Frequently Asked Questions - Rangehood Installation and Ducting Services Pty Ltd

Q: What's the best way to clean the surface of my hood?

A: Stainless steel hoods should be washed regularly with a clean cloth, warm water and mild soap or dish detergent. Clean in the direction of the polish lines. Rinse well with clear water and wipe dry immediately. You may wish to apply light oil used for furniture polishing to emphasize its bright finish.

Wiping regularly with mild soap/detergent and warm water should protect painted hood surfaces. Be cautious about using "New and Improved" cleaning agents, especially with harsh abrasives and more toxic chemicals. Your hood is installed over hot cooking equipment. Most chemicals found in cleaning agents react with heat to loosen the paint.

Q: How often should I clean my filters?

A: The aluminium mesh grease filters should be washed in your dishwasher every month. Wash more regularly if your cooking style generates more grease like frying foods or wok cooking. The more fat you use, the more you need to clean the filter. You cannot clean the non-duct carbon filters; they must be replaced every three months. Baffle filters, used in professional style range hoods products, are designed to operate longer in high grease conditions without loss of performance. Generally, these need to be cleaned with soap and water whenever the surfaces become unsightly.

Q: How often should the non-ducted range hood filters be replaced?

A: It depends on the frequency and type of cooking that is performed. Typically every three months is recommended for replacing the charcoal filters. Some charcoal filters are designed with an indicator mechanism that will change colour as a signal to replace the filter. Check each model for this availability as some models do not include this device.

Q: Which is better, ducted or non-ducted?

A: Range hoods should be ducted to the outside of the home as per the current Australian standards (AS/NZ4386.2 1996). While non-ducted filters trap some grease and odours from regular cooking, the humidity, smoke and heat will all be re-circulated back into the home approximately 4 - 5 litres of kitchen byproduct per year. If the non-ducted filters are not regularly replaced eventually the grease and odour catching effect will no longer protect your home from impurities. Simply put, you are saving yourself the needless hassle with a ducted system rather than one without.

High BTU gas cooking equipment should always be ducted to the outside of the home. If this is impossible, high-performance convertible hoods and filters are available in some models.

Q: What type of duct is best for venting a range hood?

A: Range hoods can be vented using a fire-rated semi-rigid metal duct. Given a choice between the semi-rigid metal duct and smooth metal ducting, go with the smooth (this may not always be possible). The ridges found in flexible metal ducts may create turbulence and may diminish airflow.

• NEVER use a PVC dryer duct or any plastic duct on a range hood installation as is not fire-rated. The minimum size duct allowed on most range hoods is 125mm ranging to 200mm round. More powerful hoods require even larger duct sizes up to 250mm or 300mm round. Consult the specifications for the model you have chosen.
• Decreasing the duct size can restrict the performance of the range hoods airflow.

Q: What do the CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute) and DB (Decibel) ratings mean?

A:  CFM stands for Cubic Feet Per Minute airflow and DB stands for decibels. The higher the number, the greater the amount of air that is exhausted using the Range Hood. Think of it as how much faster the air would be expelled externally...the higher the CFM, the faster the air is removed.....but usually this means the higher the DB.

A DB is an internationally recognized unit of sound. DB is a linear measure like inches. Doubling the DB value is equivalent to doubling the loudness. To get a sense of what one decibel represents, one DB  is equivalent to the sound of a quiet refrigerator in a quiet kitchen. Typically, the DB level is measured at maximum CFM; however, some newer products are also being tested at normal CFM settings to provide consumers with typical sound level information.

Q: How are range hoods ducted?

A: There are several ducting methods, depending on the model. Most are ducted from the top and have round duct vents through the top of the range hood. Some range hoods are single-use ducted and some are convertible, meaning that the range hood is designed to be installed using more than one duct method or direction.