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the customer's home was several states away from RangeCraft's New Jersey facilities. "We had to put it on a flatbed truck, all the way to Florida, with a motorcycle escort all the way." To address growing demand for more con- temporary looks, the company recently began importing a number of European models un- der its Streamline Hoods subsidiary. Some of these offerings are so clean-lined as to be almost in- visible, including two hoods that can be recessed into the ceiling above an island cook- top. Others, though, offer their own modern-day version of fo- cal-point appeal, like the inNO- VA Collection, fabricated from DuPont Corian. Beyond style and size, Ryan also notes a trend toward much quieter operation in today's ventilation equip- ment, for which he cred- its a greater attention toward fan-motor m a n u f a c t u r i n g . "We've gotten them LED lighting. Increasingly, you're seeing manufacturers changing from halogen to LEDs and the perception of a large decrease in electricity usage." Vent-A-Hood's primary focus, according to Adams, is in the mechanics of ventilation operations, rather than in the hood's exte- rior appearance. ough the company does market stand-alone hood units, Adams says its biggest emphasis is in liner inserts—essen- tially, packaged ventilation units that can be enclosed in custom cabinetry or in a tiled or stuccoed housing for a built-in look. Many of the insert offerings are built on combinations of the Magic Lung modular blowers, which can be configured to provide from 300 up to 1,200 cfm of capacity. Specific size require- ments can be determined by the output ca- pacity of the cooking equipment the hoods will be serving. "We're looking at the total heat output of the burners, with everything turned up on down to the level of a running refrigerator— you barely hear them." AN EMPHASIS ON FUNCTION James Adams, vice president of sales for Vent-A-Hood, sees lighting as another area of technology evolution for modern range hoods. Many cooks count on hood-integrat- ed illumination for food prep, separate from any venti- lation needs, and LEDs are becoming the light source of choice for many manufacturers—including Vent-A-Hood. "Incandescent has gone by the wayside," he says, in- cluding the halogen lamps hood-makers frequently turned to in the past. "ere's been a big movement toward The 36-inch-wide stainless steel 800 Series Fantom Downdraft vent from BOSCH stands 13 inches tall when fully extended, and it drops out of sight when not needed. The unit can be matched with an integrated, remote or in-line blower (with a 600-cfm blower option available), for use in island or wall installations. Circle 5 on inquiry card Like most RANGECRAFT hoods, the Miami design can be ordered for either wall or ceiling mounting. Among the features found only on this company's products—the unique availability of Swarovski Crystals as highlights. Circle 6 on inquiry card QualifiedRemodeler.com QR November 2016 49