Mike
This review is for the Chef model UC-PS18SS-36 range hood with LED lighting. The hood was delivered today which means we haven't installed it yet so will have to update this review later on. Packaging was done carefully and the shipper was careful with it as there was no sign of mishandling or damage at all. I am writing the review a little early because when we removed it from the box and unwrapped it today just to look at it, we were both so impressed at how beautiful it is. The finish is very attractive and should make a very nice upgrade to our kitchen. It will replace a 18 year old cheaper model hood that was painted white. The old hood has a 2-speed blower with settings of 100CFM on low, and 210CFM on high. I have never attempted to measure the actual air flow but I would be surprised if it actually moves as much air as it is rated for. Even this new hood moves less than the rated 860CFM, I have no doubt that the air flow will be several times that of the old one, maybe more, and Ill do some testing on that once we get it installed and running. The construction seems high quality and the corners and edges are smooth and finished. The front panel with a clock is another welcome improvement over the old hood. The hood is heavy, feels like 40 or 50 pounds so it will take two people to install it. My vent is through the wall, not overhead, and it comes setup for overhead venting so I'll have to change that, and this hood comes with all of the parts necessary to install it either way, out the top or out the back. Ill update this review with some recommendations once we have installed it and used it a little bit. For appearance, fit and finish It gets 5 stars.
7/5/2019 UPDATE:
We celebrated independence day by removing the old range hood and installing the new one ! Overall the process went smoothly. I removed the old vent hood by myself, no problem. The old vent hood was a 42 inch wide model. We replaced it with a 36 inch wide model. When I ordered this hood, it was available in 42 inch but the 42 wide model did not adapt to a rectangular rear discharge like we needed so we went with the 36, and the 36 fits in the old space nicely. The stove is 30 inches wide so we were still good by 6 inches.
The power cord comes with ready made plug on the end for those who have a wall socket to plug it in to. Mine is hard-wired so I cut the last 18 or so inches off the cord along with the plug and wired it into my existing wall wiring that the old hood connected to. The hole in the rear of the vent hood where the cord exited did not line up with the hole in the wall where our house wiring stuck out, so I had to widen the hole in the wall by about 6 inches. This allowed me to use a little longer cord length so the power could be tied in while the hood was resting on the cabinet, and have a little bigger hold to tuck the wiring into the wall through as the vent hood was lifted in place. In my case, the 3" x 10" hole in the wall where the old hood was vented was a perfect match the rear vent on the new hood. Before mounting, I lifted the hood into place and with the rear rectangular vent inserted into the matching hold in the wall, I held it firmly in place while my wife got underneath it and marked 4 spots where the mounting screws needed to go. Then I lowered the hood and rested it across the cabinet tops while I pre-drilled the holes for the mounting screws. We placed washers about as big around as a nickle on the screws to provide a larger area for supporting the weight of the hood instead of just the screw head. I have much more confidence in the supporting ability of the screws with the washers than I would have without them. This hood is heavy, some 40 to 50 pounds and needs very solid mounting. Then I lifted the hood into place again while my wife tucked the cord into the wall, and held it tight in the exact position it needed to be in while my wife used a cordless drill to screw the 4 mounting screws with washers in and we were done. I bought a new vent cap to mount on the outside wall where the vent exhaust exits that I will need to install this weekend. I also need to set the clock to the correct time. I read instructions here that someone else posted saying that with the unit turned off, hold the power button in until the hour and minute flash, then with the hood still off, used the up and down fan speed arrows to set the time. Ill give that a try. So far were are very pleased. The fan is a 6 speed, and when I am standing near the hood and the fan is on any speed above 1, I can feel a draft. The only thing I can say is that you should not attempt to mount this hood by yourself. You need two people to do it safely as it is very heavy. The old hood only came out 18 inches from the wall, this cone comes out 22 inches covering a larger area. It is a very nice range hood, we love it. The fan is not whisper quiet, even on speed 1 you can hear it running, but it is not loud. You can stand next to it and have a conversation. Considering that it has 2 powerful squrrel-cage type blowers on it, I think the sound lever is pretty acceptable.
7/8/2019 UPDATE:
I installed the exhaust wall cap this past weekend so we are finally finished. The exhaust cap had a damper built in so I removed the damper from the back of the Chef range hood and will use the one in the cap. If the damper in the cap ever gets stuck or hangs up, it's very easy to get to from outside. If I had left the damper at the rear of the range hood and it ever got stuck it would be much more difficult to get to. Also by removing one of the dampers and only having one damper to push open, the air flow should be better even if just a little.
After we were done installing the cap, I stood outside close to the vent cap and had my wife run the exhaust fans. Even on either of the lowest 2 speeds, there is a very good flow of air. On speeds 3 or 4, you can feel a huge air stream coming out. On either 5 or 6 speed setting, there is so much air blowing out, the air flow itself, not the motors, makes a roaring sound that reminds me of a hurricane and blasts you with air if you are anywhere close to it. This is one POWERFUL vent hood.
| Air Flow Capacity | 860 Cubic Feet Per Minute |
|---|---|
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Noise Level | 65 dB |
| Mounting Type | Under Cabinet Mount |
| Included Components | Aluminum foil tape (1), microfiber cloth (1), oil tray (1), dishwasher-safe baffle filters (2), top 6” round exhaust adapter (1), top 3-¼” x 10” rectangular exhaust adapter (1), and rear 3-¼” x 10” rectangular exhaust adapter (1) |
| Amperage | 2.21 Amps |
| Controls Type | Touch |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Number of Speeds | 6 |
| Item Weight | 49 Pounds |
| Light Source Type | LED |
| Wattage | 266 watts |
| Filter Type | Baffle |
| Frequency | 60 Hz |
| Item Form | under-cabinet |
| Specification Met | Potential HVI, Energy Star, NFPA 96 compliance |
| Ventilation Type | Top and Back |
| Vent Hood Design | Under Cabinet Range Hood |
| Manufacturer | Hauslane |
| UPC | 861054000312 |
| Brand Name | Hauslane |
| Model Info | UC-PS18 |
| Item Weight | 49 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 22 x 29.75 x 7.13 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | UC-PS18 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Annual Energy Consumption | 200 Watts |
| Installation Type | drop-in |
| Part Number | PS18 |
| Special Features | Grease Filter, LED Lighting |
| Airflow Displacement | 1 Cubic Feet Per Minute |
| Cooling Vents | 2 |
| Lighting | LED |
| Material Type | Stainless Steel |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 2-year limited warranty and lifetime warranty on motors |
