Terms & Glossary

Air Capacity - Also called suction power. It measured with free airflow or in the evacuation mode (with 15PA at 200 m³/h) and indicates the volume of air aspirated in an hour. This last method faithfully simulates the traditional conditions of installation and use, providing correct and trustworthy information.

Air Outlet/Duct - The outlet is calculated against the performance of the hood; high performance hoods require a large outlet. Is the ensemble of the conduits that evacuate the aspirated air outside. The diameter of the aspiration conduit influences the effectiveness of your hood. The optimal diameter is 6” (150 mm).

Antigrease Filter - Manufactured with an aluminum frame and anodized. Filters in aluminum are washable in the dishwasher.

Booster - By pressing the button of the speed no. 3 for 3 seconds, the suction power of the motor fan is increased to the maximum level (speed no.4), moving back to the speed No.3 automatically after 10 minutes.

BTU British Thermal Unit - BTU’s are used to measure the heat output of gas cooking appliances. It’s the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit - best used as a comparison.

Canopy - The physical exterior portion of the hood. The purpose of a range hood canopy is to collect cooking vapors as they rise up from the cooking surface.

CFM - Cubic Feet per Minute of exhausting air flow. The higher the number, the greater the amount of air that is exhausted using the Range Hood. The recommended minimum hood capacity is 150 CFM to 160 CFM. For high output gas ranges or cook tops, the rate of 1 CFM of ventilation per 100 BTU is recommended.

Clean Air - By pressing the button ‘timer” for 3 seconds, this function automatically activates the motor fan for 10 minutes each hour at minimum speed, for a continuous change of the air in the kitchen.

Cleaning - The interior of stainless steel hoods should be wiped regularly with a clean damp cloth and mild household dish detergent or degreasers. The internal components are sensitive electronic items and should not be exposed to water – use a damp cloth only. Use a non-abrasive foaming-type stainless steel cleaner for exterior surfaces. Do not use abrasive cleaners as these will destroy the brushed finish.

Convertible/Combination - Refers to a hood that can be installed in different ducting modes. Typically a "convertible hood" can accommodate: ducted or non-ducted applications available at installation.

Damper - A device used to vary airflow through an air duct. A damper may be immovable, manually adjustable, or part of an automated system.

Ducted Hoods,Duct or Ducting - Also known as vented hoods. Ductwork draws the pollutants out of the home. Wherever possible, vent externally. High BTU gas cooking equipment should always be ducted to the outside of the home. For best results and maximum performance, keep the duct straight and as short as possible, with the number of elbows being kept at a minimum in order not to degrade the efficiency of clean airflow. Duct is attached to the top of a range hood and serves to exhaust cooking contaminants to the outside air. The duct should be attached to an appropriate wall louver or roof jack.

Exhaust - Mechanical removal of air from a portion of a building

External Blower - A blower unit that is mounted outside of the home on the wall or roof. The range hood canopy will contain mesh or baffle filters to extract grease.

Filter  - Washer and dryer filters collect fibers to prevent their being re-circulated through a washer or dryer. Dishwasher filters keep food from being re-deposited on dishes. Filters are either self-cleaning or are removable for periodic cleaning by hand

Grease - A sticky film, which can become rancid, turn into fungus, and attract insects. Over one gallon of grease per year is generated in the average American home.

Hazardous Gases - Gases that are generated as a by-product of ignited natural gas. Nitrogen Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide are of the most concern if not removed from the home.

Heat - Created when a range burner is turned on. The heat from a standard four burner cook top cancels out the efforts of one ton air conditioner if heat is not removed from the home.

Holding Capacity - The interior space of a canopy. Generally speaking, the more powerful the cooking equipment beneath it, the larger the holding capacity that is required.

Input - Is the value in watts (W) of the electrical power absorbed by the hood in function. It varies according to the speed selected and the lights switched on

Lighting System -  two types available on the market incandescent bulbs 40W or halogen spots 20W (Hafele uses halogen spots)

Liner or Liner Insert, Built-In (Power Pack) - A specialized range hood that is designed specifically to fit inside of a wood hood or other enclosure.

Main Control - It is the main component of the hood, where the customer can select the performance and d the various functions. There are several types available: slider switch, push buttons and luminous soft touch (all  Hafele hoods have soft touch).

Mounting - Wall-mounted, island-mounted and built-in-mounted

Mounting Height - The height off the cooking surface. The range hood should be hung at the recommended mounting height to allow for appropriate capture of cooking vapors.

Noise - Also called sone. The noise generated by the hood while functioning is shown in dB (A). For the most part the noise is generated by the flow of air that is created inside the hood during aspiration. The silence of a hood makes its use comfortable. A hood ensures comfort if it is effective with a noise level not superior to 55 dB (A).

Non-Ducted Hoods - Also known as recirculating or unvented hoods. Non-ducted filters trap some of the grease and odors from normal cooking, the humidity, smoke and heat will all be re-circulated back into the home. If the non-ducted filters are not regularly replaced, eventually the grease and odor catching effect will no longer protect the home from impurities.

Odor - The smell that is created during cooking. Odors are clingy, acidic, and will fade and deteriorate fabrics if not removed from the home.

Pressure - Pressure is similar to the suction power ability of the hood to propel the air far away through the tubing. The pressure is measured in Pa (Pascal. 1 Pa = 1 N/m²).

Recirculation Hoods - See Non-ducted Hoods

Remote Blower - See external blower

Roof Jack - An external venting piece on a roof of the home that connects to the duct on the range hood.

Smoke - Airborne carbon particles mixed with sulfuric acid. Smoke is an irritant to the eyes and poisonous to houseplants if not removed from the home.

Sone - An internationally recognized unit of loudness, measured in dBA.
Doubling the Sone value is equivalent to doubling the loudness. To get a sense of what one Sone represents, one Sone is equivalent to the sound of a quiet refrigerator in a quiet kitchen. Typically, the Sone level is measured at maximum CFM (speed); however, some newer products are also being tested at normal CFM (speed) settings to provide consumers with typical sound level information. Generally, the lower the number, the quieter the noise level.

Steam - Vaporized water. Steam can act as a “carrier” for other cooking contaminants if not removed from the home.

Suction Power - See Air Capacity.
 
Timer - It is a system that by simply pressing the button “timer” allows the hood to switch off automatically after 15 minutes.

TOverlap - Sizing the range hood to be wider than the cooking equipment. Whenever possible, the range hood should overlap the cooking surface by 3” on each end. For island hoods, this recommendation should be considered mandatory.

Unvented hoods - See Non-ducted Hoods

Vented Hoods  - See Ducted, Duct or Ducting

Wall Louver - An external venting piece on a side wall of the home that connects to the duct on the range hood

Watts - A measurement of the heat output of electric cooking appliances.