In a recent Retail Observer article, Monica Feid discusses the importance of asking the right questions when shopping for a range hood: “How much power does it have? And how loud will it be in the kitchen?”
Feid goes on to explain how sound is measured in range hoods is not common knowledge. Not everyone knows that 1 sone is equal to the soft hum of a running refrigerator or that 7 sones is the sound of casual conversation. But when manufactures market a hood as being 2 sones you should be asking: “At what speed level is this measured at?“
According to the Home Ventilating Institute there are four categories of range hood speeds for a blower or fan: Boost Speed, High Speed, Low Speed and Working Speed. Many manufactures market sone ratings from the Working Speed, which is the lowest speed above 100 CFM. This term is widely misinterpreted because it is not a speed that you would generally use when cooking in the kitchen, therefore the sone being advertised is not the decibel you should expect to hear.
You should also keep in mind, that’s not where the rating system tops out. The high speeds manufactures share in correlation to sone ratings are not all the power or noise your hood can produce. With things like HVI Boost Speed categories, a range hood can go higher and louder.
In an industry where low speed is not the lowest, high speed is not the highest and sone is not always accurate – it can become very difficult to know which hood to buy. 
While all this terminology can be confusing, we say, hearing is believing. At all our Factory Builder Stores showrooms you can test out a variety of live range hoods to find the one that is just right for you. We also have a knowledgeable staff that can help decipher the fine print and answer any questions you may have.
Source: Feid, M. (February 2015). Under the Hood: Power and Noise in the Quest for the Ultimate Range Hood. Retail Observer, 48
Read the original article: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/455083
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