How to Replace a Range Hood

Ron began this HouseCalls episode in Pooler, Georgia, just outside Savannah. Here, Ardena and Johnnie Williams anxiously awaited Ron's visit. There was no range hood above the stove in the William's kitchen and any cooking they did filled the room with unwanted smoke, setting off their smoke and heat detector, not to mention their nerves! Ron came to the rescue to help install a much needed range hood.

Click Here For a list of what you will need in order to complete this project.

1. Electricity and Ventilation:

• Two things are necessary to install a range hood - electricity, and a way to direct the exhaust. There are generally two different ways to direct the exhaust -- either up through the cabinets usually located above the range hood, or out through the wall behind. In this case the unsightly exhaust pipe would be exposed above the cabinets so Ron decided it would be best to vent the exhaust out the back wall. This meant not only cutting through the wallboard in the kitchen, but also through the solid brick wall on the outside of the house.

2. Measure required space:

• They began by checking to make sure there was enough space between the cabinets for the hood they had purchased. Then, they measured and located the center of the wall, and followed the manufacturer's detailed instructions to mark the position for the cutouts for the fan exhaust and the electrical wiring, which must line up perfectly with the back of the hood.

3. Cut out openings:

• Ron showed Johnnie how to use a wallboard saw, to cut along the line they had just drawn.

• They cut through the exterior brick wall by boring four holes, one at each corner, where they wanted the cutout to be. To drill these holes, Ron demonstrated how to use a carbide tip masonry bit attached to a hammer drill. This drill actually hammers as it rotates, allowing them to penetrate the brick much more quickly and easily.

• From the outside, they then drilled a series of holes between the corners to perforate the opening. Finally, they used a hammer and chisel to remove the loose brick and mortar.

4. Install exhaust vent:

• They began the actual installation on the outside of the house by putting in the wall cap, which is where the exhaust air exits the building. Attached to cap is short piece of ducting. The duct material was purchased in a 24-inch piece and then cut to the desired length with a pair of tin snips.

• Ron used sheet metal screws to attach the duct to the wall cap, and then sealed the joint with duct tape. A heavy bead of masonry adhesive was applied to the cap to secure it to the brick wall and keep it sealed from wind and weather.

• Once the duct was positioned through the wall, Ron used tin snips to cut the corners, and then bent the edges back, flush with the wall.

• Ron added a flange around the duct to create a tight seal with the hood.

5. Install new range hood:

• Because the underside of the cabinet was recessed, they installed cleats to provide a mounting surface for the new hood. The cleats were attached to the bottom of the cabinet with screws.

• At the electrical outlet, Ron used a wire stripper cut back the insulation and then made the necessary connections for the wiring. Finally, they installed four #10 X 1" pan head mounting screws to the cleats, driving them only half-way in, so that we could slip the slotted mounting holes over the heads.
• They fed the electrical wire through the connector hole in the range hood and then lined up the holes in the new hood with the screws they had attached to the bottom of the cabinet and then tightened it securely into place.

• They finally connected the electrical wires to the hood, replaced the access panel and snapped the grease filter into place.