You want to redesign your kitchen, or your old range hood is simply showing its age? There can be different reasons for installing a range hood. With this step-by-step guide from hagebau, you can easily install your new range hood yourself. You should consider several factors even when making your purchase.
Initial Considerations
There are two different ways to handle cooking fumes: The exhaust hood that directs fumes directly outside, and the recirculating hood, which uses an activated carbon filter to clean the drawn-in air and return it to the kitchen. Most range hoods available today are suitable for both exhaust and recirculation operation.
If there was previously an exhaust hood venting to the outside where you’re installing the new hood, you should use the more hygienic exhaust operation. This way, cooking fumes are directed straight outside.
If you don’t yet have a range hood, you must either break through the wall to create a path outside or use the simpler recirculation operation. In rental apartments, this is often the only option. If you want to install an exhaust hood, be sure to get your landlord’s permission for installing the ventilation beforehand!
Step 1: Turn Off Power
- Focus on Safety
For your own safety, you should first turn off the power in the kitchen before working on the range hood. This prevents the risk of electric shock.
Step 2: Remove Old Hood
- Remove Grease Residue
If you’re installing a range hood for the first time, skip this step. If you’re replacing an older model, remove the old range hood from the wall. If it’s an under-cabinet hood, take this opportunity to thoroughly clean the bottom of the cabinet above and remove any grease residue.
Step 3: Prepare for Range Hood Installation
- Maintain Minimum Distance
First, measure the ideal height where you’ll install your range hood. A minimum distance of 50-65 cm from the cooktop is usually recommended, or even 75 cm for a gas stove. However, with wall-mounted hoods and angled hoods, you have the opportunity to adjust the height to your individual body height.
For an under-cabinet hood mounted beneath a wall cabinet, this question doesn’t arise. With a ceiling hood, you also don’t have a choice, as this type of range hood is always mounted on the ceiling. These are usually island hoods installed above a kitchen island.
Mark the spot where you’ll mount the range hood with a pencil. Use a level to draw a straight line.
Step 4: Check Power Outlet
- Is Power Outlet Within Reach?
If you’re replacing an older range hood, there’s usually a suitable power outlet available to connect your new hood. If you’re installing a range hood for the first time, make sure there’s a power outlet nearby. If not, get an extension cord in advance. You might also consider installing a new outlet. However, you should leave this work to a qualified electrician.
Step 5: Installing the New Range Hood
- It’s best not to do this step alone
How the installation of the range hood proceeds depends on what comes with your selected model. Some modern range hoods have a so-called telescopic wall mounting plate. In this case, you need to mount the plate to the wall and attach the actual range hood to the plate. This has the advantage that you can adjust your range hood exactly as you want.
With other models, you simply need to attach a wall bracket to the wall into which you hang your new range hood. It doesn’t get any easier.
Step 6: Putting the Range Hood into Operation
- Start test operation
Turn the power back on in the kitchen and test operate your range hood.
Step 7: Installing the Exhaust Duct
- Obtain landlord’s permission
The previous steps apply if you will be operating your range hood with recirculating air. If you want to install a range hood for the first time and operate it with exhaust air, there is another important step in the installation: The exhaust duct that directs cooking fumes outside must be installed.
If you’re renting, you should generally first obtain permission from the landlord before making a hole in the exterior wall. In your own four walls, this isn’t an issue. Find the shortest possible route from the range hood to the outside and measure how long the exhaust duct needs to be.
Step 8: Checking the Wall
- Use detection device for inspection
Before drilling a hole in the kitchen wall, you must ensure that no water or power lines run through the wall at this location. You may be able to determine this from your house’s construction plans. More practical is the use of a detection device. Run this along the wall and mark the course of any lines with a pencil if necessary.
Step 9: Installing the Exhaust Duct
- Maximum 3-4 meters depending on setup
- Core drilling should be error-free
- Pay attention to slope
Once the path is clear, it’s now about drilling the correct exhaust channel – specifically: core drilling. Because to drill a hole with a diameter of 120 to 160 millimeters into a house wall, core hole drilling is necessary. If a mistake happens here, this can reduce the performance of your range hood and lead to unwanted operating noise.
For optimal performance and minimal operating noise, a diameter of 160 mm is generally recommended for drilling. The wall penetration is then 150 mm.
Besides the shortest route outside, you should drill through the wall so that there are as few bottlenecks, cross-section changes, and 90-degree bends as possible. Otherwise, the air flow resistance will increase and the vapors cannot flow out effectively.
The exhaust duct should not exceed a total length of 4 meters with straight wall installation. If there’s a bend, 3 meters is considered the maximum. Don’t attach the first bend directly to the exhaust port of the range hood, but ideally allow for an inlet section of at least 30 cm to the first bend.
Also ensure a slight slope (2°) to the outside. This prevents condensation water from flowing back inside.
Step 10: Connecting the Exhaust Duct
- Don’t install channels in a flattened state
Once you’ve successfully completed the core drilling, install the exhaust pipes in the channel. The material is also important here. Fixed plastic exhaust pipes work best. If you choose flexible aluminum flex hoses, make sure they don’t get flattened and narrow the channel.
Now connect the range hood to the exhaust system using the exhaust hose. An exhaust hose is usually included in the delivery. If there’s a difference in diameter between the exhaust channel and exhaust hose, this can be adjusted with a universal reducer for ventilation systems – a kind of adapter.
The actual mounting of the range hood then takes place as already described in Step 5 for recirculating range hoods.
Maintenance Tip
To enjoy your new appliance for a long time, you should clean your range hood regularly. Every range hood contains a metal or aluminum filter that needs to be cleaned occasionally. If you cook almost daily, the filter should be cleaned about once a month. You can put it in the dishwasher or clean it by hand in the sink. Also clean the inside of the range hood at the same time so that thick layers of grease don’t accumulate there. These increase the fire hazard in the kitchen!
If you use the recirculating air operation of your range hood, you should change the activated carbon filter about every three months.
