Do you need a short kit or extension kit for your range hood?

by Pete Lader November 13, 2020

Life is confusing...ordering appliances is confusing. Add in the fact you are doing everything online nowadays....well that does not help either!

Don't stress for one more second, this article will tackle the headscratching moment when you are deciding if you need to purchase a short kit or extension kit with your range hood.

Overview of a Range Hood

Range hoods are an essential part of any kitchen with a range, cooktop or rangetop. The appliance allows the smell and air that comes from cooking to be sucked up / vented outside (or even filtered and then recirculated back into the kitchen). The key parts of a Range Hood are:

• Range Hood Base - This is the base and skeleton of the range hood
• Motor - The motor usually sits in the base of the range hood
• Baffle Filters - The first line of defense to the air that is sucked up into the range hood. The filters sit on the bottom of the range hood base and are easy to clean as they are dishwasher friendly (woo!)
• Chimney - This is the piece that connects the range hood base to the ceiling and this will be the main topic of this article. 

Why does the chimney and ceiling height matter?

Let's say your kitchen is 11 feet tall, meaning the distance between the floor and the ceiling is 11 feet. Most range hoods are not compatible with this ceiling height. Meaning you won't have enough chimney to cover the distance all the way up to the ceiling!

For example, our most popular range hood is the Stainless Steel Wall Indoor KB-36 Model (Link). Let's walk through the measurements and assume there is 11 feet (or 132") distance between floor to ceiling.

1. Floor to the top of the range = 36" (this is standard but can vary range by range)
2. Distance between the top of the range and bottom of range hood = 30" to 36"
3. Range Hood Base Height = 10.5"
4. Chimney Height = 32"
5. Total = 108.5 to 114.5"

What does this mean? There will be 17.5" (132" less 114.5") of exposed ducting!

What do you need to purchase?

In this case, you'll need to purchase a 2 piece extension kit that is fitted for ceilings up to 12 feet. The kit will come with two 36" telescoping chimney pieces to ensure that the chimney has enough height to reach the top of the ceiling. Telescoping means that the chimney pieces can slide lower and higher to fit the exact ceiling height.

General Rule of Thumb:

Pete's Pointers: The table above is a general guideline and rule of thumb. I recommend every customer measure exactly the distance between the floor and ceiling, the height of their range and use the range hood specifications to determine if you need to purchase an extension kit. 

Questions?

Can't find the product you are looking for? Call us at 800-805-7102, Extension 1.

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