Corrugation for hoods: dimensions, diameter

Corrugated pipe is actively used in construction and repair. She found application in a wide variety of fields, from the arrangement of sewers to the organization of air ducts. Such popularity is easily explained by the excellent performance, convenience and ease of installation, which is quite possible without the help of professionals. Let's find out what happens to the corrugation for the hood, and find out how to choose and install it correctly.

What is corrugation?

Corrugation consists of metal rings, in several layers covered with laminated foil. The links are pressed against each other, and the foil is folded "accordion". Thanks to this design, the pipe extends and becomes several times longer. Also, the corrugation mounted on the hood can be easily bent at any angle, since it does not have a rigid frame. If desired, the pipe is even laid "snake". Due to its plasticity, the product is successful when working in difficult and inaccessible places. Corrugation is suitable in cases where the installation of the hood is carried out in cramped conditions.

Varieties of corrugation

There are many options for corrugated pipes. First of all, they differ in the material from which they are made. In the ventilation system, two varieties are most often used:

• aluminum pipes;
• plastic.

The first are used in the installation of air channels both in production and in standard kitchens. This is due to the fact that aluminum is a more reliable material. It does not burn and does not melt at high temperatures (operating range from –30 to +250 ° C), is very durable, does not enter into chemical reactions, has good aerodynamic properties.

The plastic corrugation looks neater (see photo) and attracts less attention, although those and other models can be easily hidden.

The advantages of a plastic corrugated pipe also include:

• service life up to 50 years;
• light weight;
• corrosion resistance, resistance to aggressive environments.

The disadvantage of a ribbed PVC duct is the greater noise compared to an aluminum product.

Corrugated exhaust pipes also vary in length and diameter. Here the choice depends on the features of the place where the products will be installed.

The standard diameters used for the hood are 100, 120, 125, 150 mm. Other sizes are less common, so choosing a corrugation that is suitable for the required conditions will not be difficult. In order not to make a mistake with the diameter of the pipe, study the instructions for the hood, usually it indicates the necessary parameters. More commonly used sleeves are 100 and 120 mm in size.

Important points

There are a number of features that are taken into account when choosing:

• Corrugation mounted on range hood, elastic, but excess bends reduce the efficiency of its work, increase the load on the fan. Turns at an acute angle are especially harmful in this regard. If it is inevitable to lay an ornate path for the duct, then you need to install a fan of greater power so that the hood functions efficiently.
• If you use a pipe of the wrong size, the efficiency of the system is reduced. It is better to refuse to reduce the diameter through the adapter flange and additional connectors, otherwise it will be difficult for the hood to push air.
• It is advisable to buy a corrugation with a small margin in length, especially if there are numerous turns.
• Too long a pipe makes no sense, since during installation it is desirable to fully stretch the corrugation to reduce its ribbing. The fact is that during the operation of the hood, air passes through the pipes at a fairly high speed, which leads to their swinging. The more ribs, the stronger the vibration and noise during system operation.

Tip. If the purchased pipe turned out to be short, it can be increased. To do this, a piece of the right size must be connected to the other part using metal tape.

• The smaller the connecting elements, the more reliable the design. Also, do not forget that each adapter is an additional resistance to flow.
• You need to choose the size of the corrugation that will easily be masked.

The most convenient option is when the duct is completely hidden in the cabinet. Also, the pipe successfully hides behind a suspended or stretch ceiling.

Some features of the installation of corrugated pipes

Installing a corrugated pipe in the kitchen does not require special skills. All work can be done independently. However, in order for the system to function long and efficiently, several important points must be taken into account during installation.

• If it was not possible to choose the diameter of the corrugation for the hood, a large-sized product is used that connects through a special adapter. For a kitchen hood, this will be only a plus: with an increase in size, the air flow rate decreases, which means that noise will decrease.
• Before installing the corrugation on the ventilation hole, a special platform is installed with a grill, a flange and a check valve. It is used so as not to completely block the exhaust pipe. The grill is used for natural ventilation, the flange is for forced ventilation. Then the air in the kitchen will be constantly updated regardless of whether the forced draft is working or not.
• If the kitchen has a second ventilation hole, you can connect the pipe to the flange without a grill.

To fix the corrugation, special fasteners are used - metal or plastic clamps. Do not put the pipe on glue or sealant, this will create unnecessary problems if you need to disassemble the duct for cleaning.

• Every sharp corner reduces system performance by 10%. The hood should be installed as close as possible to the ventilation hole.
• Before installing the corrugation, it is advisable to clean the ventilation in the apartment. You also need to check for traction. To do this, a sheet of paper is applied to the hole. If he holds himself, without the help of his hands, then there is craving.

Attention! Reverse thrust can significantly reduce the overall system performance.

• Important to pick optimal hood performance for kitchen. It is easy to check with an anemometer, which is installed at the base of the pipe.
• The pipe and exhaust device must match in size and cross section. Otherwise, you will have to use an adapter.

Installation instructions

The order of work will be as follows:

1. Stretch the corrugation to its maximum length.
2. Put the pipe on the outlet pipe of the exhaust device, secure with a clamp.
3. If the distance to the ventilation hole is large, after each meter and a half, additionally fix the duct with clamps to prevent swaying during operation of the system.
4. Fasten the grille with flange and non-return valve to the ventilation hole.
5. Insert the corrugation into the flange, securely fix the connection with a clamp.

Corrugation disguise

If the hood is located far from ventilation, it is better to hide the duct behind a stretch ceiling. So you can avoid sharp corners, and the pipe will not be an eyesore to the owners and guests.

In the case when the installation of a stretch ceiling is not planned, there are several ways to hide the corrugation:

1. To mount drywall box or plastic.
2. Install a false panel on the cabinets of the kitchen set, which completely closes unaesthetic communications. It is decorated either under the facades of the kitchen, or the color of the walls.

Important! You need to choose a duct after purchasing a ventilation device, since the efficiency and quality of the forced exhaust operation depend on the correspondence of the components to each other.

The durability and quality of the ventilation system as a whole depends on how well thought out the choice of the duct was. Correct installation is no less important. We hope that the selected material will be useful to readers and will help everyone to install the corrugated duct independently. If difficulties arise during the work, write, we will try to respond promptly.