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achangb

Wolf Range hood and Broan / Best exterior blower combo

9 years ago

I have a wolf pro range hood pw482718, and I am looking to get an external blower. It seems like the wolf model 801642 1200 cfm remote blower, the Broan 335 remote blower, and the best EB12 seem almost like spitting images of each other. Does anybody have any experience hooking these two up (subzero and broan)? If so, were there are any modifications needed?

From what I have read elsewhere they should work, but its possible that I would need to either rewire the speed controller inside the hood fan, or switch it out entirely with the broan speed controller in its hood fans (SV03501). According to the Best FAQ on its blower"The speed on the EB12 can be made variable with a solid state speed control. Our switch model number is the 72W. Otherwise the Best hood controls would operate this blower."

I am in Canada so the wolf is about $1000 USD from my dealer, whereas I can get the broan 335 online for half the price. I guess I am looking for a definitive answer so I can make my decision.

Thanks!

For reference:

Wolf blower install

http://ca.subzero-wolf.com/en/assistance/answers/1200-cfmremote-blower-part-801642

Wolf blower parts list

http://www.mid-atlanticparts.com/order-m/Parts%20Manuals/wolf/OLD/Vent%20Blowers.pdf

Broan/ Best install / parts list

http://www.bestrangehoods.com/common/productDigitalAssethandler.ashx?id=e79dc577-558f-4ab1-9064-e783b3a2f397

Best hood fan wiring schematic showing how the speed controller hooks to the exterior blower:

http://www.bestrangehoods.com/common/productDigitalAssethandler.ashx?id=5d1c8f0b-cc44-4977-b1c1-9efe7cc6737e


Comments (15)

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    That's because they are. Where you would run into a problem is the rough in plate that attaches to the hood. The wolf hoods uses a rough in plate that is unique to them. The broan is a 332KR which probably will not fit the wolf hood without modification. If you want, call wolf and see if you can purchase the rough in plate from them directly to eliminate the problem.

  • 9 years ago

    Thanks guys for the quick response. Looking at the broan 332KR , it looks like a plate with an interface for a round duct and a wiring box. However after looking at my hood it appears that it already has this interface, a inline damper and a wiring box already inside the hood. I haven't seen any references for wolf needing a rough in plate for my particular hood so fingers crossed that it is already installed in the hood.....unless there is something to that plate that I'm missing.

    I think wolf hoods don't have sku's with factory installed blowers so they are ready for both, whereas broan/best have multiple skus with inline blowers so they have no need to include the rough in kit with these skus, hence the need for a separate kit for people wishing to convert their hood fans.

    One thing I noticed...best/broan all include wiring diagrams whereas wolf doesn't deem it necessary.

    Please feel free to correct me...I hope we can definitively put to rest whether or not these exterior blowers are compatible and save either people in the future from time and hassle, and some money!


    Wolf install (showing adapter plate already in hood)

    http://www.manualslib.com/manual/526494/Wolf-Pro-Wall-Ventilation-Hoods.html?page=14#manual


    Broan 332KR install / broan hood fan install

    http://www.broan.ca/common/productDigitalAssethandler.ashx?id=9fd348c3-a092-4c66-ae04-6eec1187bea9

    http://www.broan.ca/common/productDigitalAssethandler.ashx?id=5abb80c1-d3e7-4660-b8eb-23a43d0cee91

    Best hood fan install

    http://www.bestrangehoods.com/common/productDigitalAssethandler.ashx?id=5d1c8f0b-cc44-4977-b1c1-9efe7cc6737e


  • 9 years ago

    Are we talking exterior blower here, or interior?

    More snippets:

    • Wolf provides installation data packaged with their components.

    • The Wolf 801642 external blower has a Broan-NuTone fan curve -- 1200 CFM at zero static pressure on high. With a hood and baffles and blower housing the actual flow (perfect MUA) is likely to be 800 CFM depending on duct length.

    • The counterpart 1200 CFM Broan blower is the 335 exterior blower.

    • I only have a fan curve for the H model of the 332 exterior blower. It is rated at a bit over 900 CFM at zero static pressure, and about 600 CFM at 0.9inch w.c. gauge pressure.

    • What we need is pressure loss vs. flow rate for various hood baffle assemblies. Good luck to us all for that.

    • Don't forget that the pressure-loss derated flow rate as listed above for the selected blower, divided by the hood aperture area in square feet, should equal a value around 90 CFM/sq.ft., more or less. In other words, hoods require enough air flow to ensure that cooking plume effluent, rising at 0.6 to 1.1 meters/second depending on induction or gas, sees enough hood velocity at every point on the baffles to not "bounce off" (momentum reflect) when the plume hits the baffle structure. Thus required flow rate increases with hood size. I know an estimated 90 CFM/sq. ft. is sufficient for induction wok cooking under my hood and its baffle construction.

    kas


  • 9 years ago

    Hi Kas, I am looking for the exterior 1200 cfm blower, so I am wondering if I need to purchase the wolf version 801642 or I could get by with a Broan 335.

    My hood is a wolf pro hood PW482718 and the hood aperature is approx 7.25 sq ft (22.5" X 46.5"). For the 1200 cfm blower (using 800 cfm actual) that gives me a figure of 110, which should be adequate. My ducting is pretty much a straight 15 foot run with no elbows. Even if the broan and wolf have slightly different fan curves, hopefully it is not radically different to put me below the 90 cfm figure you mentioned.

    Assuming the electrical interface is the same (speed control) all I have to do is track down the wolf damper assembly (according to my manual it shows it is included and installed upside down inside the hood for shipping ) but upon inspection of my hood it is actually not in there!





  • 9 years ago

    The 335 is likely identical to the 801642. I checked that it has the exterior damper like my slightly larger Wolf blower has. I also noticed the 335 was listed by Amazon as discontinued but still available. You need to obtain a rough-in device also, it seems. The 335 120 Vac motor should match the hood's motor control.

    A supplemental internal damper at the hood is a good idea. In cold climates it avoids moisture freezing in the attic duct and dripping back down when the hood blower is run. I have a damper above my Wolf hood, but don't recall if I got it from Wolf or from Fantech. If the Wolf damper isn't available, you can always use a ten-inch size Fantech unit.

    I recommend a Fantech silencer mounted in the duct path above the hood damper. The 10-inch size is fairly large, but you may have room if much of your duct run is in an attic. The silencer is also heavy, so a means to support it beside depending on the hood mounting bolts is a good idea.

    Don't forget to start planning on MUA.

    kas

  • 8 years ago

    Hi Alan, did the Broan 335 work w the wolf range hood? If so, what kind of modifications required? I am thinking of the same thing. Thx

  • 8 years ago

    Heh. The Appliance forum is like a library in which half the mystery novels are missing the last chapter.

  • 7 years ago

    OK better late than never. I finally got the wolf hood fan and broan 335 They are working as designed. For reference, my Wolf range hood was the pro hood..PW482718 I believe. Inside the hood there was just one electrical wire. This wire connects to the house 120V supply. There are also two regular electrical plugs inside the hood. These electrical plugs are where you plug in the blower (remote or internal) You will need your electrician to run a 3 conductor wire from the blower down to the range hood.

    Here are the differences between the Broan and Wolf remote blowers:

    The wolf external blower comes with a power cord that plugs into the plugs in the hood. You then splice this cord together with the cord from the remote blower and hide it in the junction box inside the hood.


    The broan remote blower does not come with this cord. Fortunately it is just a standard 3 prong plug. Just picture a computer power supply plug, and cut the end that connects into the power supply off. Just make sure it is rated for the amperage of the remote blower. Plug one end of this cord into the outlet inside the range hood, and splice the other end to the wires coming down from the remote blower. On the other hand you can purchase the official wolf cord but it is like $65

    That's it, everything works as planned, the blower fan speeds are infinite. Lights, heat lamps, etc all work if wired this way. There may be slight differences cosmetically on the exterior of the blower, but without having both I can't say. All I can say is the broan 335 works with 100% with the wolf pro hood, you just need to supply a power cord.

  • 7 years ago

    FYI, splices have to be in boxes (deemed suitable for their purpose) and accessible for repair. No taped connections in the rafters, please.

  • 7 years ago

    Good call kaseki. There is a junction box inside the wolf hood to hide all the spliced connections.

  • 7 years ago

    I could have misread what you wrote; I was concerned that the connection between the intermediate electrical cable and the blower assembly at the roof was cavalierly connected -- hence the rafter reference.

  • 6 years ago

    Thanks everyone for this thread. The information here applies to me in a slightly different scenario, that I am limited due to building codes to a 400 CFM blower or less without a make up air system which I don't have and won't be installing. Wolf offers either a 300 CFM or 600 CFM blower. I had been wondering if I could get a 400 CFM Broan internal blower to max out the specs (we can't do an external or inline blower for several reasons), but it sounds like from kaseki's comments that enough things are proprietary to the blower production for Wolf that this could turn into a nightmare trying to match up the different brands. I think we'll stick with the Wolf blower to be safe since we have an internal application.

  • 3 years ago

    Hi There, I want to choose between WOLF or BROAN. which one should I get? either one I will go with the external blower. Could you please provide me with some recommendations? thank you!

  • 3 years ago

    No contest there if you want better quality and quieter operation. Wolf is going to cost you more but will be worth it, in my opinion.