We have the Dacor 30" telescopic downdraft with a remote blower. Works great. Haven't a clue about customer service because we've had no problems in 17 months of use.

I have Dacor's ERV30 with their remote REMP16. The mechanism that raises the ERV30 has broken twice. In fact, service tech coming this Thursday to fix it. Additionally, Dacor has already replaced the first REMP16 because it didn't suck cfm as per their specs. It was very difficult to prove to Dacor that the REMP16 was defective. I had to hire an independent HVAC engineer to test the REMP16 unit because Dacor's authorized technician said there was nothing wrong with it. Eventually Dacor sent a new REMP16 unit but they said I had to pay out of my own pocket to install it (even though it is still under warranty). In my opinion, Dacor is very difficult to deal with. I have been extremely dissatisfied with poor quality control and mediocre service with such a high end appliance company.

Have you thought about the Broan 273003 eclipse downdraft?
Just a thought to consider.

The Dacor version is the only one that can be vented out the side and has a min depth so can use a full drawer under the unit.

My experience with Dacor was very similiar to edjpalm's. They specified an inline blower with the ERV which I purchased and installed. Within weeks they changed the specs to a cabinet or remote blower only because the ERV did not work with the ilb. Maybe engineering should have tested it before manufacture ? I encountered lots of stonewalling, evasion, denial and outright deception and it took a great deal of my time and energy to get Dacor to replace my ilb with a remote. However, after paying for the ilb installation, I too had to pay to uninstall the ilb, reconfigure the ductwork where the ilb had been, get the electrician back to run cable to the remote blower and install the remote blower. If customer service is important to you stay away from Dacor.

In addition, the ERV rises about 9" and even on the lowest fan setting it blows out any burner (front or back)that is on a simmer setting and pulls the flame on the back burners enough to scorch the felt-like material inside the box that the vent lowers in to. I would look at the Thermador with rises about 15".

I plan to use it with an induction top. No flame and what the max cabinet space(depth) give me an alternative to the narrow Dacor version and I will have a look. ILB option is to help the air along if you have a long run but a remote blower is always required.

FYI canuck, per Dacor specs the ilb was a stand alone option at the time I purchased. In fact, when Dacor changed the specs it was required that the ilb NOT be installed in addition to the remote.

Jud,

If you can not trust the instructions what can you trust. I can see why you are not happy.

My understanding is that Dacor makes the Wolf and Viking downdrafts, at least that's what more than one appliance dealer told us.

I have had a Dacor downdraft for 11 years.

Would I buy it again? I just did, but not because I wanted to. I would never get another down draft again. They just don't work as well as an overhead vent. I have had to repaint my ceiling more than I should have due to grease building up on it not to mention how much of it went into all my drapes and fabrics that may not show it as much.

I DO love having my cook top on my island, but if I had to do it again I would have kept it against the wall and used a top vent. Unfortunately, we couldn't use one as we had too many used up bays above where my island was to be placed during our remodel so I ended up with the Dacor down draft that required a lot of special and expensive work to install.

Since having my cook top and vent installed I have had the top button pad replaced about 5 years ago (grease built up where you touch it to raise and lower it). That was actually not too bad cost wise. However, several other times I have had to have the raising mechanism adjusted because lift wouldn't close all the way. Service calls get expensive every time you have to call someone to fix this. Overall, I considered this a problem with the design.

I never liked cleaning the vent but you have to wash those mesh filters and it has always been hard to get the cover off to get them out. The plate covering the filter also has a strong tendency to fall down into the downdraft mechanism below the counter top. Then you have to go into your cabinet take everything out and take off the access panel and lift it back again by pushing it back up from under the counter. (A royal pain in the a$$.) When this happens you risk the chance of getting the lift mechanism off track and you will need to call a service man to get it to close right. Believe me after the first time I was very careful when I cleaned it but it happened to me a few more times.

Recently, I had a hard time finding someone local that would even service it. When I finally did find someone this past fall, he told me that the circuit board was fried and the engine was blown and I needed a new downdraft. He told me that the Dacor downdraft design allows grease to fall down all the way to the circuit board over time. So it kills the circuit board.. and eventually the engine goes, too. Sometimes this happens sooner than mine did. He thought I was very lucky to get 11 years out of it!!

Anyway, he suggested that I replace it with a different kind of down draft. I can't for the life of me remember what it was. But since we are moving soon, I wanted it to match my cook top. So I ordered a new Dacor downdraft that is presently working. (I have only cleaned it once and won't do it again until right before we move this spring!)

Look at the Thermador. They have the highest rise on them (14" vs. a max of 10" on the Dacor). Nothing will be nearly as good as a powerful overhead vent, but this should work for most everyday cooking applications.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thermador Downdraft

Zoe,

Did you have a gas cooktop? What type of cooking did you do to generate the grease.

I would like a hood also but my kitchen is in the middle of a 2 storey houswe so not easy to go overhead!

I have the Thermador DD and it meets my needs. I like that it has a 14 inch rise. I have it on my island with an induction cooktop. I have had it about 3 months and I like it very much so far.

I have a convertible Dacor electric 4 burner cook top. It has two radiant heat burners on one side and 2 electric coils on the other. Both sides can be removed. I can add a griddle and also I can grill. I have been having some problems with the contacts where the cook top burners plug into the unit. So sometimes one of the two burners on each side won't work. So I am gonna have to call the service guy once AGAIN to pay to have this fixed!

We don't use the grill option very often at all. It just takes too much work to clean it. My kitchen is on the first floor of a 2 story home. The bays above were filled with heating ducts thus we couldn't use an overhead vent. The venting was put in under the floor through the basement and ultimately vents outside under our deck.

We do a lot of steaming of veggies and stir-frying. Most likely the stir frying that did the damage. Also my DH likes to cook and he doesn't always watch what he cooks and it burns. Needless to say that added to the smokey ceiling.

We will be building a new home and I am planning to move on to an induction cook top with an over head vent.