Kitchen Hoods, Ventilation, Range Hoods
A kitchen hood, kitchen hood fan or stove top fan sits above your stove/oven. You turn the fan on when you are cooking. This pulls out any steam or smoke from the kitchen so your smoke alarm does not go off. It is also good for when you are cooking any foreign foods and you want to remove the smell from the room as well.
A kitchen hood or ventilation fan is not really a ceiling fan, so this does not jive with the theme of the rest of our website. However, these fans are generally required in your kitchen. You will also need a filter on the range hood so that it does not get gummed up. A filter will make the range hood last many more years.
Do I have to have a range hood in my kitchen?
Without a range hood, you will not be able to sufficiently move steam, smoke and odors out of the kitchen when you are cooking. If you do heavy cooking, then you really should be having a range hood. If you don’t do a lot of cooking on the stove, you might be able to get away with just having a window open. However, most houses are designed to have the range hood over the stove and have a fan which sucks up the air over the stove and spits it out the top. Most houses are also designed and come with the range hood installed, so really there should not be any reason why you would not have the range hood installed.
How do I replace my range hood fan?
Typically, replacing the fan should not be a huge endeavor. The important thing really is the wiring hook up. Take a look before taking the unit apart completely. Is there a wire harness that just clips into the fan box, or do you have individual wires, or some other assembly? If you are having a wire harness that just clips on, you should be able to take the fan out by removing the screws. Once the fan box is removed, your new fan box will go in it’s place and the wire harness will clip on.
If your unit does not have a wire harness, or there are individual wires, then you may need to consult some instructions or do further research. As always, if you do not feel confident with any of this, consult a local fan expert, electrician or general handyman.
Kitchen Islands & Kitchen Ceiling Fans
Having an island in your kitchen is nice for eating meals such as breakfast or lunches with your family. Some families will have a dining table in one room, and if the kitchen is large enough, a kitchen island as well. Adding a kitchen island is a lovely project if you have the time, space and the budget. Sitting above your kitchen island, a lovely ceiling fan can certainly operate not only in terms of function, but also add elegance to the decor of the room. An overhead ceiling fan really accentuates a kitchen island and makes it stand out, as one complete piece.