I hear you about limited phone time, Kerrygw. OTOH, when faced with similar issues, I've had to ask myself whether I'd rather invest the time on the front end in getting clear about what is needed and how to get it or on the back end in getting clear about how to fix the problem I didn't see coming when I rushed to place my order. Sorry, don't mean to sound like I'm lecturing here. It's just that when when it comes to range hoods (and if you're as new to this as I was) my advice is to slow down and take a bit of time! :)

At any rate, Jeff is definitely the best person to talk to at Modern-Aire. Only thing is that he's not always the easiest person to reach. In the alternative, I would suggest talking with Patrick. I think you'll find him to be knowledgeable, reliable and personable.

My PS 26 has an internal blower. Makes more noise than I would like but that's probably because I've never had a kitchen with a range hood before and I have no idea whether my blower is any louder or quieter than any other. I should also note that I have 1200 cfms (many more than are necessary for most of my cooking situations). So, more often than not, I'm running the blower on a low-medium speed and the sound it makes, while noticeable, is not a big deal. Bottom line is that my MA works just fine!

HTH

I have been emailing back and forth with Jeff recently on a PS 26 and so far he has been responsive. I am still waiting for a quote however, but my needs are a little odd based on how we're planning to install the hood in an existing brick chimney.

I noticed that the ventahood excalibur has a similar look as the PS 26, except that it has black bands... an interesting idea if you have standard size dimensions and don't require additional customization.

kerry: Jeff Herman was super helpful to me in our purchase. I can't imagine a better resource. If you have trouble, feel free to email me and I'll forward it to Jeff, he's generally very responsive to email.

Ive been dealing with Theresa by phone and she has been quick to get me photos, drawings and quotes. We're going for the 1200 CFM internal blower and hoping for the best. She did say that they started using a new internal blower that is quieter than what they use to put in.

they are nearby here in the valley, and seem like good people, when I met them. they built a very nice liner for me. we went in-line, and I bought the fantech fan online for a lot less than they sell it for (at Jeff's suggestion;-)). the plastic switches for the fan control and light are a little cheesy (black plastic circa 1954 RCA radio), but the lights themselves are excellent and I like the variable speed fan control they installed (I think $30 extra, or so)

fast, ontime, nothing to fear.

Just to clarify: Jeff Herman was super helpful to me as well and the primary person I dealt with at the company. However, in the beginning, I was getting nowhere with cold calls to Jeff and it was Clinresga who finally ended up brokering the initial contact for me. (Thanks again, Clinresga! :->) Once Jeff and I made contact, he was fantastic and really spent an enormous time helping me to make the best hood purchase for my situation. After we got all the spec and design details squared away, Patrick then picked up the ball to get the actual order processed and to follow through on customer satisfaction from manufacture to delivery. Modern-Aire is a really great operation all around.

Jeff wasn't available the day I called Modern Aire and since I needed info quickly, I talked to Patrick. He was very helpful, quite entertaining and quick to get me quotes and drawings. I wanted them to duplicate a hood I'd seen on the Rangecraft site. While it's not exactly the same, it just arrived today and is quite beautiful (not to mention half the price). A very positive experience so far but I'm not sure Patrick is the one to talk to if you have a lot of questions or are unsure of what you want or need, FWIW.

martha--it was my pleasure to help. I just like other folks having the same kind of positive experience that I did with Jeff and MA. It sounds like Patrick is another great resource.

BTW: After six months with the MA hood, we just came back from a vacation trip. Stayed in a condo with a recirculating OTR MW as only "ventilation." The entire time, the whole condo smelled like bacon (one indulgence during ski trips is bacon every morning). Nasty. It reminded me of how much I love having really effective ventilation. The MA hood liner remains neck in neck with our range as the favorite appliance in my kitchen.

Thank you so much everyone! I'm not looking for anything terribly complicated, so I'll sit down with DH this weekend and really nail down th style we're after. The internal fan is just throwing me - I was so much less worried when we were going with the inline or remote blower, but hopefully it'll be reasonably quiet... I haven't heard from many people who have a recent hood with an internal blower, but we'll see! Thanks again!

kerry: what was the problem with the remote blower installation? Certainly on one hand, an internal blower is what the vast majority of folks have, and like marthavila notes, you'll run it at far less than maximum most of the time, making noise less of an issue.

However, I will say that I really love the virtually silent operation of our fantech inline blower and would certainly recommend it if possible. Is the problem a space limitation, duct routing problem, power supply issue, etc?

clinresga - i believe that the distance the duct had to run was too short to make the remote or inline blower worthwhile - it's going up directly through the roof above our kitchen addition, which is a rather low roof.

I'm hoping our Modern Aire PS 26 will be installed this week or next once the backsplash is complete. I had planned to do a remote blower too, but the ducting goes straight out the wall to the side of the house ... only 8 inches long. I'm really hoping it won't be loud, but having good ventilation is my main priority.

For others who might be considering Modern Aire, I worked with Teresa. She was extremely responsive and was very quick to fax me drawings and quotes. She did have to consult Jeff on a few technical questions.

Good luck!

Erika

kerry: how many feet of duct to run to the roof? If you used a roof mounted blower like the Abbaka, maybe it might work?

I have to chime in re: Modern-Aire based on my recent experience. Jeff Herman has been fantastic. He is always prompt in answering my emails, including responding late on a Sunday evening. Just today he spent an incredible amount of time with me on the phone, emailing more than two dozen photos and drawings as we talked so I could better understand our venting options. He even modified some of the drawings I had sent him in order to show what different hood models would look like in our remodeled kitchen. He told me he didn't care whether or not we ended up with a Modern-Aire hood as long as we were happy with our ultimate choice. I now plan to order a Modern-Aire because of Jeff's extremely professional and individualized attention to me and our venting needs.

This situation sounds similar to mine. I am making decisions on how to configure my kitchen ventilation. I have gotten quotes from Modern Aire and am waiting for a quote from the machine shop that is building my SS countertop with integrated sinks. My hood will be mounted on an outside wall and I was advised by Modern Aire to save a bit of money and use an internal blower as opposed to an external blower mounted on the other side of the wall. My kitchen is on the ground floor with bedrooms on the upper floor so it would be possible to run duct up to the roof or attic. The advice I'm getting doesn't seem to favor running the duct to the roof or attic, too much extra work involved and efficiency lost, even though it seems to me this would make for the quietest opperation in the kitchen. Am I mistaken? I'm nervous about the internal blower and tend to think it would be better to have the blower outside even if it is just on the other side of the wall. I can't get anyone to say if there will be a significant difference between the two set-ups in terms of noise, only that the internal blower will be less expensive. I assume efficiency will be about the same, all though the internal blower will be a 1200 cfm and the external one a 1400 cfm. I don't expect the kitchen vent to be inaudible by any means, I really want efficiency and to figure out the best balance between the two.

erikanh: that's the first picture of your hood/range I have seen, and it rocks! Totally different look than our kitchen but I love it. The way you've assembled the critical elements of cooking into a compact, incredibly efficient layout is fabulous. It makes me want to drop everything and start cooking right now. And, of course, the hood is gorgeous. Great job.

rgjem: you are asking the right questions. Clearly if you are ducting straight out the wall, with only a very short run of duct, there is little advantage of an external blower, as the distance is too short to give you the noise reduction you'd want from an external blower.

The alternative is to run duct all the way up to the attic and roof. That's what we did. That allowed us to use a Fantech inline blower and silencer, and the result is an unbelievably quiet hood. I am totally ecstatic with it, but others might not find it quite as ideal. The duct installation was a nightmare, involving many hours of HVAC consultation. The performance of the blower is reduced by the long duct run, though the layout of our range (which is in an entirely enclosed alcove, which greatly enhances hood performance) compensates totally: I can sear at max temp and have not a wisp of smoke escape.

For me it was a no brainer but many others, who would prioritize cost, and maximum cfm performance, would choose otherwise.

I am going to take the liberty of quoting a recent email from Jeff Herman at Modern Aire which I think is the clearest explanation of the pros and cons of internal vs external vs inline blowers (Jeff was aware I might do this). It was directed at another potential customer who had corresponded with me, thus the reference to my (Mark's) hood:

Our hoods are supplied for use with our internal motors 600 Â 2400cfm, Abakka exterior blowers 1000 and 1400cfm, and Fan-Tech inline blowers so switching for the fan is not a problem. If you are planning on using the Fan-Tech inline I highly recommend using the silencer. It makes a very dramatic difference in regards to air and motor noise at higher speeds. The Abakka exterior blower is the quietest option we have going right now, but the performance is not as good as the inline IMO. If pure performance is the most important then our internal blowers are the best way to go, they are louder in comparison to MarkÂs set up, but are moving more air then the inline or exterior blowers at 1200CFM. Our internal blowers compensate for higher static pressure loads and do not slow down when connected to ducting making them a great choice for super long duct runs or duct runs with many turns or transitions"

HTH

I wanted to contact Jeff to get a quote... is his email just jeff@modernaire.com? Thanks!

That email was not the email I had for Jeff when I was dealing with him back in '08. However, because I only managed to get direct contact with Jeff because of the referral of another GW member (and even then, only with tons of persistent phone calls after that), I'm reluctant to post the email address that I used online. My suggestion would be to contact Modernaire directly, explain that you are a GW member and that you are seeking a quote. You might get switched to Patrick instead of Jeff. But not to worry -- Patrick is very knowledgeable and has great customer service skills as well. Plus, if you do end up doing business with Modernaire direct, there will probably be plenty of opportunities to connect with Jeff.

I *love* the looks of these hoods and checked out their website...I like the PS-29. Does anyone have a ballpark on what they cost so I'll know if it is even worth the effort to keep looking at them and the exercise of getting a quote?

I am in the middle stages of design work and my cabinet maker wants me to decide if I want a hood or a liner....

These hoods are beautiful and make a bold statement...I'm looking for *one* piece whether it be a terrific backsplash or a hood...

Thanks!!

Bumping to see if anyone who responded is still here...thx....

I ordered a Modernaire but haven't received it yet. I would suggest you call the main number and ask for Patrick or Robert and they can get you a quote. I ordered the PS-10 so I have no idea what the PS-29 costs, sorry!

I have my PS26 in the garage, waiting for install. It looks great! I worked with Teresa by email and she was very quick to provide drawings and quotes and respond to questions. I think the price depends on the finish and the features you order but as a ballpark I would guess $3500-$4000. If you are interested I would recommend just contacting Modernaire and getting a price estimate.

Teresa's email is teresa@modernaire.com

Bumping this to ask about the hood and inline blower. We will need 1200 cfm or so and are doing an inline blower. The plan was to run it quite a way (completely across the house but with no turns) and vent outside the master closets (very hidden side of the house). Is it better to go out the roof (or more efficient?) We are doing a 10" duct but haven't chosen the hood yet.