Help! Cooling fan, convection fan, .... what do i need to know?

16 years ago

I am now in the process of selecting appliances (a range and a smaller wall oven, both with convection) and, after reading this forum, the issue that stands out is the fan noise in some ranges and ovens.

I have only had old appliances which had no fans so wasn't even aware it could be an issue. But now I am worried. Our addition plan includes a kitchen which is open to the LR and FR. So we are going to be often cooking while someone is either playing piano in the LR or watching TV in the FR nearby (it isn't a big house).

First, is it really an issue?

Second, how do I go about checking that on those ranges and ovens? Do I ask the store to turn each of them on? Also it seems that the cooling fans come up randomly, even when cooking on the stovetop, is this true? In that case, is it possible to get it to turn on in the store?

annab6

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Comments (11)

eandhl
16 years ago
To me it is an issue. My old JenAir range convection fan was so noisy I didn't use it. It just wasn't worth it. Now my present Thermador (electric) is so quiet I actually check in the oven with a flashlight to be sure it was working. I am interested in the GE Cafe but someone mentioned the cooling fan was noisy, a call to GE confirmed the cooling fan can come on any time. So now I am very hesitant and waiting for more feedback. Some people aren't bothered by noise some are.
weissman
16 years ago
Generally a cooling fan won't come on unless you use the oven - using the cooktop won't cause the cooling fan to come on. Most appliances won't be set up in stores to let you test the fans and even if they are set up, it will be easy to test the convection fan but the cooling fan won't come on until the oven gets very hot.Personally, I think the issue of fan noise is overblown, so to speak :-). My range has both a convection fan and a cooling fan and it's just not a big deal although I can't say how the noise of mine compares to others.
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dadoes
16 years ago
My GE Profile free-standing range doesn't have a cooling fan for the controls, but it does have convection. It's quiet. The frequent clicking of the relays on the control board generates more noise than the convection fan.
pammo
16 years ago
My house is small and this was a significant issue for me as well. After reading as much as I could online, I chose Miele ovens and haven't been disappointed. I was constrained to 27". There may be quieter 30" ovens, but I didn't spend time looking at those.
alku05
16 years ago
If you can, try to find live appliances so that you can hear them in person. Noise is a very subjective thing, and quiet to you may be loud to me. Also keep in mind that an oven in a big showroom may seem quieter than that same oven in your smaller kitchen. So if it's not quiet in the showroom, it'll be even louder in your home.
flseadog
16 years ago
Anyone have a Thermador PO30l? How loud is the convection fan noise? How loud and long is the cooling fan noise? Our kitchen will be open to the great room (family room and only dining room) and I have two issues: 1. don't want to deafen/annoy family and guests 2. my hearing loss is such that cooling/convection fan noise itself doesn't bother me but does interfere with my ability to follow conversations.

Gratuitous advice to young people: never, ever stay seated by oversized speakers at a concert no matter how hard you worked to get the tickets.
carguy60
16 years ago
We have the Thermador Me271e convection oven. I believe that this is similar to the PO301 other than it is 27". I do not think you will have trouble with the noise of the fans. The electronics cooling fan runs during and for 1/2 hour after you have finished cooking. It is very quiet. I have never really "heard" the fans.
either the cooling or the convection fan.

Good Luck
c9pilot
16 years ago
We have the KA combo convection oven and the cooling fan is quite noticeable. It's also on whenever the convection is on, so I'm not sure if it's the convection fan or the cooling fan, but I suspect it's the cooling fan.

We have a pretty loud house (dog, boys, parrots, music, news, etc) and open floor plan, so it doesn't really bother us.

I do appreciate it because it works really, really well to dissipate the heat. Living in Florida and trying to conserve a/c, I don't want a "hot spot" in my kitchen, especially right in the middle of my galley-shape. For this reason I also really, really like my ventilation hood and I use it even when I'm using the oven on my range.
fandlil
16 years ago
Bosch takes pride in making whisper quiet appliances. Their dishwasher is probably the quietest on the market. We also have a Bosch gas range with convection. It has no cooling fan (or at least I don't think it has one). The convection fan is very quiet. We hardly know it's on.

You might check Consumer Reports ratings. They may have rated the noise level of these fans.
momotom
16 years ago
Go for Miele, I did extensive research on this topic before buying as my husband can't stand noise of any kind. Miele's oven fan's are absolutely dead quiet.
flseadog
16 years ago
Thank you everyone. Many other considerations have led me to go with the GE Monogram ZET 1 SMSS so I'll just hope that the hum of the oven, the range hood, the convection/microwave and the dishwasher all harmonize with the clicks and pops of the induction cook top. My new mantra: if you can't stand the noise stay out of the kitchen.