Silent Rangehood
Everybody complains about the noise of rangehoods but the vast majority of people just end up putting up with the din. But is a truly silent rangehood even possible or do we just have to ensure that the best possible installation reduces the noise to a level that is tolerable.
Although some manufacturers claim that their rangehood is quieter, it's just a relative term, maybe a tad quieter than brand x but not really quiet at all. Finding a rangehood that really is quiet it seems, is just too hard. Well the good news is that it just got a lot easier.
Why are rangehoods so noisy?
Although some rangehoods are quieter than others they all consist basically of a noisy fan in a tin can. The noise of rangehoods is generated by the motor fan itself of course but also by the air passing through the filters and ducting. The fan, which has to work hard to move air through the ducting to the outside, vibrates in the body of the canopy, which acts like a sound box that broadcasts the noise around the house. The harder it has to work, the noiser it gets and there’s nothing like a poor ducting installation to produce back pressure and strain the motor.
How do you stop the racket?
There are two approaches to reducing the din of a rangehood. One is to remove the fan and put it away from the living area. Doing this can reduce the noise of the typical rangehood by over 20 dB. The most obvious place for it in most instances, is the loft. All you have to listen to then is the sound of the moving air. The other approach is to improve the quality of the fan.
Why then, you may ask, isn't this standard practice? The answer is, of course, cost. A better quality fan adds significantly to the price. A remote motor system is even more expensive. Buyers are reluctant to pay more for a supposedly quiet system without some evidence to support a claim. Manufacturer’s claims can be misleading as their measurements might have been taken under controlled conditions in the factory rather than in a real-life situation.
Rangehood Ducting - The Unseen Problem
You don’t see it and probably don’t think about it, rangehood ducting is taken for granted but next time you switch on your rangehood and hate the noise it makes or the lack of performance, think on.
Rangehood ducting installation is often so bad that it ruins the performance of an otherwise decent hood. Inappropriate duct and duct fittings and simple installation mistakes can make you switch the thing off altogether because of the noise and lack on performance. The problem of noisy ducting is simple to fix though.
A new innovation is that of the rangehood silencer or muffler. Adding a muffler to your ducting is one sure way you can reduce the noise of any rangehood installation. Check out Rangehood Tamer for more information.
What is meant by a decibel rating?
<Click here for decibel information >
A New Standard in Rangehood Ducting
Now available in good kitchen and
appliance outlets.
Kitchen ventilation advice for New Zealand kitchens
Copyright Tom McKernan 2017