Installing A Range Hood Under A Kitchen Wall Cabinet

Kitchen Appliance Wiring:

Installing A Non-Venting
Kitchen Range Hood

In This Article: Blocks of wood are added to beef up the cabinet, the range hood is held in place and screws are driven in. Electrical connections are made.	Related Articles: Index of Electrical Articles Index of Kitchen Articles Installing Wall Cabinets
Skill Level: 2 (Basic)	Time Taken: 30 Minutes

By Bruce W. Maki, Editor

There are two types of range hoods - venting and recirculating (or non-venting). A venting range hood is a little more complicated because it also requires a connection to an exhaust duct. The non-venting range hood simply blows the air back into the room, and all it requires is an electrical connection.

So what is the use of blowing the air back into the kitchen? The recirculating range hood has a metal screen filter that collects tiny droplets of air-borne grease and oil, preventing an oily buildup from forming on the cabinets, walls and ceiling. And some range hoods also include a charcoal filter to absorb odors, but these eventually need replacing as they get "filled up" with odor-causing substances. And all range hoods require occasional cleaning or replacing of the grease-covered metal filters.

The job site at the beginning: the cabinets have been installed and there is a wire to supply the power. The wire protruded from the wall by about 12 inches.

Close Only Counts In Horseshoes... And In Wiring.

The electrical cable was installed two weeks earlier, when the walls were opened up and the drywall was replaced. The exact location of the wire is often difficult to know, because it depends on the cabinet sizes and mounting heights. But the wire can be moved a little, by elongating the hole in the wallboard, because the hood will cover the hole.

The hood. Basic Nutone.

The silver panel to the right of the screen is a cover for the electrical connections. Almost all newer models of range hoods have a cover panel like this. All the wiring is typically accessible inside this panel, the fan switch, the light switch, the fan motor, etc.

I removed the cover panel. It was held in place with a 1/4" hex-head sheet metal screw.

The electrical system is quite simple: One black-and-white pair of wires goes to the fan, the other pair goes to the light.

The two blacks get connected to the incoming black (hot) wire, and the two whites get connected to the incoming white (neutral) wire.

There are four holes for mounting the range hood under the cabinet. Each has a "keyhole" shape.

The purpose of this hole pattern is to pre-install the screws with their heads sticking out a ways, then slip the hood over the screws and slide it until the screw heads hold the narrow slots. But I didn't do it that way.

But First, A Little Problem...

The cabinet had an exceptionally deep recess on the bottom, and the bottom panel was thin particle board (economy-grade... not my idea). The thin panel was not enough to support the range hood, I suspected, and at the very least, the mounting screws would poke through.

So I rigged up a little bracing. I attached a small block of wood to the underside, at each end. I drove 2" long drywall screws into the side walls, going all the way into the adjacent cabinet's side wall.

After this modification I saw that I would be able to use shorter (only 1" long) sheet metal screws to attach the range hood.

I installed a cable clamp in one of the knock-out plugs in the metal case.

A cable clamp is necessary! Without this device, vibrations from the fan may cause the wires to rub against the sharp metal edge and cut through the insulation.

For more info, so Installing A Cable Clamp.

I cut a small notch in the cabinet's lower edge, and attached the cable with a staple. The entrance to the range hood is a few inches away from the original wire location, so the cable had to be run laterally.

Cheating: No helpers, no need for "keyhole" mounting techniques.

I waved my magic cordless drill and ~poof~ the range hood was instantly mounted.

Okay, it was almost that simple:

I set a 1" long #8 sheet metal screw on the magnetic tip of my cordless drill.
I threaded the electrical cable through the cable clamp.
I held the range hood in place with one hand.
I drove in the first screw, then another at the diagonally opposite corner.
Then I was able to let go of the range hood and snap a photo while installing the other screws..

The hood is up.