The Standard Height Above the Stove for a Fan

Recommended Height

• The recommended height for fans depends on the type of fan. High-capacity hoods and fans with high-powered motors that suck up air with high velocity are typically placed 24 to 30 inches above the range top. Standard model fans with lower velocities are typically installed between 18 and 24 inches above the top of the stove top.

Size Guidelines

• To optimize the fan’s performance, consider the dimensions of the stove. The fan and hood should cover the back burners and at least half of the front burners. To capture the maximum amount of steam or smoke emissions, the hood should extend about 3 inches beyond either side of the cook top. For instance, if the stove top is 30 inches wide, the hood that houses the fan should be 36 inches wide. The hood should be a bit shorter than the depth of the range, so a stove that measures 30 inches from the wall to the front of the appliance needs a hood between 21 and 24 inches deep. If a cook expects to generate higher than normal levels of smoke and steam through regular boiling or deep-frying, a deeper hood is more effective. Cabinets abutting the range hood should have 3 inches less depth than the hood to protect them from moisture and heat.

Venting Options

• Hood fans attached to a cabinet above the stove have venting ducts that run up through the cabinet bottom and out the back into open wall space and are routed outside. Hoods attached directly to the wall behind the stove look like chimneys and have ducts that direct steam and smoke into the space behind the wall and then directly outdoors or through ducts to open air. Stoves in kitchen islands typically have ceiling mounted hoods and fans that direct the vapors directly outdoors in single-story homes or through walls and open spaces to the outdoors in multilevel structures.

Tips and Hints

• Cooking safety considerations and the height of the people using the stove also affect its placement. Hoods and fans too close to the cooking surface are susceptible to igniting if they are covered with grease and the burners are operating at maximum capacity. Cooks who are 6-feet-4 or taller need hoods installed several inches higher than normal to allow them full view of the stove top.