Cooker extractor hood not fit for purpose - what's the best resolution?

itm2

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

photome

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I have a Bosch extractor it was more than double the price of yours but couldn’t tell you exactly what model it is but it works.. there are 2 more differences though 

1 it isnt in a cupboard 
2 it is way higher than yours is above our hob ( which I think may be your main problem)


edit just checked on our hood it’s a Bosch DWW077A50B...cost £354 in jan 2018

JHW1942

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I'd just go for the highest extraction rate you can afford, but you may still have the condensation problem because of the position it's fitted in.  I'd be going back to the supplier and insisting they install the replacement in accordance with the new unit's manufacturer's guidelines, otherwise any warranty that comes with it is going to be immediately invalid.

Oh, and tell the fitter to put the gaffer tape away.

itm2

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I'd just go for the highest extraction rate you can afford, but you may still have the condensation problem because of the position it's fitted in.

Most of the ones that I've looked at online have an extraction rate of 300-360m3/h (the current one is rated at 302). What's the correct way to assess the extraction rate required for a particular environment?

JHW1942

itm2 said:

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I'd just go for the highest extraction rate you can afford, but you may still have the condensation problem because of the position it's fitted in.

Most of the ones that I've looked at online have an extraction rate of 300-360m3/h (the current one is rated at 302). What's the correct way to assess the extraction rate required for a particular environment?

Well on the site you pointed us to, there's only one other model that is narrow enough to fit your space (53cm) and that has 360m3/h.  However, it also has a specification that the hood has to be 650mm above the hob.

I don't think you're going to find a replacement unit that will be a) effective, and b) has a valid warranty, installed just 360mm above the hob, but if you're determined to press ahead then just get that £239 one and hope that the 20% extra extraction solves your condensation problem.

You seem reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation: The primary contributory factor to your problem is the "illegal" (couldn't think of a better word) clearance height and the shoddy ducting work.  Replacing the unit with a slightly more powerful one seems to me to be spending more money in the wrong area, you won't have the back-up of a warranty if the unit fails, and your consumer rights would be diminished if you had to go down that route and the retailer noted the incorrect installation.

itm2

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I'd just go for the highest extraction rate you can afford, but you may still have the condensation problem because of the position it's fitted in.

Most of the ones that I've looked at online have an extraction rate of 300-360m3/h (the current one is rated at 302). What's the correct way to assess the extraction rate required for a particular environment?

Well on the site you pointed us to, there's only one other model that is narrow enough to fit your space (53cm) and that has 360m3/h.  However, it also has a specification that the hood has to be 650mm above the hob.

I don't think you're going to find a replacement unit that will be a) effective, and b) has a valid warranty, installed just 360mm above the hob, but if you're determined to press ahead then just get that £239 one and hope that the 20% extra extraction solves your condensation problem.

You seem reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation: The primary contributory factor to your problem is the "illegal" (couldn't think of a better word) clearance height and the shoddy ducting work.  Replacing the unit with a slightly more powerful one seems to me to be spending more money in the wrong area, you won't have the back-up of a warranty if the unit fails, and your consumer rights would be diminished if you had to go down that route and the retailer noted the incorrect installation.

I'm not remotely reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation - in fact I have forwarded the diagram from the Bosch website to them, and am awaiting their response. I did ask the Bosch engineer about the installation though, and he said that it looked fine.
???

JHW1942

itm2 said:

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I'd just go for the highest extraction rate you can afford, but you may still have the condensation problem because of the position it's fitted in.

Most of the ones that I've looked at online have an extraction rate of 300-360m3/h (the current one is rated at 302). What's the correct way to assess the extraction rate required for a particular environment?

Well on the site you pointed us to, there's only one other model that is narrow enough to fit your space (53cm) and that has 360m3/h.  However, it also has a specification that the hood has to be 650mm above the hob.

I don't think you're going to find a replacement unit that will be a) effective, and b) has a valid warranty, installed just 360mm above the hob, but if you're determined to press ahead then just get that £239 one and hope that the 20% extra extraction solves your condensation problem.

You seem reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation: The primary contributory factor to your problem is the "illegal" (couldn't think of a better word) clearance height and the shoddy ducting work.  Replacing the unit with a slightly more powerful one seems to me to be spending more money in the wrong area, you won't have the back-up of a warranty if the unit fails, and your consumer rights would be diminished if you had to go down that route and the retailer noted the incorrect installation.

I'm not remotely reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation - in fact I have forwarded the diagram from the Bosch website to them, and am awaiting their response. I did ask the Bosch engineer about the installation though, and he said that it looked fine.
???

Ok, but the Bosch engineer's verdict of "it looks fine" is at odds with Bosch's own specifications for their product, so he doesn't sound much of an engineer to me.

If it were me, I'd be asking the kitchen company to remove the cupboard unit, replace it with a "half cupboard" unit level with the top of the adjacent units, and have the extractor installed beneath it, 650mm above the hob.  That's an easy enough job for a competent fitter.  The hole in the wall is probably already in roughly the right place.  Then you can try the existing extractor and if it works, problem solved.  If it doesn't, take up their offer of swapping it to the next model up and try that.

itm2

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

JHW1942 said:

itm2 said:

So the kitchen supplier has agreed to refund us for the Bosch extractor, and have said that they will install a replacement if we want to choose and buy one ourselves. Can anyone recommend what specs I should look for to avoid the condensation problem? Obviously we'd like one that fits into the existing space/cupboard, to avoid major reworking of our brand new kitchen!

I'd just go for the highest extraction rate you can afford, but you may still have the condensation problem because of the position it's fitted in.

Most of the ones that I've looked at online have an extraction rate of 300-360m3/h (the current one is rated at 302). What's the correct way to assess the extraction rate required for a particular environment?

Well on the site you pointed us to, there's only one other model that is narrow enough to fit your space (53cm) and that has 360m3/h.  However, it also has a specification that the hood has to be 650mm above the hob.

I don't think you're going to find a replacement unit that will be a) effective, and b) has a valid warranty, installed just 360mm above the hob, but if you're determined to press ahead then just get that £239 one and hope that the 20% extra extraction solves your condensation problem.

You seem reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation: The primary contributory factor to your problem is the "illegal" (couldn't think of a better word) clearance height and the shoddy ducting work.  Replacing the unit with a slightly more powerful one seems to me to be spending more money in the wrong area, you won't have the back-up of a warranty if the unit fails, and your consumer rights would be diminished if you had to go down that route and the retailer noted the incorrect installation.

I'm not remotely reluctant to challenge the installer on the installation - in fact I have forwarded the diagram from the Bosch website to them, and am awaiting their response. I did ask the Bosch engineer about the installation though, and he said that it looked fine.
???

Ok, but the Bosch engineer's verdict of "it looks fine" is at odds with Bosch's own specifications for their product, so he doesn't sound much of an engineer to me.

If it were me, I'd be asking the kitchen company to remove the cupboard unit, replace it with a "half cupboard" unit level with the top of the adjacent units, and have the extractor installed beneath it, 650mm above the hob.  That's an easy enough job for a competent fitter.  The hole in the wall is probably already in roughly the right place.  Then you can try the existing extractor and if it works, problem solved.  If it doesn't, take up their offer of swapping it to the next model up and try that.

Thanks - that sounds like a sensible way forward. The only fly in the ointment is that the kitchen units are manufactured by Nobilia in Germany, and our experience so far is that replacement units are taking about 2 months to arrive (this is the main reason that the kitchen still isn't completed after > 5 months).
:0(

greyteam1959

Did the installer not read the installation instructions that came with the unit ??
Obviously not is the answer.
Replacing the appliance is not the answer.
Installing the same appliance correctly is the answer.

coffeehound

greyteam1959 said:

Installing the same appliance correctly is the answer.

A worry is that it has been damaged by the excees temperatures; maybe deformed / melted impellor, cooked bearings, overheated motor, etc.  This could explain why it seemed to take some weeks before OP noticed the problems