Chimney Cooker Hood

[Tony]

Why is it always the simple things that take so much effort to get right?!

So I'm revamping the kitchen and one of the jobs involves replacing a fitted cooker hood with a stainless-steel chimney hood. Fine, I think. I'll just take the existing hood out (job done) and screw in the new hood.

But OH NO. The new hood is too "tall" for the kitchen (and we don't have a particularly low ceiling). The required gap between the hob and the hood is 70cm (manufacturers specification) which leaves the chimney part of the hood some 15cm into the ceiling space! And this is with the chimney set to it's minimum dimensions...

Either I cut a hole in the ceiling (no way - not just for a cooker hood!) or I trim the hood itself.

Does anyone have any experience of fitting these silly hoods? They are adjustable, but even at the minimum size they are too big. I've trawled the manufacturers for smaller hoods, but the only one I found (from Hotpoint) was extortionate.

Ho Hum. I can remove and replace a 12sq meter ceiling but fit a cooker hood?! nope!

[.]

or place the hood slightly below the manufacturers recommendation.

[Lobster]

I know what you mean; I've fitted three of these hoods in the past couple of years and in each case the 'minimum' size was too big!

Presumably you have two telescoping sections? I just threw one away, and cut the other to the correct length using a pair of tin-snips; and finally drilled new clearance holes in each side at the top (ie matching the original I'd thrown away), in order to be able to attach the chimney to the upper wall bracket. Wasn't difficult.

hth David

[TheOldFellow]

I'm just in the process of doing exactly this too.

R.

[.]

is that the kitchen ceiling ?

[Steven Briggs]

In message , Tony writes

Yeah had to cut mine down, although it is a low ceiling anyway. Used a B&Q PP dremel clone, flexy shaft and cutting discs, as the stainless is very thin & I didn't want to risk the distortion caused by tin-snips or whatever. The PP tool did not survive the experience. After 10 minutes or so grinding 90% of the way round the hood the thing died. It was extremely hot, motor completely stuffed with a shorted winding. I imagine the extra friction in the flex-drive was just too much for it continuously. If had been hand-held it would have been too hot to hold well before burning out.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A nibbler is ideal for this.

[Guy King]

The message from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

shaped bits and they're right bastards if you get 'em in the carpet or anywhere you're likely to walk with bare feet. Like little caltrops.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

New word on me and my dictionary. Google manages it, though. Been at the Reader's Digest again?

[Guy King]

The message from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

You've never met caltrops? Where were you during the miners' strike?

[Brian Sharrock]

Hmmm; hadn't thought of the little caltrop producing efficacy of 'nibblers' ... could the resultants be scattered on the road-side verges where visitors to 'next door' insist on parking their cars and churning up the grass? [Welding together six inch nails seems so OTT]

[Chris Bacon]

They've been around for much longer than that. Biggles used them (it might have been James Bond if I've misremembered). They were probably used a thousand years ago.

[John Cartmell]

As brother Cadfael would doubtless confirm ...

.. OK at least 900 years ...

[Guy King]

The message from Chris Bacon contains these words:

Indeed they were, the Romans used 'em. I just thought that the miners' strike was a recent memorable example.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not many mines in London.

And shouting rubbish so loudly at any media coverage that I rarely heard what was said. ;-)

[Brian Sharrock]

I hadn't realised t'miners deployed Scargill's Horse! Oh, hang on! You must mean Scargill's mob _used_ caltrops! Poor gee-gees!

[Tony]

For those who are interested, I have so far installed the cooker hood without the chimney piece! The hool aligns perfectly with the top of the adjacent kitchen units (and there will be a bridging piece of melamined board with a cornicing). I have about 25cm between this and the ceiling. I'm debating whether to bother cutting a 25cm piece of chimney just for the sake of appearances, or whether to leave the hood chimney-less (it looks pretty good as-is)..... most of the chimney would be hidden behind the cornice anyway...

It will probably all depend on how good a job I can make of cutting the chimney... I'll update when I've tried.