Did you know that every time you cook, millions of fat particles are released into your home? Research suggests that the tiny microscopic particles of grease can float in the air for days and stick to almost any surface in the home through a process known as thermal coating. Once these particles find a home, they can feed mold and bacteria that serve as breeding grounds for a host of unwelcome and unhealthy little guests.

This is the scenario in millions of homes, possibly yours, unless you have adequate ventilation above your kitchen cooking surface. But how do you know the right size range hood to select for your specific needs and lifestyle? and how much power do you need?

The trend in modern kitchen appliances today is towards larger commercial style kitchen units. Viking, Dacor, and Wolf are the leading manufacturers of residential/commercial style kitchen appliances, all offering 60″ ranges capable of producing over 120,000 Btu of heat. That’s as much heat as the oven in many homes generates! These units quickly produce a large amount of smoke and grease when running at full power.

At the other end of the spectrum, most of us cook with a typical four-burner stove. These put out a third of the amount of heat as commercial-style monsters, but they still need to be properly ventilated so your home remains odor and germ-free. Regardless of what type of cooktop you use, the idea is the same: it’s all about airflow. The bad news is that there is no absolute formula for determining exactly how much airflow is the correct amount. The good news is that two different calculation methods can be used allowing you, as the homeowner, to dial the number up or down depending on how you live and cook.

Common sense dictates that the more heat a unit produces, the more airflow will be required to remove the greater amount of grease and resulting smoke. Let’s call this the common sense rule. That said, the first calculation method we’ll look at is based on the size of the cooktop and the location of the range hood. If the hood is mounted on a wall behind the range (as most are), then you’ll use the 40 cfm per linear foot of cooking surface rule. This method dictates that for a typical 30″ four-burner range, you should use at least a hood capable of moving 100 cfm of air. But remember the rule of common sense. If you deep fry or wok and therefore produces a If the level of grease and smoke increases, you will likely be disappointed with a 100 cfm unit – go bigger To extend this method to the kitchen island, the 50 cfm per linear foot rule of thumb should be used. cooking surface. With the same 30″ oven. stove operating on an island, the minimum cfm increases to 125 and, as always, the rule of common sense applies.

The second airflow calculation method commonly used in industry is the 100:1 rule. This rule states that for every 100 Btu of heat a range generates, the hood fan must move 1 cfm of air. Let’s say you have a four burner stove and each burner produces 12,000 Btu of heat. You should explore hoods with a minimum blower rating of 480 cfm and then apply the rule of thumb as needed. Don’t forget to increase the number of island kitchen appliances.

By applying either of these two methods in combination with the rule of common sense, you can be well on your way to ensuring that your home remains a clean, healthy, and welcoming place.