What should you check before replacing a range hood?

Start by asking the installer to confirm how the current hood is set up. An outdoor exhaust sends air through a duct to an outside opening. A recirculating hood returns air to the kitchen through filters. Natural Resources Canada notes that recirculating hoods do not remove combustion products. Even if the old unit was sold as convertible, the product description only tells you which configurations it can support. Ask which configuration is actually installed.

Photograph the hood and surrounding cabinet from floor level, and share the model number if you already have it in a manual or invoice. Note any outside cap you can see safely, but mark its connection as unknown until the installer confirms it. A chimney-shaped cover above a hood or an outlet on the outside wall can be a clue. Neither establishes what the duct behind the finish actually connects to.

• Confirm whether the hood exhausts outside, a distinction Natural Resources Canada makes in its combustion guidance.
• Ask the installer to consider how the proposed hood affects house pressure, as discussed in Health Canada’s ventilation guidance.

Ask the contractor to compare the proposed model’s installation instructions with the existing connection, including the outlet direction, duct size, route and outside termination. A hood that fits the cabinet opening can still have a different duct connection. Ask which dimensions the contractor has checked, which parts they can inspect now and what may only become visible after the old unit comes down.

Keep a reuse proposal separate from a proposal to modify or replace the duct. If a contractor assumes reuse, ask what would make it unsuitable and how you would authorize any additional work. If the proposal includes a new route, ask who will handle the opening, exterior finish and cabinet changes. Before ordering, confirm who bears any return or exchange cost if a concealed condition makes the selected model unsuitable.

Health Canada’s ventilation guidance explains that exhaust removes air from a home and can lower indoor pressure. Its guidance identifies large kitchen exhaust fans as one situation where this can matter. Tell the contractor about fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces and any other significant exhaust equipment so they can decide what should be assessed for the proposed installation. Have them explain whether replacement air or another specialist’s assessment belongs in the scope.

Keep that question separate from the model’s advertised performance. Ask what the installer will verify with the hood connected to the actual duct and how they will show you the controls and filters. If the home is a condo or has shared building systems, ask who can confirm the relevant building requirements before changing a duct or exterior opening. Leave design, wiring and penetrations to the appropriate trades.

Consider two hypothetical quotes for a hood under the same cabinet. One includes installation and assumes the existing duct connects outdoors. The other includes checking the outlet and duct first, then pricing any change separately. Before comparing totals, ask both contractors to identify what they are relying on, who checks it, and when they can confirm the equipment choice. That exposes an assumption you can resolve before buying.

Send both installers a short brief with five entries: existing hood and cooktop, proposed model if any, known venting mode, open questions about the duct, and any cabinet or exterior work you expect. Ask them to respond with the proposed operating mode, parts they will reuse, work assigned to each trade, and the handoff they will provide. Keep the answers with the written quote so the installer and any cabinet or electrical trade can work from the same plan.