The Myth: Decibel ratings will help you select a quieter rangehood and why it is almost impossible to compare.

One of the most common questions customers ask is how loud the rangehood is or what is its decibel rating and the answer is extremely difficult and somewhat impossible to answer.

In an attempt to keep the customers happy companies will offer a decibel or noise figure but if you dig a little deeper these figures are impossible to compare.

Firstly let’s take rangehoods as an example as you will struggle comparing the decibel rating of one rangehood to the next as the decibel  level relates directly to the airflow speed which companies test in different criteria. Airflow ratings can be rated in many different testing methods.

a) Some manufacturers will test the unit’s airflow at the zero tolerance level directly above the motor outlet. (Common within Australia).

b) Other manufacturers will measure the flow after 1 metre of ducting a 90 degree bend and another metre of ducting. (A very common measurement in Europe).

c). Finally some others will measure the airflow at the point where it air and steam is expelled out into the atmosphere.{The best method of the three).

If you cannot accurately compare the airflow (apples for apples) then you cannot compare noise levels or decibel ratings. Rangehood A may be pushing twice the amount of airflow as rangehood B at the same controller speed level.

Just to make things more confusing you also need to establish how the manufacturers established the rating they have printed.

Was the decibel rating taken from directly under the centre of the rangehoods filters. Two feet away from the filters (were most people’s ear level would be when cooking). Was the rangehood tested when installed or just whilst sitting on the bench?

Each of the above methods will return a very different result hence making an “apples for apples” comparison becomes somewhat impossible.

In my opinion the only truly effective Silent rangehoods on the market are the Schweigen range. Their German electronics and Motor systems have been engineered and designed to produce power and performance without noise. They are not the cheapest on the market but they are worth the investment as they do what they claim they will do.

High cubic metres per hour airflow but this does not guarantee better capture of oils and grease nor a better method of removing smoke and fumes from your kitchen.

Most rangehood manufacturers boast about airflow power ignoring air pressure, German and European laboratory tests have proved controlled pressure is the best way to ensure performance, let me explain.

High airflow pulls grease and oils through the filters and internal motor housing, thanks to the law of gravity end up collecting on top of the motor and that’s the musky smell in many kitchens that you will NEVER get rid of.

The real test of a rangehood is the amount of smells and odours it expels out into the atmosphere and this s where most all internal motored rangehoods will let you down. Schweigen German external Iso-drive motor systems do three things better than anyone else.

Controlling the air speed and pressure mix allowing the filters tom trap the grease and oils properly. Outperform any competitor’s rangehood when it comes to removing odours and smell out to the atmosphere. Silence in just stands to reason that if you place the motor outside it is quitter than any rangehood with an internal motor