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zhunt003

Suggestions for 60" hood?

zhunt003
9 years ago

Hi there. We just bought a 60" Wolf range and I am trying to figure out which hood to get to go over it. After the range itself, there is not a lot left in the budget for the hood, so I am trying to do it on the cheap if possible. Does anyone have suggestions for a good wall mounted 60" hood that doesn't cost a fortune? We don't have any upper cabinets so it will probably need to be chimney style or custom paneled, whichever came out cheaper.

Comments (5)

  • robert_sett
    9 years ago

    You can save on a dishwasher, or a toaster, or a refrigerator - things that can be easily pulled out and serviced/changed. I wouldn't recommend saving on a hood, due to the installation procedure (usually requiring 2-3 or more people), having to change the duct, most likely redoing the backsplash and/or mouldings, etc. It's a giant headache.

    It's much easier to swap out a cooktop or even a range, than it is to change a range hood if it doesn't work out for one reason or another, or doesn't work properly, or requires service.

    60" range hoods aren't common, mostly because of the shipping dimensions. Even if it's available, it would be VERY expensive. A better approach is to use an "insert", which is a hood without the outer shell, designed to be installed into a cabinet or a custom-built hood body. This way, you get the best of both worlds - a quality hood, and a good price on an enclosure, since your local cabinet maker / craftsman / contractor would be building it.

    There are a few range hood companies known for good quality and service, such as Miele, Gaggenau, Futuro Futuro, Vent-A-Hood, etc, most of whom offer insert-type range hoods.

    Take a look at this link for some additional info about the concept of insert-type hoods:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Range Hood Inserts info

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    You actually need a 72" range hood, not a 60" in order to properly capture the cooking vapors. 27" deep. Most in that size will have two blowers instead of one, and will be 1000+CFM when combined. You will also need makup air to go along with the hood, and a hood can not exhaust the air unless there is air to take it's place. Without that, you either compromise the performance of the hood, or you backdraft your chimney or water heater and end up filling your house with carbon monoxide.

    A ventilation system is indeed NOT the place to try to economize. It goes part and parcel with your appliance selection and cannot be separated out in the budget. If you have 10K for a range, that means that you have 5K for a range and 5K for venting that range properly.

  • zhunt003
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wow, thanks robert_sett and GreenDesigns for your insight. I figured that this was going to be the case. Do you know anything about the Wolf hoods? Are they suitable for their range or do I need to look elsewhere? I definitely think the hood liner route is the way to go, just wondering what kind of specs I need (1000+ CFM, etc...)

  • plllog
    9 years ago

    Modern-Aire isn't cheap, though reasonable for what you get, and they'll make your hood to your specifications. They also have standard models in 60" and can make them up to 96".

    Alternatively, they make liners ("inserts") in custom sizes. That leaves the surround up to your imagination and carpenter. :)

  • kaseki
    9 years ago

    Wolf hoods selected per the back pages of their Design Guide (wolfdesignguide.pdf available at their website) will be suitable for their purpose. My Wolf hood is a pro-island model over a peninsula containing a 36-inch induction cooktop and a Cookteck induction wok hob. However, this hood's internal aperture length is only 61 inches, so it would be a tad narrow for an exposed 60-inch range. For a wall hood, they make a 66-inch model, which is likely long enough given a nominal 1500 cfm blower (which I think is only available for rooftop mount, but that is preferable in most cases). In cases where the Wolf selection is not optimal, or cost savings can be had, then companies such as Modern-Aire should be able to meet your needs. Don't give up just because this is difficult; consider how much less difficult your task is than building the hood at the link.

    Spend a few days here reading hood ventilation and make-up air (MUA) topics to get a taste of the issues. References raised in the articles in My Clippings may be helpful. Also see the following and various guides by the California Energy Commission that can be searched for.

    http://www.fishnick.com/ventilation/ventilationlab/

    kas

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mother of all Handcrafted Hoods