store and are committed to helping you identify the best type of ventilation system for your kitchen.
With our guide, you can get to know the different types of ventilation range hoods and the kitchen ventilation options we carry. We can help you make an educated decision for your kitchen.
The 3 Types of Kitchen Ventilation
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of the ventilation hoods available, which is why it’s essential first to identify types of ventilation systems best suited to your needs and your kitchen.
All ventilation hoods fall into one of three main categories:
1. Downdraft
2. Updraft wall mount
3. Updraft island mount
All of these kitchen hood types serve a purpose and come with their set of advantages. Learn more about different range hood types to start narrowing down your search.
Downdraft Ventilation
Downdraft venting has been and continues to be a popular option for kitchen ventilation. This type of kitchen ventilation system is particularly ideal for kitchens that cannot spare upper cabinet space. It is also suitable for open concept kitchen and living room designs where an island is the cooking center.
A significant benefit of choosing downdraft ventilation hoods over other kitchen venting options is that they are functional and save space. They eliminate the need to have a bulky hood that interrupts the sightline from one area to another and allow for a more open, communal, and inviting space.
The definition of downdraft ventilation is quite simple. In a downdraft vent, the air is pulled through the vent. Then, it is replaced by air moving from the kitchen area and the rest of the house. This replaces the air that is being exhausted outside. In doing this, a jet stream of air will pass over the cooking vessel. Then, as any steam and grease splatters rise, they get forced back down by the jet stream of air. This is key for air circulation, indoor air quality, and a generally mess-free kitchen space.
That said, downdraft ventilation is not the best solution for airy environments, as the jet stream is not as precise. The downdraft ventilation units can be an integral part of the stove or cooktop, or you can add them to any cooktop or range top. For the most part, ranges are not compatible with optional downdraft systems and are better suited for units that are part of the range. Jenn Air is the master of this design!
With downdraft ventilation, you have choices of internal blowers, external blowers and in-line blowers. All are viable options, but you will want to avoid external blowers since winter service is often a challenge for these types of ventilation systems.
Updraft Ventilation
Standard overhead or updraft wall-mount ventilation will make the most sense for a lot of kitchens. Unlike with a downdraft vent hood, with an updraft ventilation system, you are not fighting the physics that dictate that steam and warm air rise.
Updraft hoods are designed to allow the steam and grease-laden air to rise into a filter system where it is extracted from the kitchen and sent to the outside. The capture area of the hood is just as important as the amount of cubic feet of air per minute (CFM’S) the hood is extracting. The best practice is to choose an oversize hood by one size. For example, a 30-inch range should have a 36-inch vent, a 36-inch range should have a 42-inch vent etc.
You’ll also want to consider the depth of the hood. Professional range products and range tops, for one, require a deeper (27-inch) back to front hood. This also increases the capture area of the hood. All hoods have some type of filter, some mesh aluminum, some stainless baffle style, some grease trap style containers.
Updraft Island Mount
An Updraft Island mount, or island ventilation, works on the exact principle as the wall-mounted updraft — it is just way more critical to oversize the hood in an island application. Cross drafts affect the island hoods, so the more capture area the unit has, the better it will perform. Island hoods are finished beautifully on all sides, whereas all hoods are not as finished on the non-exposed sides.
5 Mistakes to avoid when buying a Vent Hood
When choosing the right type and model of vent hood for your kitchen, it is important to know what you are looking for. That said, it is also important to know what to avoid. When buying your vent hood, you want to avoid some common mistakes:
1. Buying too low of CFM for the cooking style
Most regular cooking styles require a minimum of 300 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM). This amount of air extraction can handle most boiling and easy frying methods. Avoid buying a type of vent hood that has too low of a CFM for your needs.
2. Choosing too shallow of a hood
On the other hand, you also don’t want to choose a ventilation system that has too shallow of a hood for your kitchen. The distance the hood sticks out from the wall should cover as much of the cooking vessel as possible. This will give the hood a better capture area.
3. Buying the wrong duct size
When considering different types of vent hoods, you also want to ensure you pick one with the right duct size. A hood for minimum extraction in most kitchens should have at least a six-inch sized duct exhaust. The hood should also be flexible enough to connect the dust work on the top or the rear of the unit.
4. Investing in the wrong style filters
The right filter doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest filter. Inexpensive mesh filters do not stand up to long-term cleaning, and uncleaned mesh filters limit the extraction value of the hood and increase the noise level dramatically. When you opt for a cheaper option, you may think you’re saving money, but it will just cost you more money in the long term.
5. Buying range hoods with halogen lighting
Halogen lighting in hoods, while nice and bright, gets really hot and does not last long. A vent hood with LED lighting is the best option as the bulbs last much longer and are easier to replace as they do not get so hot that they cause damage to their receptacles like halogen. You can also choose hoods with variable speed motors and dimmable lighting options!
Kitchen Venting Options Available at Caplan’s
Chimney Style:
Of the many different types of ventilation systems, the most popular style is the upside-down letter T style, also known as chimney ventilation. Some are all stainless steel, some are glass, some have heat lamps, some have baffle filters, and some have mesh. These range hood types come in all sizes, including 30, 36 and 48-inch widths and up to 27 inches in depth for commercial-style cooking vessels.
Canopy Style:
Canopy style hoods are also quite popular but, unlike the chimney style types of vent hoods, the duct work is not covered and requires either cabinetry or a bulkhead covering to look finished. Many manufacturers have optional stainless-steel duct covers to add to the canopy hood in set widths and heights, depending on your hood’s size and the height of your ceiling.
Integrated or Built-in Hoods
Integrated or built-in hoods have gained popularity over the last few years. When you buy an integrated or built-in type of range hood, the hood is sold as a unit with lights, switches and filters. The unit is then built into the millwork and hidden to blend into the cabinetry in the kitchen. The blower choices for all of the above hoods will be:
- Internal: In the actual unit
- External: Outside your house and not recommended for Eastern Canadian climates, or
- In line: Anywhere in the duct run that is accessible for service and not outside
Professional Ventilation Hoods
The best choices for professional gas and dual fuel ranges are range hood types that have the following:
- A Baffle style grease filter
- A top end power of 600 cfm for up to a 36-inch range (without a grill or griddle) and just 4 or six burners, and
- 1200 CFM for those ranges that are 48-inch or 36-inch with grills and griddles.
The duct size should be a minimum of 6-inches, and 8-10 is even better. The brands that specialize in matching their hoods to their cooking products should be listened to. Wolf, Miele, and Jenn Air all take the extra time and care to make sure the hood selection will meet the cooking vessel’s precise needs.
Choose Caplan’s For Your Kitchen Ventilation Needs
At Caplan’s, we are committed to helping you establish a healthy home. We are your premium destination for all of your kitchen ventilation needs and offer different range hood types to suit varying needs.
We carry various types of ventilation for your home, and our experienced staff can walk you through your kitchen venting options and help you identify what will make the most sense for you and your space.
We are happy to play a part in your kitchen moving or renovation plans and invite you to our showroom to demonstrate our cooking and kitchen appliances. Get in touch with any of your questions, and we’ll help you find the best ventilation system for your kitchen today.
