help with Zephyr hood inserts please

10 years ago

We are looking for an insert/liner for a 42" wide custom wood hood we are having build by our cabinet makers. We need it to be 600cfm or less (due to cost of heated make up air for hoods over 600 cfm). The appliance places were quoting us Zephyr liners that were only 34" wide, which I don't think will be right inside a 42" wide hood.

One appliance place quoted us a Zephyr Monsoon that was closer to 40" wide but 715 cfm. Can this unit be 'downgraded' to 600 cfm by disconnecting something inside the unit? A few of the appliance places mentioned this option for other Zephyr units but the place we want to purchase from doesn't seem to be aware of this trick.

Unfortunately I'm unable to explain it technically so I'm hoping you guys understand and can explain it better to me, and perhaps advise me.

thanks.

This is for a 36" 6 burner wolf rangetop.

Comments (6)

sixkeys
10 years ago
Maybe this is what you are referring to?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0919500126439.html

Hope the experts chime in for you!
illinigirl
Original Author
10 years ago
yes, thank you!
In the mean time, the appliance sales guy emailed me back after talking with Zephyr and now he's aware of the jumper and the ability to set the fan to desired cfm. Thanks for linking the thread......

Now I'd just like to know if we put in the damper makeup air option, which is to code for cfm up to 600....can we change the jumper later to 715 and will anything bad happen technically or functionally if we do that?
Related Professionals
Barrington Hills Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Gainesville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Salmon Creek Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · White House Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Broadlands Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Chicago Ridge Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Overland Park Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Spanish Springs Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Sharonville Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Aspen Hill Cabinets & Cabinetry · Citrus Heights Cabinets & Cabinetry · Dover Cabinets & Cabinetry · Manville Cabinets & Cabinetry · Mount Holly Cabinets & Cabinetry · University Park Cabinets & Cabinetry
philwojo99
10 years ago
Illinigirl, do you still live in Illinois? I am in the West Burbs near Naperville, and we did our remodel in 2012 and we were told, at least at that time, that MAU was not an issue for us, we are in DuPage County.

I know it is different for different places, so just asking if you are 100% sure you need MAU in your area is all. I have a Zephyr Monsoon II DCBL model, which is max 715 CFM as well and I don't have any kind of MAU.

Phil
illinigirl
Original Author
10 years ago
thanks Phil,
We are in West Michigan now (formerly lived in Illinois and I'm a proud UofI grad).

There are two levels of makeup air requirements in our area. None required under 390 cfm. Between 400-600 NON HEATED makeup air is required, and over 600 cfm HEATED makeup air is required.

But it's good to know you are running the 715cfm with no makeup air successfully.....I would think with our mid-range level of makeup air (damper which opens when hood is on) that if we bump up the Zephyr unit at some point to 715 it will probably be ok too.

The cost difference is $600 for the mid level makeup air damper system, and $3000 for the heated makeup air system, a pretty big cost difference.
illinigirl
Original Author
10 years ago
i would like to bump this up again to ask if anyone has successfully altered/switched their cfm upwards after install?

Who would I call to accomplish this (or is it so simple that even someone who isn't handy could do it?)

My plan is to have it installed and adjusted to the 600 cfm setting, then if it's worthwhile, later adjust it up to the max which is 715cfm.

Philwojo99, how do you like your Zephyr? What range are you using with it?

thanks!
philwojo99
10 years ago
Illini, sorry I can't help on your conversion question, but we really like the Zephyr we have, we use it over a 36" BS with 6 burners on it.

We normally use it on the 2-3 settings and we can still have a conversation then, unless my head is right under the hood, then it can make it hard for me to hear, but I think that is also due to age!!

We kick it up to 5 or 6 on occasion, but not to often, it has done a great job, only one time has the max (6) setting not been enough and that was when I did a steak in a cast iron pan but I had put in to much butter and oil and the smoke just came off of that pan/steak like mad. It is the only time in a just over a year that I have set off the smoke alarm in the new kitchen. But all that smoke cleared out in about 10 minutes after I kept it cranked on 6. It was more my fault for using to much oil.

Would I like more CFMs, yea, but for how we cook 95% of the time the 715 is more than enough for us. Heck like I said we mostly use it on 2-3 for normal everyday cooking and it is just fine.

Hitting up the wine trail a lot Illini? :) lol

Phil