Lobster wrote:
wrote:
I've just had a good look through the past posts on here and there
seems to be lots of good tips, from what I can gather I'm best wiring
it into a switched and fused spur off the ring main?

Fine

I also gather that having it extracting to the outside is much better
than having it re-circulating? The hood I've chosen does both, but it
is being mounted on an exterior wall so I could have it extracting.

That's a no-brainer - never fit these things as re-circulating if you
can possibly help it. For one, a recirculating fan can't get rid of
steam, and secondly, you need to keep renewing the charcoal filters
inside, which absorb nasty niffs, and these are incredibly expensive
(they aren't necessary at all if you extract).

There's no hole in the wall presently though, is it a huge job to make
that? I'm not sure what diameter we're talking about! I think the wall
is made of breeze block as it's an extension.

No, pretty easy, especially in a block wall. Either hire a core drill
(expensive but quick and neat) or if it was me, I'd just chain-drill the
hole using an ordinary masonry drill - that is, mark your circle on the
wall, then drill small holes close together right around the
circumference, then you shold be able to knock out the core pretty
easily and neatly. Good idea to start by drilling one pilot hole right
through the wall from the inside, to mark the position of the centre of
the vent hole outside; then you can chain drill on the outside, which
minimises damage to the (more visible) outer wall. You'll probably have
a cavity wall in which case you have two walls to do anyway.

If it was me, I'd then pass a length of ducting through the wall eg:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...31554&id=54391
Needs to be angled slightly outwards to help any rain/condensation drain
out.

Fit that flush with the outside wall and mortar in place and make good,
when it's set, add a vent like:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...31691&id=20389
This fits snugly into the ducting.

Chop off the ducting on the inside wall leaving an inch protruding, then
connect that to the exit of the extractor fan using flexible hosing.

What I need to work out is where I can place the actual socket to plug
the unit into. It'll be mounted on a tiled wall and isn't adjacent to
any cupboards, so to avoid having a visible socket on the wall near it
I was thinking that the socket could go behind the chimney section?

That would be fine; the space can be quite limited behind there though -
depends largely on the height between hood and ceiling. I've dine it in
the past using a flush-mounted fused connection unit (all cables buried)
which doesn't look too bad.

I've looked at these mounted up in Ikea and the chimney section seems
to be seperate from the actual hood section (in the shop you could
actually lift it off). I was worried that inside the chimney section
may be too hot/damp to safely have a socket on the wall but having
inspected them that part seems almost cosmetic?

Yes they are essentially cosmetic; they protect the ducting within I
suppose.

That's also metal which is presumably better from a heat point of view?

Not really, because you're not going to be mounting the switch anywhere
where it's going to get too hot. If there were a concern about the
switch housing being not robust enough to withstand the temperature,
then you should be worried about the insulation on the cables...

You know that there are rules about how high the extractor has to be
over the hob? Consult the hob instruction manual.

David

That's a great help David, thank you!

I'll order the bits and then I think I'm all set to go

Ian.