You’re our first priority.
Every time.
Southern Smoke BBQ is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more
Before answering how many CFM my range hood needs, we must first learn about them. A range hood is an exoteric kitchen component, particularly for today's age that needs fresh air. Range hood inhales cooking odors and smoke and expels them outside.
Having a decent range hood makes sense when you consider how cooking affects indoor air quality. Steam, smoke, food particles, and grease from the stove may go into the air. A good range hood filters it out, preventing it from collecting into your home's materials. How to pick a range hood is explained. We discuss kitchen and cooking style CFM needs.
How range hoods improve indoor air quality. Some variables affect range hood installation. The range hood won't operate properly otherwise.
What is CFM for Range Hoods?
Gets this question often. Let's chat CFM to keep your kitchen clean and odor-free.
Range kitchen hood ventilation is measured in CFM (CFM). At maximum speed, the range hood exhausts CFM. The greater the CFM, the more air your hood vents.
For every 10,000 BTUs of cooktop heat, your range hood needs 100 CFM. 100,000 BTU stoves require 1000 CFM range hoods. Electric stove width times 10 For a 42" electric stove, you need 420 CFM.
We propose a range hood with 600 CFM to vent the kitchen exhaust.
Remember that there are no "perfect" range hoods CFM, just a CFM that is suited for your cooking style and habits. There is no universally excellent range hood. Everyone's ideal range varies. Your cooktop and cooking style are factors.
How to Calculate the Right CFM for Your Home
Airflow capacity is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), or how much air a fan can discharge in one minute. Therefore, CFM should decrease. The range hood will capture less air every minute. CFM measures a fan's airflow in a given time.
How to calculate a kitchen exhaust fan is key for accurate sizing. In this context, calculating CFM and fan size should be common knowledge. When estimating CFM for a range hood, consider the stove's size, the kitchen's square footage, the range hood's design, and the kitchen's layout. The important factors are as follows:
- Type of range hood
- Type of stove: gas or electric?
- Room size
- Ductwork
Determining the Exact CFM for Range Hood.
Calculating range hood CFM is easy. Mathematically. Here, we learn how to measure kitchen CFM. No CFM is customizable. Less powerful exhaust fans can't expel more air. Bigger exhaust fans need larger range hoods. If you don't measure CFM and get a bigger range hood, your kitchen's aesthetics may suffer.
Determining the CFM based on Kitchen Size
CFM needed? Common question: the kitchen. Also essential for fresh kitchen air. The kitchen's size determines the CFM. Larger kitchens require more ventilation.
The range hood should exchange air 15-20 times every hour. Your kitchen's 16' width, 16' length, and 8' height equal 2048 cubic feet.
Multiply cu ft by air exchanges per hour. 15x2048 Equals 30,720 cubic feet. This is the range hood's hourly airflow.
Divide the sum by 60 to obtain the per-minute value. 30720 cu ft/60 min=512 CFM. According to kitchen size, you need 512 CFM.
Determining the CFM based on Gas Stove
The range hood must ventilate the inside air, particularly stove-generated heat, to keep it fresh. CFM depends on the gas stove's total burners. Gas stoves provide more heat than electric ranges.
The CFM for your range hood is determined by adding all gas burners' BTU values. First, what is BTU? BTU measures the heat needed to raise 1 lb of water 1°F. According to BTU, 1 CFM equals 100 BTU.
Burner BTUs vary. 4,000-16,000 BTU. Burners average 10,500 BTU. Consider a four-burner gas stove. Burners have 10,500 BTU. So, 42,000 BTU for 4 burners. Divide by 100 to find your kitchen's CFM. 42,000/100= 420 CFM. For proper exhalation, your kitchen needs 420 CFM.
Electric Stovetops with Ducted Ventilation Systems
Wall-mounted & Under-cabinet range hoods - As a rule of thumb, you'll need 100 CFM for every linear foot of cooktop when installing a range hood, whether it's wall-mounted or under a cabinet. Common stove tops are 30 inches broad, or 2.5 feet. To reach the required CFM needs, you’ll need a range hood with 250 CFM.
Multiplying a cooking surface width of 2.5 feet by 100 cubic feet per minute yields a figure of 250 CFM.
Island hoods – 150 CFM is the standard for ventilation in island kitchens. A kitchen island range requires more electricity because of its exposed design. Typically, a range hood with 375 CFM is required for a 30" cooktop.
For a stovetop that is 2.5 feet broad and requires 150 CFM of ventilation, the total required amount of airflow is 375 CFM.
Our prototype fits inside a 30 by 60-inch cooking space, but your stove may be 20 by 60 inches or even much smaller. Measure or verify the specifications in your user handbook to be sure.
Range Hood Duct Measurements for Calculating CFM
Some variables affect the cfm output of the range hood calculator. Ductwork is the most crucial of them. The vent hood, it describes its form, dimensions, and height. The range hood's full airflow capability is diminished by the resistance introduced by the ductwork.
To calculate the CFM requirements, we use 1 CFM per foot of smooth metal pipe that is about 8 inches in diameter, 30 CFM for each elbow, and 55 CFM for the rooftop. You have a 15-inch long vent pipe with three elbows and a roof cap, for instance. Pipe length = 15 CFM; Elbows = 30 CFM each; Roof Cap = 55 CFM; Total CFM Capacity = 160 CFM.
Ductwork
Lastly, think about the ductwork in your home. The length of the duct is an important factor to think about since the fan needs to move air past the filter and then out the vent. The diameter of these tubes is normally about 6 inches and they are completely circular. A further CFM is required for each linear foot of tubing. Add 25 CFM to each tube and 40 CFM to the cap if the hose includes elbows.
Calculation Result
Yes, it is necessary to consider all of the variables and calculate the maximum CFM. Let's say your kitchen is 512 square feet, your range is 420 square feet, and your BTU needs a total of 512 cubic feet of air. Select the option with the highest CFM value (512) from the three available. You may acquire the correct CFM by adding 160 CFM for the range hood ductwork.
We get 672 CFM and 700 CFM by adding 512 and 160. Pick a nice, round number. Therefore, 700 CFM is the very minimum need.
Commercial CFM Data Table
| Model of Hood | Light Duty Appliances | Medium Duty Appliances | Heavy Duty Appliances | Extra-Heavy-duty Appliances |
| Wall-Mounted Canopy | 150-200 | 200-300 | 200-400 | More than 350 |
| Single Island Canopy | 250-300 | 300-400 | 300-600 | More than 550 |
| Double Island Canopy | 150-200 | 200-300 | 250-400 | More than 500 |
| Eye Brow | 150-250 | 150-200 |
Determine the Correct CFM Value
How can you know which computation is correct when there are so many variables? Simple. Choose the highest possible CFM value. Find a range hood that can handle your cooking fumes while yet keeping you sane with its silent functioning. Variable fan speeds, a baffle filter that can be washed in the dishwasher, touch-panel control, an energy-efficient LED light, and a design that complements your kitchen are all additional things to consider.
The high-performance range hoods sold by Hauslane are suitable for the vast majority of homes' kitchens. Hood fans in Hauslane ranges are almost as powerful as those found in professional kitchen appliances. So even when you're using your stovetop to its absolute maximum, you won't have to worry about smoke or unpleasant odors filling your house.
Other Factors & Issues to Consider
Ideal range hoods include a strong, silent fan, a decent filter, and an exterior vent. Not always. Common range hood problems:
- No outside ventilation - Stoves on apartment building interior walls cannot be ducted outdoors. In that situation, you probably have a ductless range hood, which is a fan that pushes cooking air through a filter and into the room. This isn't fair.
- Range hoods and filters require frequent cleaning to be effective.
- Some kitchen exhaust fans are inefficient. They're loud, but they're useless. They lack CFM.
- Unplugged. Turn on the fan 10-15 minutes before starting the stove. After turning off the burner, keep the fan going for roughly as long. This more running time improves filtering and reduces pollutant inhalation.
Avoiding the Use of Your Kitchen Exhaust Fan and the Risks Involved
Exposure to polluted indoor air may harm one's health. Short-term exposure to pollution may result in asthma episodes, eye, nose, and throat irritation, as well as headaches, dizziness, and tiredness. Short-term reactions often subside on their own with less exposure, but long-term exposure to inadequate ventilation in the house may lead to chronic respiratory disorders, heart disease, cancer, and even death.
Everyone Asks About how many CFM does range hood needs
Q. How many CFM for a range hood do I really need?
To power your range hood, you need at least 100 CFM for every 10,000 BTUs of your stovetop. For example, a 100,000 BTU stove needs at least a 1000 CFM range hood. For electric stoves, multiply the stove width by 10. So, for a 42” electric stove you want a range hood with at least 420 CFM.
Q. Is 300 CFM or 400 CFM better?
CFM stands for Cubic Feet per Minute and is a measurement of the cubic feet per minute of air a fan can draw. This means that the higher the CFM, the more powerful the air suction. So a 1000 CFM fan will draw more air than say, a 400 CFM.
Q. Is 350 CFM enough for the range hood?
The air movement or power for range hoods is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Commercial kitchens or households that do a lot of heavy cooking need to get a range hood with at least 350 CFM. This amount of power is enough to pull out excess steam and strong odors from the kitchen.
Q. How many CFM do I need for a gas range?
For gas cooking surfaces or range, a minimum ventilation level of 100 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) per 10,000 BTU is recommended. However, the hood must have a minimum of 500 CFM of ventilation power.
