Get better results and reduce noise with Naber ducting
Ducting can make a significant impact to the performance of a rangehood. We all know that rangehoods are required now in any new homes, or existing homes where these are rented out. However a lot of people actually don’t realise that the ducting can make a significant contribution to the overall performance of the rangehood.
Most often people will pick a rangehood that they like the look of, has all the bells and whistles and is priced within their budget, and they think that is the end of the matter. However in the 18 years we’ve been in business, the majority of complaints we get around rangehoods is for what people believe is poor performance. However in a high percentage of these cases, it’s not actually the rangehood at fault but more the way in which it was installed or ducted.
Quite often trouble begins when a run-of-the-mill ducting kit is picked up from the local DIY store and it’s installed without any calculation to how this will affect the performance of the rangehood. Bends that are too tight, ducting too far and flimsy ducting which isn’t sealed are the main contributing factors when performance issues happen.
The traditional household only requires approx. 500 cubic m/hr of extraction. Clearly this alters based on the size of the room, airflow, what they cook and how often they cook. The design of the kitchen also affects the extraction of the rangehood efficiency.
How can I improve my extraction to get better use out of my rangehood?
There are a number of things you can do to improve your performance so that your rangehood is working as effective as it possibly can:
1. The rangehood should have a larger width of ‘vents’ compared to the size of the cooktop
2. The further away the rangehood is placed, or motor for that instance, has a substantial impact
3. The ducting and type of ducting you use can have a significant impact.
Here at Ikon we always recommend rigid ducting. This is because normal aluminium ducting creates hole-vents which allows the air to stop and get caught up in the creases of the aluminium, whereby Naber ducting is free from creases.
The biggest issue we see is bends in the ducting. When installing ducting we find to make installation easier, ducting can be bent too far. This means the air flow hits the edge of the bend and struggles its way around the corner, thereby reducing the air flow significantly. With Naber, in all bends there are internal wind bends to allow the flow of air to move quicker around the corner. The Naber ducting doesn’t pierce and is sealed within each other (male and female ends), so they clip in and air flow cannot exit the ducting.
The last consideration is when a rangehood has to work harder to extract air that’s getting blocked in the ducting, this in turn also creates more noise. So often we hear people saying ‘my rangehood is like a jet engine so we don’t use it’. A 3 speed rangehood will always be noisier than rangehoods that have more speeds, but ducting will also have a huge impact on the noise levels. It is now possible to filter rangehoods by the number of speed settings on our rangehood collection overview page. If you’re looking for some serious capacity, our IK79.9 powerpacks have nine speeds!
AIRFLOW POWER
We are now seeing the kitchen industry taking particular care when planning kitchens making sure to discuss ducting with the homeowner at the design stage. Not many people know that you can achieve an extra 10-15% increase in flow and decrease in noise by using the right ducting for your rangehood.
The airflow power required normally depends on the size of kitchen and type of cooking. The correct airflow for your specific kitchen can be easily worked out.
Simply multiply the volume of the kitchen by ten and you will obtain the ideal airflow for that room.
For example, for a kitchen of 3m x 4m with a height of 2.7m: (3 x 4 x 2.7) x 10 = 324. In this case, any Ikon cooker hood with airflow equal to or superior to 324 m3/h will therefore guarantee the complete and efficient ventilation of the room. For a large family, for those who love cooking as an art, or where a group of friends are gathered together in a spacious kitchen to experiment with some exotic recipes, the hood capacity should be over 500 m3/h.
Effective capture of cooking fumes also depends on the correct use of the product, where the product is mounted, what you are cooking and how and how the rangehood is ducted.
PASSIVE HOMES
Exhaust air systems are recommended for low-energy buildings such as passive houses.
The Naber THERMOBOX is designed to keep the warmth inside when the extractor hood is not in use, while it effectively conducts the exhaust air to the outside when in operation. Naber systems are compatible with almost all cooker hoods available on the market and offer several options for installation. The air ducts can be installed invisibly in ceilings and cabinets or as visible room elements. They are energy efficient exhaust systems that have a vent that closes when not in use. They have been specifically approved for use in passive homes.