Cooker hood installation in Bexley

What prompts cooker hood installation in Bexley?

Some Bexley households simply want a quieter, more effective hood after years of a noisy one that barely clears the steam above a busy family hob.

If condensation runs down the windows of your Bexley kitchen whenever you cook, the hood may be recirculating, undersized or ducted through a long, flexible run. Homes right across Bexley are covered, as are nearby places such as Welling, Dartford and the villages in between.

What does the job involve?

The exact scope is agreed after the survey, but a typical job in Bexley covers:

Spillage test by a Gas Safe registered engineer where an open-flued appliance is present
Power supply connected by an electrician and tested to BS 7671
Hood fixed at the height set by the hood and hob manufacturers
Short, straight runs of rigid ducting wherever the route allows
Survey of the hob position, duct route, outside wall and any open-flued appliance
Island and ceiling hoods fixed into the ceiling structure by two people

What should you budget for cooker hood installation in Bexley?

Typical cooker hood installation prices for homes in Bexley, including VAT and adjusted for London. Your own figure depends on the size of the kitchen, the layout and what is moving. Prices in London usually run above the national guide, mainly because labour and parking cost more.

What should you budget for cooker hood installation in Bexley?
Typical project	Guide price
Like-for-like cooker hood swapSame position and ducting	£160–£310
New ducted hood through an outside wallCore drilling, ducting run and external grille	£390–£1,200
Island or ceiling hood installedTwo-person install, fixings to the ceiling structure	£390–£820
Recirculating hood fittedNo ducting; carbon filters need replacing	£160–£390

Guide ranges cover fitting and connection with standard ducting through a straightforward wall; long or concealed duct runs, ceiling repairs, new electrical spurs, spillage tests and the hood itself are priced separately. Prices include VAT at 20%.

Local homes and their kitchens

In and around Bexley, homes range across Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis. Victorian terraces often have a narrow galley beside the side return, while conversion flats and mansion blocks usually fit the kitchen into a small room or along one living-room wall.

London's mains water is hard, so limescale builds quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth planning in. Permit parking, red routes and flats without lifts are common, so parking suspensions, stair carries and lift bookings may need arranging before delivery day.

What rules apply to cooker hood installation in Bexley?

In England, Approved Document F guidance for kitchen extract is about 30 litres per second from a cooker hood extracting outside, or 60 litres per second from a fan elsewhere in the room. A recirculating hood does not remove moisture, so another means of extract is usually needed. A new vent through the outside wall of a flat may need planning permission and the freeholder's consent, and an open-flued gas appliance in the room calls for a spillage test.

Conservation areas are widespread across London, so a new extractor vent on a front wall may need permission, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's written consent first.

Tips before you start

Before choosing a hood for your Bexley kitchen, find the nearest outside wall to the hob, because the shorter the duct run, the better the extraction.
Choose a hood at least as wide as your hob, and compare its stated extraction rate with the size of the room before you buy.
For an island hood in your Bexley kitchen, settle the hood position before the ceiling is boarded, so timber supports can be added in the right place.
Check the minimum height above the hob in both the hood and hob instructions, and use the greater of the two figures.

Questions about cooker hood installation in Bexley

How much does cooker hood installation cost in Bexley?

Guide prices in Bexley are about £160 to £310 including VAT for a like-for-like cooker hood swap. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.

Can you measure up in Bexley before quoting?

Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Bexley. We measure the room, check the walls, floor and service positions, then send an itemised written quote.

Should I choose a ducted or a recirculating cooker hood?

A ducted hood is usually more effective, because it takes steam, smoke and smells outside. A recirculating hood passes air through grease and carbon filters and returns it to the room, so it deals with grease and smells but not moisture, and another means of extract is usually needed. Recirculating suits kitchens with no practical duct route, and its carbon filters need replacing.

How high should a cooker hood be above the hob?

At least the minimum distance given by the manufacturers. Both the hood and the hob instructions set a minimum gap between them, and where they differ the greater figure should be used. Gas hobs usually need more clearance than induction. A hood fitted too low is a fire risk, while one fitted much higher than recommended captures less steam.

Why might a cooker hood need a spillage test?

Because a hood pulling air out of a room can draw fumes back down the flue of an open-flued gas appliance, such as some older boilers or gas fires. Where the kitchen, or a room open to it, has one, a Gas Safe registered engineer should carry out a spillage test with the hood running at full speed. Room-sealed boilers are not affected in the same way.

Also covering nearby towns

We also carry out cooker hood installation in these towns near Bexley: