Affordable sub-400 CFM hoods with baffles

2 years ago

Does anyone have first hand experience with under cabinet hoods from brands like Empava, Cosmo, or Winflo? I would like something with baffles that doesn’t force me to add an active make up air system by going over 400 CFM, but most of the usual brands don’t seem to offer baffle filters at that CFM level. I don’t want a VAH.

Are any of these brands ok in quality (fit and finish, durability, noise, venting effectiveness)? We have indiction and a short duct run (one 90 degree turn and then about 6’ of run) so we don’t need extreme performance but we do on occasion sear food.

Featured Answer

kaseki

2 years ago

You can install a blower-less baffled hood with sufficient size to overlap the expanding plumes of the cooking area, and connect it to an external 400 CFM (rated at zero static pressure) blower. When MUA is affordable, the blower can be upgraded.

The reason for no baffles at low CFM is that baffles need some minimum air velocity to be effective in expelling grease particulates onto the baffle surfaces. With low velocity airflow, mesh filters can be effective, if routinely cleaned. Note that the actual flow through the filters will be lower, possibly only 250 CFM with a window open or a very leaky house.

If a cooking plume has an upward velocity of 3 ft/s and area of one square foot, then the actual volumetric flow rate will be 180 CFM into part of the hood aperture area where one hopes to entrain the plume into the hood flow. It can be fairly easy to push the CFM limits of the hood system, and one effect is that some of the plume escapes being captured by the hood; the furniture and walls will likely be successful.

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Comments (6)

PRO
Minardi
2 years ago
None of those are worth a dime. Also, your needed CFM will depend on the size and BTU of the cooking surface below. MUA isn't' that hard, if your cooking appliances needs it. Your lungs will for sure need it, if you cook.
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Isaac
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks, @kaseki. I did not realize that baffles work better at higher velocities. I will take another look at my options taking that into account.
wdccruise
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Zephyr AK7100BS-BF Gust 400 CFM 30 Inch Wide Under Cabinet Range Hood ($650)

Build / Home Depot / Best Buy
Isaac thanked wdccruise
kaseki
2 years ago
Here is some text from Flame Gard, a commercial baffle filter manufacturer, explaining the process:

The affluent from cooking processes contains aerosols of water vapor mixed with evaporated fat or oil. These are carried from the cooking surface by the moving air being drawn into the exhaust hood.

Although small, each aerosol is much heavier than the air molecules surrounding it.

Thus, when the air stream containing these aerosols strikes the Flame Gard® Baffle System, the inertial force of the moisture-grease aerosol is considerably greater than that of the air molecule. While the air molecule changes direction easily, the aerosol strikes the baffle with considerable force, causing it to “splatter” on the surface. ...

Whereas the heaviest aerosols, because of their greater inertial force, impinge on the surfaces of the baffles facing and perpendicular to the air flow, the lighter ones remain in the air stream. As the air stream is drawn through the baffle system, the restrictions in area created by the baffles cause the air to increase in velocity while changing direction by 180-degrees. Since the inertial force is a product of the mass and the square of the velocity, this increase in velocity serves to increase the inertial force of the remaining smaller aerosols, causing them to impinge on the inner surfaces of the baffles in the same manner in which the heavier aerosols impinged on the entering surfaces. The design of the baffle system provides several impingement surfaces and two rapid 180-degree direction changes. ...
Isaac thanked kaseki
Isaac
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
OP here. We re still struggling to find a good option.

Any thoughts on tge Zline 667-30? https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/66730.html

It has a little bit of containment volume at least.