How do you choose the right range hood when you want it to be quiet? The answer to that question has two parts: how many sones the range hood makes and what kind of air output you’re looking for. Sones are a measure of how loud the fan sounds, with 1 sone being equivalent to the noise of your refrigerator running, while 10 sones is comparable to having a conversation in an office environment.
The 3 Different Types of Range Hoods
Are you looking for a range hood or hood fan to install in your kitchen? Or maybe you want to replace your old one. Either way, you’ll want to know what kind of ventilation options are available so that you can choose what is best for your home.
The first thing to know is that there are 3 types of ranges and each requires different kinds of fans and vents. There are also some other things to consider when choosing from among them:
New homes don’t come with ventilation, but if yours does then make sure it’s done by a professional who will take care to keep everything quiet – it may just be worth investing a little extra on that feature rather than having an eyesore (not to mention all those dirty dishes) sitting out in your kitchen for everyone else’s pleasure! An example would be InSinkErator brand products. They are generally considered one of if not THE quietest range hoods available.
The major factors affecting noise include motor size and fan speed: A bigger motor and slower fan speed means less noise while smaller motors or higher speeds equal more noise. Remember that you can usually install a much larger exhaust fan compared to what is required by code; plan accordingly based on how many amps and CFM you need versus what size is mandated by code as well as aesthetic considerations like style, function, etc… Example: Some homeowners elect to add double hoods instead of venting through windows when they have such an option because they find using the passive system doesn’t provide enough capacity for their needs or sounds too loud.
The Best Type of Range Hood for Your Kitchen
You may not have heard of sones before. They’re a measurement of sound that is often used to compare sound levels among noise-producing products. The higher a product’s sone rating, the louder it is. How does that translate into decibels? A 500-watt microwave—the kind most households contain—sounds like 78 decibels when it runs. A range hood with a low sone rating (20 or less) will be quieter than that, whereas one with a high sone rating (50 or more) will be significantly louder. By choosing your range hood based on its sone rating and cooking habits, you can make sure you buy one that works best for your kitchen. If you do things that produce extra smoke, such as boiling water over high heat or frying meat in large batches, then you might want a relatively noisy range hood.
If you don’t need those functions but want to save money instead, then consider getting a quiet range hood instead. If you hate hearing an annoying hum in your kitchen while doing everyday tasks like heating up food and boiling water, then opt for as quiet a model as possible.
The Best Range Hood I’ve Found Yet
The best range hood I’ve found is a Kenmore model sold on Amazon. It offers 5 sones, which is impressively quiet for a range hood. To put that into perspective, my dishwasher has 40 sones and my refrigerator has 35 sones—so, needless to say, it’s pretty quiet by comparison.
The Kenmore 50775150 model also comes with many nice perks. It includes dual-exhaust fans (which help it move more air than other range hoods of similar size), an LED light (the quietest type of lighting available), an electronic control panel (which makes operation easy), two clear-view vents (these allow you to see how much grease is in your filter without opening up any parts) and even a stainless steel exterior design (something you rarely see with range hoods).
When compared against competitors like Bosch or KitchenAid, Kenmore was clearly superior in all aspects: quieter, more functional and better-looking. Given all these attributes, it would be hard not to recommend Kenmore above its competitors; if you want one of the quietest range hoods out there, give them a look.
Understanding Decibel Levels
What’s a Decibel? Before you decide how many sones you need, you’ll need to understand decibels. When talking about noise levels, we use units called decibels (dB).
The SI unit of sound pressure is called a pascal (Pa). However, in audio and acoustics engineering, people often work with decibels (dB) instead of pascals.
Some background knowledge: 1 pascal is equal to one newton per square meter—the amount of force needed to give a mass of one kilogram an acceleration of one meter per second squared (1 N·m/kg2). A 10-decibel increase doubles that loudness; for example, 20 dB is twice as loud as 10 dB.