Venting the range hood through the interior wall can be a bit tricky, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. However, it could prove to be a budget-saver if you do it by yourself. Installing the range hood into the wall requires duck working, so you have to be very precise while putting it inside the wall.
Here in this article, I am going to share with you a step by step guide on how to vent range hood through the interior wall all by yourself along with all the necessary tips. Plus, I have also addressed some important FAQs at the end, don’t forget to give them a read.
Is your range hood ducted or ductless?
Before installing the vent, you need to make sure if your range hood is ducted or ductless.
The ductless range hood can be fitted anywhere and doesn’t need any ductwork. It lows the air out from the top and circulates it inside the kitchen. These hoods don’t need to be vented outside on the roof or wall.
The ducted range hoods, on the other hand, need to be vented outside. These range hoods remove air, smoke, and odor completely from the kitchen and require proper ductwork, the same like we did in this guide.
Before proceeding towards the installation process, you must get your hands on all the essential things and tools required. You need two kinds of things, one is materials and the other are tools.
Tools
- Electric drill
- Wire cutter
- Screwdrivers
- Reciprocating straws
- Hammer
- Drill bits
- Caulking gun
- Tape measures
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Drywall Saw
- Sheet metal shears
Materials
- Range hood
- Vent caps
- Wire nuts
- Duct strap
- Electrical cable
- Screw anchors
- Metal ducting
- Cable clumps
- Roofing tar
- Duct flashing
Once you get all these tools and materials, then it’s time to start the vent hood installation process.
Remove your old Range hood
If your kitchen doesn’t have a range hood, you can skip this step and move to the next one. However, if your kitchen has a range hood installed already, you need to remove it.
For removing the range hood, simply detach the wires. Unscrew all the nuts and separate the wires. Once you have unscrewed all the nuts, ask someone to hold the hood and take it off carefully. Be cautious not to hurt yourself.
Buy a new range hood
A range hood can impact your kitchen environment in a good or bad way, all depending on your choice. If your range hood is mismatched, it would be unable to filter out the heat and smoke. That is why it’s necessary to get yourself that range hood that fits your stove.
Here are here guidelines for that
- Make sure to check the CFM rating of the range hood. CFM stands for cubic feet per meter, and it shows the air pulling ability of the vent. To calculate the best CFM rating for your kitchen, multiply the total square feet area by 2. The average cfm for most kitchen in 250 while if you’re looking for an excellent vent then go for 400 cfm.
- Always go for the range hood, which fits your stove perfectly. If you buy a shorter or longer vent, it can cause issues in the future. That is why it’s highly advisable to go for the right size. The average size for all stoves is 36in, 48in, and 60 in.
- Some range hoods vent through the wall while others through a cabinet if you’re buying a range hood for pre-existing vent pipe then make sure to the hood fits the venting pipe properly.
- Before buying, measure the length of the stove and get the range hood with few inches extended than the actual size. This way, it will cover all the heat around the stove.
Installation process
The installation process needs you to be focused and precise. You can ask for someone’s help to divide the labor. Make sure you’re feeling well and fresh otherwise you can mess things up.
Disassemble the cover and filters
Before installing, you need to disassemble the covers, filters, and fan of the range hood in order to fix them at the exact place. Make sure to switch off the electricity supply to the circuit. First of all, remove the filters, you can easily remove the filters with hands and no tool is required.
Then, with the help of screwdrivers, remove the bottom panel. Next remove the duct connector, to prevent any damage, which is present underside the bottom panel.
Lastly, with the help of a screwdriver, take out the perforated knockout duct from the back end of the hood.
Mark out the wall
The second step of the installation process involves marking out the interior wall where you want to install the range hood. You need to mark out the exact spot from where you want to mount the vent hood. For marking the exact spot, you can ask your partner to hold up the vent in place while you outline the points with the help of a marker.
Most of the range hood vents come with a template and you can use it for more accuracy. In some cases, you also have to mark out the exact spots on the upper side of cabinets. (How to install range hood under cabinet)
Drill a hole
Before start cutting, check out if there are some piping or wires behind the wall. If there’s nothing then with the help of a drill or wallboard saw, start cutting out the interior hole for the vent. We would highly suggest you to take a professional’s help if you don’t know how to drill a hole.
Join parts of the hood
Now that you’re done with drilling the hole, it’s time to re-attach the vent hood parts. Carefully put back all the parts with the same sequence you take them out. However, you need to be careful when attaching the electrical wires, one wrong connection and you can damage the whole range hood.
Run the wire from inside the wall to the cable hood to connect them properly. Wires for fan and lights must be connected in the right manner. Here is how to do that.
- Connect one black wire from the outside wall to two black wires inside the hood.
- Repeat the same process for white wires.
- Attach the green grounding wire to the grounding screw on the hood.
- Then plug in your hood.
Mount the vent
This is one of the most crucial steps and all the efforts you have made were for this installation.
Once you have put all the things back, it’s time to install the range hood vent into the wall. Pass the upper part of the vent through the drilled hole. Make sure to ask someone to hold the hood otherwise it may fall off or leak.
Wrap up the range hood
Now that you have mounted the vent, it’s time to ensure that everything is fixed in place. Seal the ducting that goes through the vent hood. For this, use the duct flashing in the right position to that it can easily pass through the flange. Next, wrap the range hood with the help of ceiling tar to make it firm. Lastly, put the vent cap on to prevent any unwanted objects to pass through the vent.
Reattach the fan and filters
Last, reattach the fan and filter you took out for safety concerns. And you’re done installing your range hood successfully.
Turn on the power supply
Finally, turn on the power supply and check if the fan and lights are working well to ensure proper ventilation.
Warnings
- Always wear protective gloves on hands and eye gear to protect yourself from any possible injury.
- Don’t operate the drill if you do not know how to do that. Take someone’s help for this purpose.
- Make sure to turn off all the electric supplies before installing the under cabinet range hood.
- Ask someone to help you in lifting and fitting the hood because it needs to be set in place perfectly.
- Always buy the quality range hood to get rid of unnecessary mishaps.
- Make sure to get the under cabinet hood because there are plenty of options available on the market.
FAQs
How much time is required to install a range hood?
It totally depends on the type and size of your range hood. Typically, it takes around 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours to install the hood vent through the interior wall.
Which pipe is best for air ducting?
Any pipe which doesn’t melt under heat is perfect for air ducting. However, you must not use PVC pipes for this as they melt readily under heat.
Can I replace my old range hood with a new one?
Of course, you can replace your old range hood with a new, upgraded one. For that, check out the range hoods which fit under your cabinet perfectly.
