If you’re installing a new kitchen, you’ll most likely be installing a range hood, and this article explains everything you need to know about what size and type of fan to choose.

In this article we will not talk about kitchen range hoods, which are something completely different (usually these are rectangular elements above the stove or oven). What we are talking about is the square fans that go on the wall or on the ceiling.

There are plenty of kitchen hoods out there, but which one is right for you? To start with, you need to get the correct fan size, which is 6 inches or 150mm.

If a fan is described as a kitchen fan but isn’t 6 inches, it’s almost certainly not the right fan for you.

This measurement is the pipe or spigot sticking out of the rear of the exhaust fan, not the diameter of the front of the fan!

4-inch (100mm) fans should only be used in bathrooms, toilets, and showers, never in kitchens. This is because they are not powerful enough to meet the requirements of building regulations. Currently, the requirements are as follows: For a toilet or WC, the minimum required extraction rate is 6 liters per second. In a bathroom, shower or wet room, you should install a fan with an extraction rate of at least 15 liters per second. The required rate for utility rooms is 30 liters per second. For kitchens, 2 different rates are required. If the extractor is to be installed next to the hob, it only needs to extract at a rate of 30 liters per second. However, if it is to be installed anywhere else in the kitchen, then the extraction rate should be at least 60 liters per second, or in other words 260 cubic meters per hour.

Now, there isn’t a 4-inch fan on the market that comes close to the required speed, so you have to get a 6-inch fan. There are also 9-inch and 12-inch fans available that are described as kitchen fans and can indeed serve that purpose, but almost always in commercial locations, they would be overkill for a domestic situation.

There are a few types of extractor fans available for a kitchen. The most common type has a lanyard attached so you can operate it whenever you want, it only turns on when you pull the lanyard and off when you pull it again. Usually the code will have a “P” at the end, for “Pullcord”. Usually this type of fan will suffice.

Or you can get a fan with an overrun timer (the code will usually have a “T” at the end for “Timer”. This fan will continue to run for a few minutes after you turn it off to help eliminate odors. or condensation after leaving the room.

Humidistat fans tend to be the most expensive type of fan and work regardless of whether or not you have turned them on. They will automatically turn on when the humidity level in the room reaches a certain level and turn off when it falls below that level. These fans usually have an “H” at the end of the code number, for “Humidistat”.

And that is! Your guide to buying the right exhaust fan for your kitchen.