Whether you are looking for an exhaust hood system for a small residential kitchen or a large commercial cooking space, the buying process can sometimes feel overwhelming and confusing. While the basic premise behind exhaust hoods is safety and cleanliness, the overall design of an exhaust hood system and the different components can throw any buyer into a downward spiral of questions and second guessing. Here are a few tips for every new buyer when it comes to purchasing an exhaust hood.

When you are purchasing your hood the first thing you should ensure is that you are buying the right exhaust hood for the area where the hood will be installed. If you are purchasing a residential hood for a cooktop you want to make sure that the exhaust hood fits above the stove top and is wide enough to cover the cooking area. If it’s a larger commercial kitchen type space and you need to install make-up air fans and / or fire suppression systems you need to make sure that those accessories and the hood are able to fit in that area as well. Different kitchens will require different set ups, however you should be able to find the system that best fits your space with little ease. Take into account the lighting of the cooking space as well - many models of exhaust hoods will come with lightning built into the units if you need it, and there are also plenty of third party lightning options that can be installed after installation if necessary. Does your kitchen space already have ductwork? And if so - will it interfere with the installation of the exhaust hood system and any additional duct work that may be needed, or if needed can you patch into the existing ductwork? 

Other items to take into account when purchasing your hood may be the noise level of the units. In a residential kitchen a more quiet exhaust may be desirable, but in a large commercial kitchen the price increase for a quieter exhaust hood may not be justified. No matter what your kitchen situation may be, there is always an option to best fit your needs. HoodMart provides our customers with a wide range of exhaust hood systems - from Compensating (Short Cycle) to Perforated Supply Plenum (PSP) - as well as all exhaust hood accessories such as no-weld grease duct, hood filters, canopy hood lights, and curbs. We also offer a wide range of walk-in refrigeration systems to meet your needs.   If you still have questions regarding the purchase of your hood system, please feel free to contact one of our experts today by calling us at 1.800.715.1014 or contacting us through our live chat system.