Hood noise: why choose a silent hood?
The efficiency and livability of the kitchen space doesn’t just depend on household appliance performance, but also on their noise level.
In fact, with current open concept kitchen and living room trends, it has become important to choose hoods that have great extraction capacity without being noisy, so as to not interfere with the surrounding space.
So, let’s see what technologies are available that offer extraction systems with reduced noise levels, as well as some huge advantages that come with the selection of a silent hood.
Hood noise: what causes it?
Silence has become increasingly more important in the selection of appliances and kitchen products.
In choosing the right model for your kitchen, some aspects to strongly consider are features, main characteristics, reliability and appearance. One factor which is often overlooked, however, is noise level.
But why does a traditional hood make noise? Kitchen hoods are equipped with an extraction system for air exchange (or filtering). The most important component of an extraction system is the fan, which creates air depression to "suck" the fumes from the hob into the hood duct. It is in this phase that the classic noise we hear is created, to which the following factors contribute:
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the fan motor, which gets much nosier as its rotation speed increases
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the impact of air on the filters, which interpose themselves to intercept the air flow to retain the grease or substances that cause odors in the fumes. Just as in a wind instrument, air flow through the filter holes creates a sound, which is much louder when the hood is at higher extraction speed.
Research in this field has been carried out in consideration of these two factors, to find silent solutions for the extraction of cooking fumes, without sacrificing performance.
Silent hoods
Silent hoods are extraction devices equipped with a noise reduction system inside them. Although, it is difficult to imagine a noise free hood, technological research in the field has made significant progress.
The noise reduction systems integrated into silent hoods work by following two principles:
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stifle the noise from the start, with improved sealing of fan parts, which reduce friction to a minimum.
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reduce the noise between air and filters, through a careful fluid dynamic study of the interaction between them, and with specifically designed filters.
How to choose a silent hood
As a result, the main characteristics to consider in the selection of a silent hood mostly regard its noise reduction system, therefore it is important to focus on:
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Maximum air capacity, which expresses the hood power and its ability to remove fumes from the hob.
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Noise reduction system efficiency, with special attention to the decibel value indicated at maximum speed.
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Presence of “smart” extraction systems, that ensure fume capture and extend the extraction times, thus allowing the use of lower power levels, and, consequently, reduced noise levels.
Elica offers various silent hood models to match any kitchen style. Thanks to Comfort Silence technology, the noise level of Elica hoods at top extraction speed will never disturb or interrupt pleasant conversation in the room. Some examples of this are: Haiku (34-51 dbA), Skydome and Illusion H30 (40-53 dbA) and Interstellar (36-54 dbA) .
A completely new innovative system integrates an extraction unit directly into the hob: induction extractor hobs are the new frontier in kitchen hobs, being also equipped with state-of-the-art noise reduction systems. Extracting fumes directly from the hob and conveying them below the hob itself, guarantees significant advantages in terms of extraction noise, making them a great solution for anyone looking to fully redo their kitchen.
A silent hood is the perfect choice for anyone looking to create a professional cooking environment, as well as a kitchen space in which to live important moments of the day in complete serenity.