Range Hood Glossary

B


BACKDRAFT DAMPER

A valve (spring-loaded or gravity-operated) installed inside a duct. During range hood operation, the air pressure causes the valve to open, allowing polluted air to be exhausted outside. When the range hood is shut off, the backdraft damper closes, preventing outside air from entering the ductwork.

 

BLOWER

The heart of the range hood, the blower is the device that moves air. Sometimes, the terms “fan” and “blower” are used interchangeably; however, fans are designed to operate at lower speeds, whereas blowers are engineered to move air at higher speed and pressure.

Depending on the location of the blower, it may be referred to as:

  • Internal” – inside the actual range hood unit,
  • Inline” or “Remote” – outside the range hood (ex: in attic / between joists),
  • External” – outside the house, in a weather-resistant enclosure.

Most ProLine range hoods feature built-in blowers (you do not need to purchase a blower or “power pack” separately), which are covered by the manufacturer’s 10 Year Warranty.

 

BTU

Acronym of “British Thermal Unit”, used to measure the heat output of gas-fueled appliances.

C


CHARCOAL FILTER

Cartridge or cassette filled with activated charcoal, used to filter contaminants from the air. Required in ductless range hoods, as it will remove other contaminants after airborne grease has been absorbed by grease filters. Charcoal filters cannot be washed or cleaned, and should be replaced every few months (depending on amount of cooking).

Note: all ProLine brand range hoods are shipped with the appropriate Aluminum or Stainless Steel Baffle Filters Included. Charcoal Filters are optional and can be purchased separately.. However, if your range hood will be connected to an outside duct – you do not use any charcoal filters. Since the air will be extracted to the outside, the charcoal filter is not necessary. Also called: carbon filter, activated charcoal filter, “black filter”, and other variations.

 

CFM

CFM is an acronym for “Cubic Feet per Minute,” which is a measurement of air volume velocity and is used in measuring air flow from vent hoods. It is a rating attributed to fan power.

D


DUCTED

Refers to a range hood installed with a duct (“air pipe”) leading outside the house. Ducted range hoods remove all forms of airborne pollution, and do not require the use of carbon filters. This leads to higher performance compared to ductless installation, and does not cause additional noise or expense.

Also called: “Vented”, “Outside Discharge”.

E


EXTERNAL BLOWER

A blower motor unit installed not only outside of the range hood, but outside of the house (in an outdoor-rated enclosure). Placing the blower outside of the house reduces operational noise, but requires additional expense and labor.

Related: Inline Blower, Remote Blower.

G


GREASE

One of the forms of airborne pollution caused by cooking. Can combine with other substances to create a sticky film on kitchen surfaces, and may damage kitchen cabinetry by attracting mold and fungi growth. Range hoods use grease filters to remove airborne grease.

 

GREASE FILTER

Cartridge or cassette filled with layers of metal mesh, which traps airborne grease. Grease filters are made from metallic materials (typically, anodized aluminum), and do not need to be replaced.

All ProLine range hoods include metal mesh grease filters or our Professional Series includes Stainless Steel Baffle filters and Stainless Grease Cups, which are easily removable and dishwasher-safe.

H


HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE

Refers to an island-mount or wall-mount range hood with a vertical chimney whose height can be adjusted to fit various ceiling heights. Does not apply to undercabinet and insert/liner hoods, as they do not have a chimney by design. Also referred to as “Telescoping Chimney” or “Adjustable Chimney Section”

I


INLINE BLOWER

A blower motor unit installed outside the range hood, but still within the house (for example, in the attic or between joists). Like an external blower, this setup reduces operational noise. Unlike the external blower, it does not require additional outdoor-rated enclosure.

 

INSERT

A range hood insert or range hood liner is a ventilation appliance specifically designed to be installed inside an enclosure (such as a suitable kitchen cabinet, or a custom-built enclosure). Range hood inserts and liners do not have their own “body”, and must be mounted inside an enclosure.

All ProLine range hood inserts include the liner panel, as well as the Blower and Control Unit.

 

ISLAND MOUNT

Refers to a range hood designed to be attached to the ceiling above the cooking surface as opposed to wall mount range hoods.

K


KITCHEN EXHAUST FANS

A fan for ventilating an interior kitchen by drawing air from the interior and expelling it outside. See Range Hood.

M


MOUNTING HEIGHT

The distance between the cooking surface and the range hood. For best performance, range hood should be installed at a height of 28″ to 32″ above the cooktop or range (30 inches is generally the standard).

R


RANGE HOOD

A kitchen appliance that hangs above the cooking surface and eliminates air pollution produced by cooking, via a combination of filtering and extracting air.

 

REMOTE BLOWER

Refers to the placement of the blower outside the range hood (but still inside the house, i.e. in the attic or between joists, as opposed to an external blower). Synonymous with “inline blower”.

S


SONE

A unit of perceived loudness equal to the loudness of a 1000-hertz tone at 40 dB above threshold.

 

STEAM

Water vapor created by the cooking process. One of the forms of airborne pollution caused by cooking. Can act as carrier for other forms of pollution, and can damage kitchen cabinetry by condensing on surfaces and attracting mold and fungi growth.

 

SUPERQUIET

Our PLJW Professional Models have a special operation mode built in called “SuperQuiet”, in this mode the Range Hood operates at its most efficient audible level compared to volume of air movement based on the blower size. This results in the quietest setting and largest volume of air movement for these types of hoods.

T


TEMPERED GLASS

Glass that has been toughened by special process to increase its strength. Unlike regular glass, tempered glass is extremely hard to break. Once tempered, the glass panel is almost impossible to cut or modify – this is why mounting holes and beveled edges are cut at the factory before the tempering process.

The tempered glass used on ProLine range hoods is clear transparent, although it may be colorized on some photos to make the glass stand out against the white background. It is worth noting that due to the chemical changes during the annealing process, the edge of tempered glass will have a slight green tint to it (same as other forms of tempered glass, such as auto glass or security glass).

U


UNDERCABINET

Refers to a range hood designed to be installed under a cabinet.

In the past these were among the least expensive types (compared to island-mount and wall-mount range hood types), however in many new kitchen configurations, there are 30″ to 60″ fully ducted, undercabinet hoods. The economy undercabinet hoods suffer from several disadvantages: their small formfactor limits blower power and duct size; design impact is minimal or nonexistent; hood dimensions typically need to match the cabinetry, limiting choices.

W


WALL MOUNT

Refers to a range hood designed to be installed on a vertical wall directly behind the cooking surface (as opposed to an island mount range hood).