Focus on Extractors

By LOUISE PARKIN for SELF BUILD & DESIGN

The extractor is an essential element for good circulation and keeping the air clean and fresh. It can also be a sculptural statement in its own right, suggests Louise Parkin.

No longer merely an understated utilitarian appliance, the cooker hood has become a stylish focal point, with improvements in technology to match. Practicality still drives what will work in a kitchen, with room size, hob location and hob size being the key points to consider.

Energy usage and extraction rates are at the forefront of homeowners' minds, and many extractors achieve energy ratings of A and higher. Extraction rates vary quite widely, and the bigger the room, the more powerful the extractor will need to be.

There are two types of extraction, depending on the location of the hob in relation to an external wall. A ducted extractor has pipework that expels the steam and odours out of the house. A recirculating hood does not need any ducting, instead using a metal grease filter to extract the grease, and an active carbon filter to absorb the odours. The cleaned air is then recirculated back into the room.

A ducted extractor should be positioned no more than five metres from an external wall, a measurement that reduces by 1.2m for each right-angled bend in the ducting.

A recirculating hood can be fitted almost anywhere, as all filters are contained within the extractor body, and while they are sometimes not as effective as ducted models, they perform satisfactorily.

Rigid ducting kits are available for both high line and downdraft extractors, but flexible hose from a builders' merchant can work just as effectively.

There are a number of cooker hood types, including downdraft extractors, which sit behind or to the side of the hob, or can be integrated within the hob, bisecting the two halves of the cooktop. Some downdraft models rise up out of the worktop, retracting back when not in use. Their powerful suction draws steam and odours into ducting concealed in the cabinetry below, although the further the extractor is from the hob, the less effective it is.

Integrated hoods can be built into cabinetry, blending in with the wider kitchen and maximising storage space around the extractor itself. An angled hood, looking rather like an angled TV screen, is a sleek option that allows greater access to the hob without corners getting in the way.

Ceiling extractors sit flush with the ceiling, which is ideal for islands or for taller homeowners, as sightlines are not interrupted, nor are heads bumped. They need up to 400mm of space in the ceiling, and are not the best choice for rooms with high ceilings.

Traditional canopy hoods can be used with most perimeter-fitted hobs, and should be installed no higher than 750mm above the stove for a gas hob, and 650mm for an electric one.

The rise of open-plan living/dining/kitchens means that the noise emitted by extractors is under closer scrutiny. There are a number of quieter models on the market that do not suffer in terms of performance.

Poppy Szkiler, founder and CEO of Quiet Mark, which promotes quieter appliances and technology in the home, says:

"Sound is measured in decibels, which is a logarithmic scale where the sound power doubles every 3 dB. As a guide a whisper is 30 dB and a conversation is around 60 dB. Investing in world-class acoustic design in the hub of your home is an investment in the health and happiness of your loved ones because sound profoundly affects our stress levels, productivity, brainwaves, heart rate, all our physical rhythms.

"Cooker hoods can be noise polluters an d the sound level displayed in decibels on the EU energy label will indicate the output at the hood's highest air-draw setting. This should ideally be under 60 dB. Opting for a hood with multiple settings offers more noise level choice."

Silent night

These cooker hoods are in the top 20 per cent for quiet operation, as approved by Quiet Mark, an independent global certification programme that identifies the quietest products in the appliances and technology markets.

Novy's Pure Line (above) achieves a noise output of just 55Db at level three, and just 59 dB on power boost.

Falmec's NRS collection, including the Zenith hood (below), features the company's patented Noise Reduction System and achieves just 45 dB at level three, and 53 dB on power boost.

Read the original article in the June 2021 issue of SelfBuild & Design here.