How to calculate the minimal power and the adequate place for a vent hood depending on the type and size of an oven

A cooking hood installed directly on top of the cooking surface captures hot air, steam and undesirable smells in your home. However, to obtain an optimal performance, it is very important to purchase the adequate equipment and to install it correctly.

When the time comes to buy a vent hood, you will notice that there are many styles and models and that the technical specifications are different from a model to another. Apart from your personal aesthetic taste, one of the elements that will have to guide your choice is the inhaling power. Expressed in SQM (square foot per minute) on the technical index cards, the power should be adapted to the type of oven and to the size of the cooking surface to be inhaled.

So the first thing to consider before looking for a vent hood is to measure the cooking surface of your oven. You need to know the surface area in square feet. To do that, you have to multiply the width by the depth. As an indicative, most ovens have a surface of 6 square feet, meaning 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep.

Then, to determine the required power, you have to make the following calculation:

• If you have an electric oven, you multiply the square feet of your cooking surface per 50 SQM.
• If you have a gas oven, you multiply the area or your surface per 100 SQM.
• This calculation will indicate the minimal power in SQM that your hood will need to possess.

Moreover, to get the maximal performance from your product, the size of the model you will choose will have to correspond to the size of the cooking surface to inhale. In other words, for a vent hood directly above an oven, we suggest a minimum width equal to the width of your oven. You will also have to install the hood at a distance of 18 to 30 inches away from the burners.

For more information, you can visit the website www.HVI.org (Home Ventilating Institute) or directly ask the manufacturer that designed your inhaling hood.

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