1. Size - Your copper range hood will be most effective if it covers the entire cooking area. That means not only the width of the heating elements, but also the depth from the back to the front edge of the front burner.

If you have a 36" range or cooktop, you could use a 36" wide range hood or move up to a 42" and have 3" over on each side. An obvious factor in the sizing is whether it is fitting between cabinets on a wall mount.

We make most of our copper hoods 24" deep (front to back) to cover most cooking surfaces.

As for the height, we generally position the hood 34" above the cooktop or 5'10" off the floor. This keeps it out of the cooking area, and still allows for a good draw from the fan. If you are worried about hitting your head on it, keep in mind that many ranges are deeper than 24" and people are generally standing a few inches away from the range.

2. Fan size - Your cooktop manufacturer may recommend the size fan for your hood. Fans are rated in CFM (cubic feet per minute) and for a 36" range, 600 CFM will be plenty. As you increase the size of the range, you will want to consider a 1200 CFM model if the manufacturer doesn't specify otherwise. Vent-a-Hood manufactures fans with a centrifugal filtering system (the grease spins out as the air flows) and this increases the efficiency of the fan. Thus, their fans have an equivalent CFM rating to compare to a traditional mesh or baffle filter fan. For instance, their 600 CFM is equivalent to a 900 CFM fan. Dacor is another manufacturer we use at Copperworks and they offer variable speed fans and dimmable halogen lights in addition to having competitive pricing. Keep in mind, all Copperworks range hoods are priced with the fan included.

3. Remote, Inline or In-hood blowers - First of all, what does all that mean? Each is a term referring to where the fan, or blower, is positioned. The most common is an In-hood blower. In that case the fan is mounted inside the hood and it pushes the air through the duct.

An Inline blower is positioned somewhere in the ductwork and it pulls and pushes the air along the venting.

A Remote blower is one that is positioned on the exterior wall or roof and it pulls the air along the ductwork to where it exits your home. The primary advantage to this type is to keep the noisiest part of the vent system at the farthest point from where you are.

However, we recommend using an in-hood blower in most cases. If your duct work is longer than 10 feet, then you may consider a remote blower. If it is less than 10 feet, the noise will travel in the duct work and you will hear it just as well. Remote blowers do have additional installation expense to cover the exterior mounting and separate wiring.

4. Caring for Copper - If you have chosen a copper hood without a patina, the copper will age into a brown color over time. During that change, it will show fingerprints, splash marks and other smudges. You can wipe these away with a mild soap and a sponge. If you like the fresh look of copper, you can use a copper polish such as Brasso on a regular basis (once or twice a year) to keep it clean.

You can also use paint thinner on polished copper to clean some of the oils and marks off of it. If you follow that with Renaissance Wax or WD-40, you will lengthen the time between cleanings without hurting the metal.

Avoid cleaners such as Windex that contain ammonia or extended exposure to vinegar or lemon juice. By extended exposure we mean letting it dry. A splatter while cooking and wiping clean soon after shouldn't affect the copper.

If the copper does turn green from contact with an acid or other chemical, it is possible to use a copper polish to clean the green area and return the copper to its new, shiny state.

If you have a patina on your hood, do not use copper polish. Clean it with a mild soap to cut the grease. Do not scrub too hard as you can wear away the patina. Keep in mind, patinas are the result of a chemical reaction to the very top layer of copper; they do not go all the way through the metal. You can use paint thinner and Renaissance Wax as described above to maintain the color.

5. Patinas and Texturing - If you are interested in the patinas that we offer, please send us an e-mail to request samples in the mail. Likewise for texturing. This is a good practice from any copper hood manufacturer as patinas are not paint - they are a chemical reaction and the chemicals can vary in their mixture and result.

Texturing is something we do instead of hammering. Hammering is when an actual hammer is used over and over to condition the copper. We run our copper through a texture roll - like a giant rolling pin with bumps - to achieve a textured look. This is a quieter method that saves our employees' ear drums and keeps them from any carpal tunnel problems. We are concerned about the health of our employees as well as the design of your hood.

If you have questions that are not addressed here, send us an e-mail or call us at 888-530-7630, Monday through Friday.

Order your hood today.