LEARN ABOUT VENTILATION & VENTILATION PRODUCTS:
YOUR GUIDE TO MAKING AN INFORMED PURCHASE
Ventilation is an important part of maintaining or improving a kitchen's air quality. Ventilation products are engineered to remove and/or filter cooking by-products like smoke and steam, impeding them from impacting other rooms while also helping the home to smell fresh.
By using the appropriate ventilation product, you can also prevent cooking by-products from damaging cabinets, countertops or fabrics.
If you're new to ventilation, here is what you need to know.
NON-VENTED VS. VENTED
Vented Exhaust
The majority of ventilation products have an option for exterior venting as this is the most common system for homes. Vented exhaust systems are engineered to expel cooking by-products outside of the home.
Non-Vented
Some ventilation products offer a non-vented option. Kitchens that aren't equipped for exhaust or where home circulation system is already present should consider Non-Vented Recirculation*. Recirculating kits can trap smoke, steam and odours that are produced by cooking. These by-products are filtered before being sent back into the home.
*where permissible by code. Canadian building codes include requirements for air quality such as ASHRAE 62 “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality". Consult local building code requirements prior to installation of ventilation equipment to determine applicable permits venting conditions and air exchange requirements. KitchenAid products are certified to HVI 915 and 916 in accordance with 9.32.3.10 of Canada's NBC'15 .
KitchenAid offers both vented and non-vented exhaust options.
DETERMINING VENTILATION POWER REQUIRED (CFM)*
Cubic feet per minute (CFM) measures the velocity of air flow in and out of a space to determine vent power. The CFM ratings offered by some manufacturers often have the certified ratings to HVI 916* Airflow Test Procedure or AHAM HRH-2-2019** Standards.
*Home Ventilation Institute (HVI)
**Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Home Ventilation Institute (HVI)
When a ventilation product is HVI certified, it means that the air flow (CFM rate) and noise level (sones) have been tested to perform as promised under the rated conditions. If your vent has been HVI certified, you can visit the HVI website (www.hvi.org) to understand how it will perform based on your desired type of installation (duct configuration and some speed settings).
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Some ventilation products have received AHAM verification. This is important because it means that an unbiased verification of the product has been done with respect to the manufacturer’s air flow (CFM) and noise level (sones) under differing installation situations. If you're looking to see if a vent you're interested in purchasing has undergone AHAM Verified, please go to the AHAM website (www.aham.org). If verification has been performed on that particular vent product, you will be able to see the results.
Choosing the Right CFM
It is important to choose a properly sized ventilation unit with the right CFM level as not doing so could have consequences. A too-low CFM rating may not completely clear the air in your kitchen. On the other hand, choosing a ventilation system where the CFM rating is too high can create negative pressure in the space, which means that air will need to be replenished in some other way. Additionally if the CFM is too high, air can be removed from places where you may not want it to be removed from.
When you are determining the minimum CFM requirements you need to consider a number of factors including favourite cooking techniques. If you like to sear, blacken and fry or generally use 4 or more burners you may require a higher CFM rating to refresh the air. However, the higher the CFM the louder the hood will be. If you love to simmer and sauté or typically use 2 burners, you may require a lower CFM rating.
Gas Cooking Surface
If a certain manufacturer doesn't offer a BTU threshold, you can simply figure out the CFM needed on your own. If you usually use every burners while cooking or you often cook at high heat, just divide total BTUs by 100 to determine the CFM rating required.
Induction & Radiant Cooking Surfaces
These cooking surfaces emit significantly less heat than gas. As a result, they should have 200 - 400 CFM depending on the number of burners and power. Radiant and Induction cooking surfaces should be paired with ventilation of the same width. .
Unsure about what vent is right for you? Use this pairing guide to find the right match.
*ADDITIONAL NOTE: Review building codes to learn about the required makeup air provisions as they pertain to ventilation products. Specific CFM requirements are location based and determined based on installation method. City Bylaws are the best source for information. Furthermore, your HVAC professional should be able to provide the correct requirements for your area.
SOUND LEVEL (SONES)
Consider ventilation system sound level ratings when vent shopping. Appliances that operate quietly are recommended for homes with an open floor plan.
A sone is one unit of noise as perceived by an individual with regular hearing, and is used to measure loudness. A lower sones rating indicates that a ventilation product is quieter. Please note that sound requirements are part of Canada’s National Building Code.
KitchenAid products are tested, certified and labelled in accordance with HVI 915 Loudness Testing and Rating Procedure
Product CFM and sounds levels are verified in accordance with HVI 920 - 2015 through the AHAM Kitchen Range Hood Certification Program.
Some KitchenAid models offer noise reduction technology to provide additional sound insulation so that you can have conversations and cook at the same time.
SIZE AND CAPTURE AREA
It's good to understand the importance of a capture area. The capture area is the outermost perimeter of the hood bottom that is responsible for the suction of cooking by-products. The width of the capture area should match the width of the cooking appliance or it can be larger.
KitchenAid ventilation products come in 30”, 36” and 48”.
TYPES OF CONFIGURATIONS
There are different types of ventilation products on the market, giving you many choices to find a solution for your space.
Wall Mount Ventilation:
These hoods are popular for kitchens where the cooking surface is installed up against a wall. Here, the hood is attached to the wall allowing air to be vented outside. If external venting isn't viable for your home, you can use a recirculating kit. This will filter air and then return it as clean air, ensuring the freshness of your home.
Island Mount Ventilation
These hoods can be placed over an island and gives the appearance that it's "floating" over a cooking surface. Air is removed via the ceiling and then expelled externally. If external venting isn't doable or desireable for an island mount vent, then you can get a recirculating kit. This will filter air and then return it as clean air, ensuring the freshness of your home.
Under Cabinet Ventilation
These hoods are situated against the wall, below the cabinet space and over the cooking surface. There is also under cabinet ventilation that slides out over the cooking surface. This allows your ventilation to appear more integrated with your kitchen when not in use.
Microwave Hood Combinations (MHCs)
Save valuable space by buying a model that combines the microwave unit with a ventilation system. You can install these combination units against an overhead cabinet and a wall. Choose between recirculating or vented.
KitchenAid low profile MHC features both a microwave and a hood in the undercabinet space where traditionally there's only a range hood. The height is roughly only 10.3".This frees up your counter so you have more space to prep food or to house other countertop appliances.
Telescoping Downdraft Ventilation
If you want a streamlined appearance, then you can choose this option where you install a vent product behind the cooktop. The slim exhaust fan hides in the counter. When you need it, just push a button and it will rise to capture cooking by-product from the cooking surface. With another push of a button, it will retract back out of sight.
Custom Ventilation
This is a system mounted to the inside of a custom cover, made of one of the following: metal, wood, plaster or tile. If you want to go in this direction, you will need to buy a blower and a hood liner that can be installed in the interior of a cabinet up against a wall.
Choose between an in-line or internal blower:
In-line blowers are actually placed out of the way, typically in the attic.They employ the same motor as an internal hood blower because noise doesn't need to be considered since it's a fair distance from the kitchen.
Internal blowers are installed above a cooking surface. The blower can be more easily maintained due to being more accessible.
Hood liners are available and some models feature overhead lighting and the ability to trap grease.
KitchenAid has all of the above configurations available.
Features
Perimeter Venting
Think about how a vacuum cleaner's crevice attachment works and you'll understand perimeter venting. The air accelerates as it travels through the tight slots around the ventilation hood’s perimetric cover. Once inside the ventilation hood, air passes through grease filters which help remove steam, smoke and grease before it is exhausted from the kitchen.
Auto speed setting
A feature that ensures ventilation is coordinated with the heat generated from the cooking surface by automatically increasing or decreasing the blower motor speed.
Many KitchenAid ventilation products are built with long-lasting LED task lighting to make a cooking surface more visible. Additionally, some models even have food warming heat lamps to make sure meals are never served cold.
COLOUR & STYLE OPTIONS TO MATCH YOUR TASTES
If style matters to you, you can choose from a number of different options to complement your kitchen. Custom hood liners offer the most versatility and can either help make a statement or blend into kitchen cabinetry. Choose from commercial or contemporary style. It’s up to you!
You can also augment the design of your kitchen with one of the available colours: white, stainless steel or black stainless steel.
Certain KitchenAid ventilation products feature PrintShield™stainless steel or black stainless steel to resist fingerprint smudges.
INSTALLATION
Consider your current vent duct size while shopping. Common sizes are either 3 ¼” x 10” rectangular and 6”, 7”, or 10” round. Most vents can accommodate these sizes but always double check the guide. Installation heights can range between 24" and 36” depending on the model. Refer to the installation guide for more details.
If your ceilings are higher than 8ft, you will most likely need to purchase a duct extension kit to ensure you have sufficient ducts. The kits that come with vents usually only accommodate 8ft ceilings.
Above all else, review the manufacturer's guide to learn everything about performing the installation.
