Range hoods are essential requirements in the kitchen since they play a critical role in eliminating harmful hot gases, grease, and smoke from your cooking. However, the blower is tasked with the work of ventilating your kitchen. That being said, you must choose a range hood with a good blower. This article gives in depth information regarding an external blower and its benefits.
What is an External Blower?
An external blower is a box containing a ventilator, filter and a motor for ventilating air from a cooking stove. It can be placed outside the house and connected to the range hood with ducts that run through the wall. Alternatively, it can be placed in the house, deep into the walls. The blower boxes are mainly made of stainless steel, while their ducts are made of aluminum to prevent them from absorbing heat, but rather reflect it into the house.
- Functionality
An external blower is meant to clean hot gases from your cooking stove while directing fresh cold air into the house. It consumes more electrical power than an internal blower does because it pushes hot gases to longer distances. Since it is placed outside, it tends to produce less noise than an internal blower does. External blowers are much more effective than internal ones because they do not recycle the hot gases but instead, they replace them with colder fresh air from outside the house. They are most suitable for heavy-duty cooking that produces lots of hot gases.
- Installation
Installation of an external blower is quite a time engaging and complicated. For this reason, the installation has to be done by a professional. This is because the range hood has to be connected to the blower via a series of conduits that have to be recessed into the walls. The conduit is better made to go straight upwards outside the house to minimize corners. This is because many corners would otherwise interfere with the smooth flow of gases and fresh air, hence rendering the blower ineffective. The conduits are better hidden into the walls because they would otherwise make the house look unsightly and disorganized. As we had previously noted, if the conduits do not pass through the walls, they have to be made of reflective material to prevent heat loss from inside the house to the outside.
- Cleaning
Cleaning an external blower is quite a challenge since its filter is full of grease and smoke particles. Sometimes the grease and particles may be too much for someone to clean without worrying about your health. All you have to do when cleaning the blower is to remove the filter, scrub the grease and smoke particles off its surface and then soak it in warm water mixed with a cleaning detergent. Afterward, clean it in the dishwasher after it has soaked for about 40 minutes. Dry it with a vacuum cleaner, or wipe it with a soft clean and dry cloth then put it back in the blower. Cleaning and maintenance may be challenging in harsh weather since the blower is placed outside the house.
Benefits of an External Blower for a Range Hood
External blowers are quiet, compared to internal blowers. They are much more effective than their internal counterparts are. External blowers are suitable for heavy-duty cooking since they blow gases to longer distances. They are cost-effective because they ventilate the room and replace the hot gases with fresh colder air, saving the number of times you need to use with the air conditioner. That is more money in your pocket.
Drawbacks
External blowers consume more power than internal blowers. They are hard to install and require you to hire a contractor for the installation. They are much more hectic to clean since the filter is heavily clogged with grease and smoke particles. They are not suitable for apartments and condos since the conduit system has to pass inside the walls.
When buying a range hood, the type of blower will likely influence your choice because the internal and external blowers function differently. The nature of your house is also a critical determinant for the type of blower that you are going to use for your range hood. This is because an external blower will require you to drill inside the walls for the conduit. Alternatively, the conduits require a house without many corners. The external blowers come in a wide range of designs and sizes so that you can choose one that matches your unique style and taste. External blowers are different in terms of the range of CFM and blowing power and these are the main determinants for the price of the blower.