How to adapt a cabinet for a kitchen hood - instructions for installing a built-in air purifier

MesterulManole May 5, 2018Specialization: many years of experience in finishing works of residential and office premises, summer houses, country cottages, etc. Hobby: cycling in all its forms

The style of kitchen design is largely determined by the shape of the hood used - there are varieties for modern and classic design

Do you want your kitchen and the furniture located in it to retain its original appearance for as long as possible? In this case, you cannot do without a hood - a special device that draws in exhaust air with soot and steam and redirects it to a ventilation shaft or other similar device. There is a wide range of hoods on sale, but in this article you can learn about those models that can be built into a wall cabinet.

What to consider when choosing

Advantages of modern hoods

Why are hoods so popular among consumers?

1. Great designer look. Hoods not only do not degrade the appearance of the kitchen furniture set, but sometimes become the highlight of the interior.
2. Versatility. The hood can be used over any cooking surface; a wide range of technical parameters makes it possible to select the best option for each individual case.
3. Economical. This does not mean saving electrical energy, but a significant reduction in heat losses. Conventional natural ventilation systems removed air from the room around the clock, which caused the walls to cool. As a result, the temperature dropped noticeably; heating required a large amount of energy. Electric hoods provide the required air exchange rate in just a few minutes, making it clean and free of unpleasant odors. In such a short time, the walls do not have time to cool, and heat losses are minimized.

Built-in hoods fit perfectly into the kitchen interior

These are the main advantages, there are also quite a few additional ones, but they relate to individual models, and there is no point in dwelling on them in detail.

Important. All hoods have one problem - the technical parameters do not meet the safety requirements for the operation of gas appliances.

What is meant? Gas is much lighter than air; if there is a leak, it will rise up and accumulate under the ceiling of the room, and as it fills, it will fall down. Previously, the ventilation holes were located near the ceiling and were constantly open. The gas that entered the room was removed outside, which significantly reduced the risk of explosions.

Through such ventilation holes, gas was easily ventilated from the kitchen

Now there are no such open holes, and hoods are turned on for a short period of time only when cooking. Another problem is that the entrance is located above the hob, which is much lower than the lighting fixtures. If a gas leak occurs at night, then after a few hours it is already located above the chandeliers and lamps. When they are turned on, a spark jumps and the gas-air mixture explodes with enormous force. This explains the frequent destruction of houses.

Combination of hood and ventilation in the kitchen

There is only one way out. For an electric hood, a separate vertical ventilation duct must be provided, and existing natural ventilation systems must not be touched, no pipes connected to them, etc. Unfortunately, very few users agree with such requirements and grossly violate safety regulations.

Types of hoods installed in the cabinet

What types of kitchen hoods are there?

Before purchasing a device, decide on the location of the equipment

It is important to install the hood above the stove, otherwise it will not be effective. Depending on their location, hoods are divided into types:

1. Plane. It has a small size, due to which it takes up little space in the kitchen. Installation of a special air duct is not required. The device has several built-in filters that purify the absorbed air. The main disadvantage of the device is the timely replacement of these filters, and their service life depends entirely on how actively you use the tiles. This option has a low price.
2. Dome. Devices from this category are connected to ventilation, which ensures a high level of performance. The housing is large in size, which allows for the installation of large filters. Such devices are in demand in large rooms where large quantities of air need to be filtered. This type of hood is called a fireplace hood; its cost is slightly higher than that of a flat one. This is due to the increased level of aerodynamics and silent operation.
3. Built-in. The most common type. The main advantage of the device is the fact that it is installed in a special box, blending into the overall style of the room. This is the best solution for owners of small spaces. To install such a device, it is not necessary to call a specialist. Installation is so simple that you can do it yourself.

How to do this correctly - watch the video.

The choice of hood depends on the size of your kitchen space. For a miniature one, a flat hood is also suitable. A fireplace (dome) is best used in kitchens that have a separate kitchen “island”. And in standard “Khrushchev” apartments, the ideal option is a built-in structure that can be placed in a closet.

How to install a built-in hood in a cabinet: dimensions for installation

Attaching the shelf to the top of the air cleaner housing

Before installing the hood, you need to determine how it relates to the cabinet. In this case, we are interested in the dimensions, namely width, depth and height. The width of the device must correspond to the width of the cabinet so that the outer perimeter of the device does not extend beyond the sides of the wall cabinet. The same goes for depth; this parameter must match the depth of the furniture.

Now, as for the height, we are not talking about flat models, but about mortise ones, where a small box goes into the cabinet. So, the height of this box should be less than the distance from the bottom of the cabinet to the inner shelf or to the top. If the dimensions of the device and the dimensions of the furniture match, there will be no difficulties with installation.

Recommendations for choosing an air duct

Price remains a significant selection criterion for homeowners; aesthetics and performance characteristics of ventilation ducts fade into the background. Flexible corrugation definitely wins here; it is much cheaper than other options, and fittings are not needed.

We will offer our recommendations on how to choose a ventilation duct for your hood:

1. There are two types of channels suitable for external installation: plastic and metal. The former are cheaper, but look worse; they are better hidden above cabinets or behind decorative cladding.
2. For hidden installation, you can use any air duct: corrugated, PVC, galvanized. If you don't care about the noise level, use a cheap aluminum hose.
3. In a country house, summer kitchen or veranda with a stove, connect the hood with a corrugated pipe. Plastic in such rooms quickly becomes dirty, and it is quite difficult to remove the yellowness.
4. If an apartment has undergone expensive renovations, you cannot save money and spoil the interior. Match the steel frame, fittings and grille to the color of the hood. Stainless steel is perfect for a nickel-plated surface, and copper for a golden surface.

Watch this video on YouTube

Dimensions and related issues

This cabinet size must correspond to the depth of the cabinet

When choosing a hood for a cabinet, you may encounter the fact that production standards do not regulate the dimensions of industrially produced kitchen air purifiers. As a result, product sizes from different manufacturers may vary significantly. Therefore, before going to the store, we measure the existing cabinet and compare the dimensions indicated in the passports of hoods in stores with its dimensions.

This cabinet size must match the gap from the bottom of the cabinet to the shelf

On average, the width of household kitchen air purifiers ranges from 60 to 90 cm, and the depth from 25 to 50 cm. The most common height of the built-in unit is 13–15.8 cm, which will easily fit into most wall cabinets.

Purpose of kitchen ventilation

During the cooking process, a whole bunch of dangerous chemicals are released into the air.

Among them are:

Carbon monoxide (CO), better known as carbon monoxide. An extremely toxic substance, even in small concentrations leading to severe poisoning of the entire body. And when the concentration of CO in a person’s blood reaches 5 ml per liter, almost instantaneous death occurs. The main danger of carbon monoxide is that it has neither color nor odor. Therefore, its dangerous concentration can be detected only by a sharply deteriorated state of health - a severe headache accompanied by vomiting. CO is released during any combustion, including when frying food on a stove fire.

• Natural gas (propane, butane, methane) is another dangerous chemical component present in the kitchen. It is commonly used as an energy carrier for gas cooktops. But in high concentrations it can not only cause human poisoning, but also cause fire and explosion. Every year, hundreds of people around the world become victims of gas leaks that could easily have been avoided with an effective ventilation system.
• Carcinogens are volatile substances released into the air when foods are fried or fats are burned in a frying pan. This is the same child that stands in the kitchen while preparing food, and then settles on the walls and ceilings of the room with a greasy coating. Carcinogenic substances, although they cannot lead to immediate death of a person, like CO or propane, are capable of accumulating in the human body. When these substances enter the liver, kidneys, and lungs, they ultimately cause severe pathologies, including cancer.
• Water vapor is released when cooking soups or boiling a kettle. By itself, it is absolutely harmless to humans. But in high concentrations it condenses on the walls and ceilings of interior spaces, causing the appearance of fungus and mold. The fungus significantly reduces the service life of finishing materials, and can also affect the load-bearing elements of the building structure. Microscopic spores released by mold into the air cause severe allergic diseases - dermatitis, asthma, chronic bronchitis.

Therefore, it is necessary to equip each kitchen with a ventilation system, in full compliance with the requirements and standards of SNiP and GOST. This will allow you not only to maintain hygiene in the kitchen, but also to preserve the health, and even the life, of the inhabitants of the apartment.

Installation Tools and Materials

The tools needed to assemble and install the hood are available in most home workshops.

To install a kitchen hood you will need:

• Drill with drills with a diameter of 5 and 10 mm;
• Jigsaw;
• Curly screwdriver;
• Spirit level;
• Compass;
• Tape measure and pencil;
• Measuring tool.

Answers to popular questions

Is it advisable to install a built-in hood in a cabinet without an air duct?

Of course, installing an air duct is an additional, sometimes time-consuming job. You yourself must evaluate the need for a device to divert air flow directly into the ventilation duct. The volume of the room, the frequency of use of the stove, the conditions for the flow of outside air - all these are factors that influence the choice of flow or recirculation mode of operation of the hood.

If it is enough for you to get by with returning the purified air mass flow through the exhaust filtration system, then you do not need an air duct.

How to install a built-in hood with a retractable part?

The installation of cleaning equipment with a retractable part is no different from the installation of stationary equipment. It is necessary to ensure that the deployed suction panel completely overhangs the hob area of ​​the stove.

How to install a built-in hood in a large cabinet?

This is done in exactly the same way as when installing equipment that fits tightly between the walls of the cabinet. The only difference is that you need to maintain the exact position of the hood exactly above the stove. The photographs show examples of additional partitions inside the cabinet that strengthen the structure.

What to do if there is not enough power?

Compact exhaust devices often have the disadvantage of low installation power. To increase the performance of cleaning equipment, duct fans are used. They are embedded into the air duct using adapters in any accessible place.

Installation of the channel mechanism is done with the aim of increasing the power of the air flow. That is, the duct and exhaust fans operate simultaneously (in parallel). You can adjust the operating modes of the hood by installing an additional toggle switch to separately turn on the duct fan.

In some cases, the hood body is used only as part of the air duct. A powerful external fan is installed, which dramatically increases the productivity of the equipment from 800 - 1000 m3/h to 1500 - 2000 m3/h.

How to make sure that the hood does not interfere with natural ventilation?

To solve this problem, use a tee with an anti-return valve. The device looks as if an additional pipe with an open hole was cut into the air duct at the entrance to the ventilation duct.

There is a hatch installed in the pipe, which is adjusted so that when the fan is turned on, it covers the inlet. When the hood is turned off, the locking disc returns to its original state and opens the air from the ventilation.

Stages of work

Installation work begins with unpacking the hood kit and preparing the mounting surface

After the hood has been purchased and the necessary tools have been prepared, it’s time to begin installation. The installation steps are as follows:

• Preparatory work - dismantling the cabinet and disassembling it for subsequent stages;
• Cutting mounting holes for installing an air cleaner;
• Installation of the unit and connection to the air duct corrugation and electrics.

Let's consider the above points in more detail.

Installation features

The choice of installation location is directly influenced by the design features of the model you like. Wall or ceiling structures are not hidden by cabinets and are installed exactly above the stove, while special masking boxes are often used for the air duct. But the built-in model will require the manufacture of appropriate furniture.

Please note that to install the hood you will need pipes, a socket and electrical cable, boxes, mounting fittings and fastening elements. You can’t do without an air duct - it can be corrugated pipes or a smooth-walled hose.

Corrugated pipes are distinguished by the fact that they can be bent at any angle.

Keep in mind that duct bends greater than 90 degrees are not permitted.

Don’t forget that there are special boxes that allow you to hide the air duct and integrate communications into any kitchen design.

The diameter of the air duct directly depends on the type of outlet in the house, and the length of the pipe is determined depending on the distance of the device, from the opening in the wall or from the ventilation shaft.

If we are talking about installing a built-in hood, then everything must be done in accordance with the installation instructions. The main criteria when installing a built-in device are:

1. The sliding panel of the device is always left visible;
2. The outlet is always connected to the ventilation shaft.

If such a connection is not possible or it is impossible to lay air exhaust pipes, then you can install a recirculation model - among them there are also options intended for embedding.

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