One of important factors for housing is indoor’s microclimate. Its parameters are air temperature, relative air moisture and ventilation intensity. Air quality also depends on number of persons in the room and their activity. In the kitchen, the most important factors are cooking and roasting meals (sometimes even their consumption).

When designing and creating the kitchen you have to think of room ventilation and draining off air full of steam and margarine. Ventilation is naturaly done through the windows but in these days the kitchen is often connected with other rooms so hood is needed in place where meals are prepared. Important stuff - there must be an underpressure in the kitchen and the air which is drained off the room must be replaced by the air from other rooms. This helps to stop spreading smells and steams and it also helps to stop settling grease on the walls. Well placed hood fulfil these needs.

The most important parameter of hood is its air performance - quantity of air drained off in certain time. [m3/hr.]. The most usual hoods for kitchens are aviliable in width of 600mm and 900mm (special hoods with special construction are also made).Exhausted air should be drained off above the house roof or through the walls to exterior. Air which is drained off the room is replaced by the air from other rooms. In cooperation with designer you can also think of using warm of drained air.

There is also another way of using hoods. It uses circulation of drained air. Grease in this air is filtered by special filters and cleaned air flows back to the room. Filters must be changed or cleaned after certain time.

Illustration photo: kitchen hood ELICA