Without a range hood, all the furniture, including the roof and walls of your kitchen, will be greasy and dirty. In the case of an old and inefficient range hood, the results will be almost similar. If your apartment does not have a built-in hood, get one. Or if the hood is not working efficiently, it is better to replace it with a new one.
This guide is all about how to replace a range hood. It also has a clear mention of steps and the tools you will need. Replacing a range hood will not be a big deal for you if you are already into replacing and installing different appliances at home. The problem will be only when the hood is so big that it is difficult to manage by a single person.
You will get a lot more insight on vent hood and the approaches to replacing it in this article. Please stick to the end to get the most out of it.
Why Should I Replace Range Hood?
The underside of the range hood is layered with grease, heat, and steam.
The filter is usually fragile that breaks easily during cleaning. A better idea is to replace the filter with a new one. However, if the hood is not of stainless steel or copper, it will not work longer.
When the hood gets fed with lots of dirt, it might start falling in the food you cook. Hood also becomes a lot noisier at this point. When this happens, know that it is time to replace your range hood with a new and better model.
Is it Difficult to Replace a Range Hood?
Replacing your range hood of an old design with a new one of the latest model is indeed a good idea. Replacing the range hood is not difficult. Rather, it is like everyday DIY projects. It is recommended to do it on a weekend as it can take straight one to two hours.
However, the time and difficulty of replacing a hood majorly depend upon the size of the hood. Installing a new range hood can be pretty difficult as you have to drill a hole, which involves complex tasks like wiring and ductwork.
Replacing a hood is way simpler and easier. You can easily do it yourself. If you are already good at repairing home stuff and installing things, this would be a piece of cake for you.
What Type of Hood Should I Choose?
Ducted hoods are better at sucking grease and heat, even at a slow speed. You can make a variety of food on it. At the same time, ductless hoods are not much efficient since they recirculate the air. You cannot work on a ductless hood at a slow speed.
A good range hood is above 400 CFM. But for a bigger kitchen, you will need a range hood with a higher CFM rating. Considering this, ductless hoods do not have a CFM above 600, while the CFM of ducted hoods goes up to 2000. The higher the CFM value, the more powerful the hood will be.
Ductless hood will never satisfy you in terms of power. Make sure to list down your needs before getting the type of hood you want.
Installing a ductwork
Installing a ducted hood requires ductwork. If you do not already have ductwork in your kitchen, you need to get it installed. It is quite costly. However, the cost majorly depends upon the length and size of ductwork you want to install. This means you need to have a good budget if you are looking for a ducted hood.
Wall studs and other electrical things in the walls will be a barrier in installing ductwork. You need to develop the right framework for installing ductwork. For that, you need to consult a professional.
Do not forget to check the building codes whether or not they allow the installation of the ductwork. These sorts of restrictions are usually limited to apartments only. As a result, you have to move to the ductless hood.
What type of hood you should go for comes down to the size of your kitchen and the type of food you cook. For a bigger kitchen and greasy food, a ducted hood will work the best.
Things to Remember
Follow Safety Precautions:
“How to replace a range hood?” is a question that is to be dealt with later. We must consider some safety precautions before that. Make sure to wear gloves, masks, and safety goggles. Never forget to turn off the power. To be even more precautious, lock the panel so that no one from the house turns the power on.
Usually, people use an electric stove that is very delicate and can break easily. Whichever stove you have in your kitchen, do not forget to cover it up with cardboard or something like this. This prevents scratching and does not create so much mess.
Get the Right-sized Hood
Make accurate measurements of your stove before leaving for the market to buy a hood. The hood should cover the entire area of your stove. In addition, it should be hung no more than 30 inches above the stove. Remember, if you have an electric stove, the hood will hang quite lower compared to the gas stove.
Range Hood Type
The type of hood you select depends upon your needs. If you have to hang the hood just below the cabinet, you will have to get an under cabinet hood. These hoods have also opted when you do not have a duct leading outside. Such range hoods recirculate the air. Therefore, these hoods might not be as effective as the hoods with ducts.
On the other hand, if there is space on the wall above the stove, it would not be much of an issue. You can get wall-mounting hoods, as they are the best available option.
Recheck the Venting
As soon as you remove the old vent hood, check the vent whether or not it is ideal for your new hood. The vent should go along with the type of hood you chose. If the older vent is not complementing the new hood, you can cut out a new one with a better duct system.
The vent should always end outside the house. If you somehow leave it ending in the wall, it will heat the walls and, ultimately, your house. Such vents are also hazardous.
Range Hood Mounting Height
Different types of stove and their Range Hood Height in the table section below
| Stove Type | Range Hood Height |
| Electrical stove | 20 to 24 inches |
| Gas stove | 24 to 30 inches |
| Indoor stove | 28 to 36 inches |
| Outdoor stove | 36 to 42 inches |
The above-mentioned heights are their minimum and maximum range. If the hood is mounted close to the cooktop, it may get damaged. If the hood is mounted too far from the cooktop, it will not able to catch fumes.
Step by step guide on how to replace a range hood
Step 1: Remove the Old Range Hood
Since an old hood would be all dirty and greasy, you should come up with a pair of gloves. Turn off the power from the circuit breaker before removing the hood. Begin by detaching the cover plate and filter.
Remove the hood by breaking all the connections. Separate the connections by removing the wire nuts and thus detach all the wires.
Now, you simply need to loosen the nuts that are holding the hood in place. Never do it alone. There must be someone to hold the hood while you loosen the nuts. Try lifting the hood of the screws and put it down. After that, detach the screws.
There you go. The old hood is removed, and now you are ready to fit a new one.
Step 2: Carefully Purchase a New Hood
You need to consider the space above your stove before purchasing a range hood. The hood should be wide enough to cover the top of the stove. It is better to get a hood that is about an inch bigger from all the sides of the stove.
The most important factor while purchasing a range hood is its CFM. CFM of a hood decides how much air does it takes in during each minute. A hood with around 250 CFM is considered good. But if your kitchen is quite big, you need to get something around 400 CFM.
Step 3: Remove Filter and other Parts of the New Range Hood
Begin by separating the filters and the panels. Usually, a duct connector is attached to the underside of the hood. It is attached to avoid any sort of damage during the shipping. By using a hammer and a screwdriver, remove the duct.
Preparing for Installing new Range Hood
Tools and materials You will need:
- A new range hood
- Screwdriver
- Tester
- Drill
- Flat blade screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
Step 1: Prepare Venting
Since you are replacing the range hood, you are likely to have a vent. You need to prepare the vent according to the given instructions. At this point, you can also prepare a new vent. However, you might need to add some additional ductwork. Make sure that the duct finally goes out of your house. It can never terminate in the wall.
Let us say the electrical cable of your home comes from the wall; you need to detach the knockout of the cable clamp from the backside of the hood for perfect attachment.
Step 2: Drill the Screws and Mounting Bracket
To drill the screws and mounting brackets perfectly, it is recommended to mark the holes using a pencil. You will again need a helper for this step to hold the range hood in place with which you can mark the holes.
After successfully marking the holes, drill the screws with perfections. This step is very crucial, and how you do it depends on whether you are installing the range hood in the cabinet or the wall.
If you are installing the hood into the wall, make sure to insert the screws fully to the end. In case your wall is tiled, avoid using a drill. Rather, a hammer and a nail set would work better and keep the tiles safe as well.
On the other hand, if you are installing a range hood in the cabinet, you only need to insert the screws halfway through the cabinet. For very thin cabinets, it is ideal to install a wooden block for better strength.
Step 3: Install the Hood
Align the hood in place and make sure the ductwork matches the hole. Align the hood correctly and then hold the hood in such a way that the screws pass the slots of the hood. This will push the electrical cable into the wall.
Step 4: Connect all the Wires Together
As the cables will be pushed into the wall, now move these cables from the cable holder. Before this step, use a tester to ensure that the power is off. By using connectors, connect the cables of the hood with that of the house’s cables. Make sure white goes with the white and black with black.
After that, connect the green grounding wire to the grounding screw of the hood. Proceed to plug in the hood in the electric plug.
Step 5: Re-attach the Filter and Bottom Panel
Re-attach the light bulbs, filter, and cover plate to the range hood. At this point, the installation is all done. Now, turn on the circuit breaker and then turn the hood on. Check to see if the lights and fans are working all fine.
Now cook your favorite meal without having to worry about a noisy fan and falling crud. Clean the cardboard placed on the top of the stove, and you are good to go.
In Conclusion
The process of replacing a vent hood is quite easier when compared to installing it for the first time. Replacing is easier as you do not have to cut out the vent and install a plug outlet.
Carefully place cardboard over the stove to prevent any damage to it while removing and replacing the vent hood. Wear gloves and deal with filters cautiously since they are quite sharp. It only takes a few steps to understand how to replace a range hood. Follow the guide for the perfect results.