Cooker hoods are modern household appliances that help solve the problem of cleaning indoor air. When choosing a hood for the kitchen, many pay attention, first of all, to the design, size, shape, power, color, material, as well as the most important factor - its noise.
For many, it is also important to have a lighting function, sensors that respond to humidity, temperature changes, as well as a panel or device for remote control. The price of this device also plays an important role.
But when choosing a hood for the kitchen, you need to pay special attention to the quality of noise, since such a hood will make being in the kitchen pleasant for any housewife.
Such an attribute not only allows you to get rid of unnecessary odors, but also provides an opportunity to listen to your favorite music in the kitchen, watch TV, or just talk to each other or on the phone without raising your voice without unnecessary obstacles. In addition, housewives who have a baby in the house can turn on such a quiet hood without worrying that its sound will wake the sleeping baby, so you can safely cook lunch or dinner while the baby is sleeping. In addition, a quiet range hood is an excellent solution for a kitchen that is combined with a living room. Excessive odors will not get into such a living room and family members or guests will not be disturbed by the noise of such a hood.
Views
For the correct choice of hoods, it is necessary to have information about their quality characteristics. Knowing them, you can easily choose the type of hood that is right for you and will be less noisy. According to the criterion of the principle of operation, such hoods are distinguished that absolutely remove the drawn air, throwing it out of the kitchen. Such a hood model is called a branch hood. The ventilation of this design is directed to the general household ventilation compartment or to the street through the wall of the house.
The second type of hood according to the principle of operation is a recirculation hood. This device does not remove air from the room at all, but, on the contrary, sucks it inside, where the air passes two levels of filtration and, already in a purified form, without unnecessary odors, returns back to the kitchen. Such a hood is also called filtration hood.
Silent kitchen hoods also differ in the types of their attachment. So, the most classic type of such hoods are chimney hoods, which got their name due to the fact that they were previously used to remove chimney smoke, but now they are very popular for modern kitchens and are separate kitchen devices. Chimney hoods for the kitchen, depending on the mechanism, can be very quiet and, as a rule, they are in the shape of a truncated cone. In another way, they are called domed, they are quite large in size and in view of this, for this type of hoods a specially designated space and a reliable way of fixing them are required.
Another type is suspended hoods. Compared to previous models of silent hoods, they are more compact, but no less efficient. Such a hood can be built into any part of the kitchen or hung under a kitchen cabinet. Such a silent hood has a small size and a more affordable price, it is perfect for even the smallest kitchen and will provide good sound insulation. In addition, these quiet hoods are also completely invisible in the kitchen and take up a minimum amount of space.
Another type of silent kitchen hoods is island hoods, which are appliances in the form of a table - an island. This option is better suited for a large, spacious kitchen. In addition to the shape of the table, such hoods can have a wide variety of looks, they can even be built into the ceiling.
Since this element of the kitchen is quite large and it is still difficult to hide it, many decorate them with various patterns and elements, such hoods have decor up to antique design, so such a hood can become an independent and very interesting element of the interior. These hoods are quite expensive, but at the same time very powerful, they perfectly clean the air and do not make unnecessary noise.
Depending on the location of the kitchen hoods, front and corner models are distinguished. Corner hoods are more suitable for kitchens with a small area, they take up very little space and are perfect for rooms in which the stove or hob has an angular arrangement. In addition, angular placement will help minimize noise and make it quieter. Due to its compactness, the corner silent hood will help to expand the efficiency of using the kitchen area, which is very convenient and functional.
When choosing a silent kitchen hood, also pay attention to its size, it should be proportional to the size of the stove. An oversized cooker hood will look ridiculous and resemble a visor over a hob, so it can ruin your kitchen design. Many manufacturers produce silent kitchen hoods that are suitable for a specific model and size of the stove, so now the choice of such a device is very simple.
What determines the noise
This important characteristic of a cooker hood depends mainly on its power. That is, the more powerful the hood, the higher the noise level. The noise level is also influenced by the performance of the cooker hood.
Performance is an indicator that determines the volume of air in cubic meters that this device will pass through itself and the filter in an hour. The hood performance can be calculated using a special formula, so you can easily determine which hood with which performance indicator is right for your kitchen. Keep in mind that for a kitchen with a small area, you should not purchase a high-performance hood, since a small one is enough, especially since such a hood will be more noisy.
You need to carry out the following calculation: multiply the length, width and height of the room, the resulting volume must be multiplied by twelve. The resulting indicator characterizes the amount of air passing through the hood per hour during cooking in your kitchen.
The outlet type of kitchen hood can be selected according to a similar calculation, only by multiplying the indicator by 1.3, which is necessary to take into account the length of the air outlet and the shaft with ventilation. So you can determine the performance of the hood, on which its noise directly depends. During the operation of the hood, the noise comes from its motor, therefore, the higher the hood performance, the more powerful the motor with which it is equipped will be, and the more powerful motor, in turn, produces a higher noise level.
The quietest
Manufacturers strive to create the quietest hood, for this they use very quiet fans that are practically not perceived by the ears of an ordinary person. The quietest hoods are considered to be devices equipped with special electric motors that operate almost silently. For noise insulation, manufacturers use cabinet panels that hardly transmit sound. Such hoods are most comfortable for human perception.
Another tactical move of the hood manufacturers for noise insulation of their mechanism is the use of gaskets with an anti-vibration effect.
Many manufacturers, when creating this device, give preference only to the most modern and high quality materials, which affects the price of such kitchen hoods, and, accordingly, such devices are quieter. Another way to minimize the noise of the hood is to install two fans at once, since their joint operation reduces the engine speed and, subsequently, the noise of the entire structure of the kitchen hood as a whole decreases. Manufacturers are hiring aerodynamic scientists to develop these devices, who calculate the power and noise levels of the hood by optimizing the air flow. These methods make the use of cooker hoods quieter and therefore more comfortable.
Myth or Reality?
Many manufacturers claim that their hoods are absolutely silent, but this is just a publicity stunt, because if you find out the feedback from users of this device, it is fashionable to conclude that there are no completely silent hoods. All types of hoods emit some kind of sound, noise, the difference between different hoods is only in how strong the noise is. Manufacturers try to minimize the noise level in various ways, but it cannot be completely eliminated.
Now, almost every type of household appliance that emits any noise is indicated by an indicator characterizing its level. But each person is susceptible to this indicator in his own way, so one hood for someone will seem very quiet, and for another quite noisy. When there is absolute silence in your kitchen or in the living room where the hood is installed, that is, all technical devices are turned off, then the noise level still takes place. This is especially true for city dwellers, as a rule, the sound background of a standard city apartment is about thirty decibels. The critical noise level that causes discomfort to every person is a noise level of about one hundred and twenty decibels.
Nowadays, companies that produce kitchen hoods use a lot of tools and technologies to keep the noise level of hoods lower. The hood is considered the quietest, the motor of which is placed in a special case, which ensures its sound insulation. Some models of cooker hoods have a panel with which you can adjust the noise level of this appliance. So, you can set the required modality of this appliance, which suits you in a particular situation, and, accordingly, in this way you can reduce the noise of the hood. When you do not need a high power of the cooker hood, you can lower it, and thus reduce the noise level.
Selection rules
In order to choose a hood that emits a minimum noise level, you need to follow a few important tips. You should not buy a hood that is too powerful, especially if the size of your kitchen does not require it, although it will be efficient, it will be too noisy for a small room. The most optimal noise level for the human ear is about forty decibels, so try to buy a hood, the noise level of which does not exceed this indicator. Try to get a cooker hood that will have a remote control or control panel with which you can select its suitable operating mode, adjust the power, and, consequently, the noise level of this household appliance.
Another factor that can affect the sound volume of the cooker hood is the level of soiling. Uncleaned filter elements of this device work much louder than cleaned ones. It is also necessary to clean the air vents, since their contamination can also provoke an increase in the noise level of the kitchen hood. That is why, when purchasing this device, it is necessary to buy special cleaning agents and devices with it. When choosing a kitchen hood, remember that there are no completely silent hoods, each such device emits sounds, so give preference to the device with the most comfortable noise level for you individually.