Installing the built-in hood: location options and installation instructions

Alexey Dedyulin
Checked by a specialist: Alexey Dedyulin
Author: Elena Pykhteeva
Last update: March 2019

The small dimensions of the kitchen make it necessary to select compact options for its arrangement that can be placed in one of the furnishings. These options, which can significantly save useful meters and centimeters, include a built-in cooker hood. It takes up minimal space and does not affect the interior.

With the installation of built-in exhaust technology you can cope with your own hands, if you know all the rules and subtleties of the work. We will tell you how to choose a unit for exhaust air in the kitchen, tell you how to correctly install the purchase.

Exhaust equipment

An extractor hood of this type is often chosen for a kitchen with a small area, since it has compact dimensions. Of course, the purpose of the device is not limited to the problems of decorating the interior. First of all, it is necessary to clean the air from unwanted impurities that occur during cooking.

The presence of the hood allows you to quickly remove from the room extraneous odors emanating from cooked food, fumes, pollution, etc. The built-in version fulfills all these requirements, and is also distinguished by its compact size and low amount of noise emitted during operation.

The disadvantages of such devices include a high price, which is fully offset by its solid advantages. With small dimensions, the device has the necessary level of performance.

Distinguish between hoods of horizontal and vertical type. The first are considered the most common, since they are much easier to install.

Benefits of Built-in Hoods
One of the advantages of the built-in hood is its compact size and minimalistic design that fits well into the interior of any kitchen

The device can be fixed in a wall cabinet or a special box. With the vertical version, everything is a little more complicated, it needs to be installed directly in the wall, in a niche made for these purposes. The manufacture of this niche significantly complicates the installation. When choosing a hood, you need to focus not only on its type, but also on the dimensions of the cooking surface of the stove.

Built-in hood dimensions
The width of the sliding part of the built-in hood must match the width of the cabinet into which this device will be mounted

The width of the device can vary in a rather wide range: from 45 to 90 cm. It should be remembered that the working width of the hood must correspond as closely as possible to the size of the hob surface.

Only by observing this rule can a sufficient efficiency of the device be achieved. The most popular model is 60 cm.

An important element of the built-in hood model is the filter for trapping fat. Before turning on, the horizontal hood must be extended so that it is located over the entire cooking surface. The grease filter is located in this moving part. Some models are equipped with an optional air recirculation function.

Flow and circulation hoods
Flow hoods completely remove the exhaust air from the kitchen, and circulation devices clean it and leave it in the room

Such devices must be equipped carbon filterthey cost more. They can work in two modes: abduction or recirculation. It is necessary to determine the type of hood even before making furniture in the kitchen, since the cabinet in which the device will be installed must have suitable dimensions.

Popular now exhaust hoods with recirculation They are good because they return to the room not only purified, but also warm air. Thus, a significant part of the thermal energy spent on cooking and heating the air will remain within the home. However flow hoods purify the air better.

Another important parameter when installing such a hood is the vertical distance from the hob to the edge of the hood, i.e. to the bottom of the cabinet in which it is integrated. This parameter is strictly standardized, for electric stoves it should be 70 cm, and for gas - 80 cm.

Distance from hob to hood
The distance from the hob to the hood must be at least 65 cm and not more than 85 cm

Failure to comply with this requirement will lead to a noticeable decrease in the efficiency of its work, it is possible that to the breakdown of the device. In some kitchens, it is not possible to install the hood at a distance from the hob of at least 85 cm. In this case, you must purchase a design with a higher performance than the calculated one.

Exist plastic ducts with square and round cross-section. Round structures are used less often than rectangular analogues, since the latter occupy much less space than a cylindrical channel.

It is preferable to use a plastic version with smooth walls, since they better resist the accumulation of contaminants.

Built-in cooker hood duct
The air duct of the built-in cooker hood should not be too long, it is recommended that no more than three turns be made so as not to impair the operation of the appliance

The corrugated duct in this regard will create more problems, in addition, when hot air passes through such a channel, an additional amount of noise is generated. The maximum allowable level of sound interference that the hood can produce is 70 decibels. This is a little louder than sounding in a normal conversation.

Despite these shortcomings, corrugated ducts widely used with hoods, because they have advantages. Mounting such a structure is easier since it can be tilted and bent appropriately. Therefore, for successful installation, adapters or additional elements are not needed.

Corrugated duct
As an air duct for a built-in hood, you can use a special corrugated sleeve. It is easier to install, but can produce more noise than plastic counterparts.

But to turn the plastic duct you need to create a special knee. This design contributes to the formation of swirls of hot air inside the channel, which is not very useful.To reduce the amount of dirt on the walls of the corrugated duct, stretch it a little while installing the built-in hood.

If desired, a circular cross-section of such a construction can be made square so that the duct takes up less space. This is another advantage of this type of construction. Good quality is demonstrated by such models of built-in hoods as Bosch DHL 545 S, Shindo MAYA 60 SS / BG, Elica KREA GFA WH / F / 60, Miele DA 2270, Sub-Zero Wolf and others.

Performance, filters, management

According to sanitary standards for kitchens, tenfold air exchange is recommended for each hour. Therefore, when calculating the performance of the hood, you should focus on the volume of the kitchen, expressed in cubic meters. To do this, multiply the length, width and height of the room, and increase the result by ten times.

For example, for a kitchen with an area of ​​three by four meters and a ceiling height of three meters, an extractor hood with a capacity of (3 m X 4 m X 3 m X 10) 360 cubic meters per hour will be needed. And this is the minimum value.

Sellers recommend taking an extractor hood for the kitchen with some power reserve. If the performance of the appliance is lower, it simply cannot cope with cleaning the kitchen air from contaminants. About how to calculate the power of a kitchen hood, in detail written here.

Grease filters vary in composition as:

  • organic (based on synthetic winterizer);
  • paper (based on non-woven fabric);
  • synthetic (based on acrylic);
  • metal (aluminum or steel).

Paper filters are a one-time option; they must be replaced each time with new ones when they become dirty. Synthetic analogs can be washed, but this must be done very carefully, as they are easily damaged. From time to time they will also have to be replaced, although not as often as paper ones.

Metal filters are considered the most reliable, they are wear resistant cassettes. Coal varieties that are used only in recirculation plants are also not cleanable. They must be replaced in a timely manner, otherwise the performance of the hood can be significantly reduced.

When choosing a hood, you should pay attention to its type of control. Electronic control usually allows you to:

  • automatically adjust the level of performance;
  • change operating modes;
  • configure turning on and off the device in automatic mode;
  • inclusion of built-in lighting in the presence of movement near the stove;
  • light indication of the status of filters, etc.

Among the useful functions of the hood built into the cabinet, the residual operation mode can be noted: the fans work for some time after the hood is turned off to ensure the most complete removal of contaminants.

The additional ventilation mode allows you to automatically start the hood at low power at regular intervals to maintain optimal air exchange in the kitchen.

Installation Rules

You need to start the installation with the furniture in which the hood will be built. If the cabinet is suitable in size, then you can continue the installation in normal mode, simply making the necessary holes in the furniture, but this is not always possible. A small device with parameters of 50-60 cm is usually placed in a standard kitchen cabinet.

Built-in hood options
Before installing the hood, you should carefully study all sizes and parameters in order to correctly select the necessary elements and make suitable connectors

If this is not so, then the owner of the kitchen has two options: order new furniture or dismantle the cabinet to use a special hood for hoods. The latter option has certain advantages, since the box is assembled separately below, then the hood is fixed in it and only after that the entire structure is mounted on the wall.

Hood for hoods
This is the box in which the hood is installed.The structure is assembled separately, then attached to the wall or to furniture, which is more convenient than putting the device directly in the cabinet

A facade is installed on top of the hood, so the hood looks neat and stylish externally. The problem of insufficient space can also be solved with the help of a minimum size device - 45 cm.

Such a model can even be placed in a very small cabinet. But it should be remembered that the compact dimensions in this case are obtained at the expense of performance.

It is necessary to take this point into account so that it does not turn out that a hood of a suitable size does not cope with the required amount of work. If the cabinet fits the dimensions, in its bottom you need to make a hole for the hood, taking into account its size. Sometimes it’s more convenient to completely remove the bottom. At the top of the cabinet you will also need to make an opening for the duct.

Duct hole
In the upper part of the cabinet designed to install the built-in hood, you need to make a round or square hole for the duct

It can be a round or rectangular configuration, it all depends on the type of duct. Flexible corrugated structures with a circular cross section are often used, but there are also plastic ventilation ducts with a rectangular or square cross section.

An air duct connects the hood with a hole in the wall leading to a common ventilation duct in an apartment building or directly to the street, if it is a private building. You will need to make another cutout on the back of the cabinet to secure the device and install the outlet.

After all the necessary openings in the cabinet are ready, you can proceed directly to the installation of the device. First, the hood is fixed in a cabinet or box. In this case, make sure that the movable part of the device freely extends to the required width.

Built-in hood
Part of the built-in hood extends so that it overlaps the entire surface of the stove. Only this position will allow you to effectively clean the air in the room

After that, the duct is attached to the connector at the top of the device with a clamp. Specialists recommend making this mount detachable so that there remains the possibility for simple dismantling. Some craftsmen immediately use sealant, but professionals do not always approve of such a solution.

Built-in cooker hood
In order for the built-in hood to be located in the cabinet correctly, it may be necessary to install an internal vertical partition, which is recommended to be removable

Periodically, the structure will have to be disassembled in order to clean it from accumulations of fat and other contaminants. However, it should be remembered that the connection must be tight enough to ensure effective removal of contaminated kitchen air.

Most often, the exhaust duct is removed vertically from the cabinet, but sometimes a side outlet through the back wall is used for this. In this case, the hole is made in the back. Do not make holes “not a peephole,” first markup should be done.

Some models of hoods are equipped with a convenient template, which greatly facilitates the process of marking the floor mounting for the device. If such a template is missing, you will have to perform markup in the usual way, i.e. using tape measure and building level. The hood must be installed horizontally.

The installation of the built-in hood is usually carried out after the entire kitchen unit has been assembled so that the entire structure is comfortable and looks neat. As fasteners for hoods, self-tapping screws with dowels are usually used. After installing the hood in the duct, a special adapter is installed in the corresponding hole to connect the duct.

After that, it remains to bring it into the ventilation duct. The exhaust duct should be as short as possible, since this figure affects the overall performance of the device. The maximum allowable number of knees is three.

These points should be taken into account at the stage of the overall design of the kitchen design; it is recommended to install the stove as close as possible to the general ventilation duct of the house. The diameter of the duct must be the same as the size of the pipe intended for it. Usually this figure is 120 mm or more.

Hood power cable
The power cable should be routed up so that it does not overheat near the hob. An outlet is usually made on the back of the cabinet

The important point is choosing the right position for the power cord. It must not pass directly above the hob.

The cable needs to be fixed inside the cabinet, and the outlet for connecting it must be installed in the area of ​​the rear wall, in which the hood is installed. You can choose another place for the outlet, the main thing is that this part of the device does not overheat when the stove is on.

After all installation work is completed, you should connect the device to the power supply, extend the hood and test its operation. Ventilation of the kitchen room can also be carried out with the help of an exhaust fan, but if a hood is already installed in the room, the use of additional devices is considered redundant.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The installation process of such a hood is clearly demonstrated here:

This video contains information on how to choose a suitable range hood:

Here is some helpful information on replacing carbon filters:

A hood that can be hidden behind a furniture facade is an ideal choice for almost any kitchen. Such a device makes little noise, does not spoil the interior and can be installed by one person in just a couple of hours.

If the hood is correctly selected, and its installation is completed without errors, it will provide the necessary air exchange for the kitchen.

Want to tell how you installed a built-in hood in your own kitchen, or provide useful information on the topic of the article? Please write comments in the block below. Ask questions, share your opinion, post a photo of the process of choosing a device or installation.

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Visitors Comments
  1. Sergei

    Our kitchenette is very small, only 5 square meters, so when cooking at the stove, the smells spread very quickly. Even an open window does not always help, for this reason they decided to install a good hood. I did all the installation work with my friend, as a whole there is nothing complicated about it. The main thing is to adhere to the rules, and of course, to do everything with high quality. Odors are now 2/3 less, the issue price is small!

  2. Marina

    Tell me, please, is it possible to install the hood and leave the electric fan nearby in the exhaust well?

  3. The kitchen in my apartment is quite small, so there would be a lot to do without a hood, otherwise the smells of food would begin to spread not only in my apartment, but also outside it. I didn’t have to do the hood myself, it was already when I entered. It is located directly above the stove. It just makes a terrible noise, louder than a vacuum cleaner when you turn it on. You do not know, can I somehow fix this?

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