Ever wondered what a convertible range hood is?
It is an appliance designed to remove smoke, grease, steam, and cooking fumes from the air in your kitchen, with or without a duct for ventilation.
A range hood collects the smoke from the air, meaning you will have lesser oily residue on the walls and ceiling of your kitchen.
Your convertible range hood filters the air you breathe, even if its fan cannot ventilate the air to the outside.
How do the convertible range hoods work?
If you are thinking about how a convertible range hood works.
This system uses either ductless or ducted venting techniques.
It has a powerful fan attached to a duct that ventilates on the outside.
The air is circulated through a metal mesh and a charcoal filter to remove odors and particles for recirculation.
Depending on your kitchen setup, you can install a convertible range hood to either recirculate or exhaust through a duct.
Below are some pros and cons of the convertible range hood.
Pros
A convertible range hood has more installation flexibility.
If you plan on shifting your cooking setup in the future.
You can easily adjust the range hood to suit your new location, whether that is ducted or not.
Cons
It can be more expensive to buy.
If you are setting up your convertible range hood without a duct.
Then you will need a charcoal filter which needs regular replacement.
Related Reading: Exhaust Fan Size For Kitchen – Click Here To Learn More.
Convertible Range hood specifications
Here are some essential features to look for in a convertible range hood.
Capacity
If you often cook large meals and your stove produces high heat, you will need a range hood with high ventilation capacity.
If you rarely cook and your meals are simple.
You can do this with a minimum capacity range hood, such as a canopy under-cabinet range hood or a microwave over-the-range hood.
One rule of thumb is to divide your stove’s BTU rating by 100 to calculate how many cubic feet per minute of capacity you need.
For example, a stove that radiates 20,000 BTUs will need a range hood with a 200 CFM capacity rating.
Location
Where you want to place your cooktop or stove determines the size and type of range hood.
For example, if your stove is on a kitchen island in the center of the room.
Your best choice should be a chimney-style island range hood or a downdraft range hood.
Cost
The cost of range hoods can vary widely.
Depending on the style, a range hood can cost as low as $50 for one-speed recirculating canopy models.
Or as high as $6,000 for artisan-grade, hammered copper range hoods.
Filtration
Baffle and mesh filters allow for more air volume and are easy to clean.
Charcoal filters on ductless models are more expensive, cannot be cleaned, and pass a lesser volume of air.
Stove size
The range hood should be as wide as the stove or cooktop, including 3 inches on each side.
Additional features
As with purchasing a new car, the extra features usually sharply increase the cost.
Multiple fan speeds, heat sensors, automatic shutoff, Wi-Fi, and various types of lights are just a few features that can quickly drive up the cost of the range hood.
Other range hood styles
Several range hoods are available that suit your kitchen and your cooking style.
Some of these range hood styles are given below.
1. Canopy range hoods
Canopy range hoods are typically installed below kitchen wall cabinets.
Cost-effective and easy to install, canopy range hoods vent smoke and fumes out of the wall or the ceiling.
Some are recirculating models, making them more accessible and cheaper to install.
2. Chimney range hoods
Chimney range hoods are installed over a stove or cooktop, with a vertical outlet, or chimney, connected to the top of the hood.
The chimney duct runs through the kitchen ceiling, attic, and then out of the roof.
3. Microhoods
Microhood is a different term for over-the-range microwave range hood.
If you want a built-in microwave above your cooktop, it can also work as a range hood.
Microhoods either eject air to the outside or filter and recirculate air back to the inside.
Microhoods need at least 16 vertical inches between the stove/cooktop and the bottom of the microwave.
4. Range hood inserts
Range hood inserts represent the fully customizable range hood.
Inserts are the inner components of the range hood, including the fan, hood, light, and everything else except the outer hood cover.
The outer cover can be constructed using many types of materials.
5. Downdrafts
Built into the cooktop or installed separately, downdrafts suck gasses and smoke downwards instead of upwards.
Some units can be made to rise eight to ten inches on command for greater access to the smoke.
Other downdrafts are grilles placed flat on the surface of the cooking range or cooktop.
Related Reading: Total Time It Takes To Remodel A Kitchen – Read More About Remodeling Here.
What is a Convertible Range Hood – FAQs
1. What is the difference between ductless and ducted range hoods?
A significant difference between the two is that in most kitchens, a ductless range hood uses a fan to pull all the smoke out of the air before recirculating it.
On the other hand, a ducted range hood vents all the fumes straight to the outside.
2. Are ductless range hoods worth it?
Unvented range hoods filter out some smoke and cooking odors from the air.
But the general opinion is that they are nowhere near as effective.
Nor do they get rid of heat and humidity, so they wouldn’t help much to keep your kitchen cool.
3. Is a microwave vent enough for a gas stove?
A microwave vent is not suitable for a gas stove.
The emissions from a gas stove are enormous compared to what you get from a microwave.
Related Readings: Best Gas Double Oven – Find Out More.
Summing it up
Convertible range hoods allow for more flexibility for future kitchen renovation.
If you would like a kitchen remodeling project in the future but wish to replace your range hood now.
Then a convertible model is an excellent option.
