Installation of a range hood broadly includes two parts: wiring and mounting the hood physically. If you're installing the hood yourself, the wiring process here can be a bit tricky. You must know what type of wiring your range hood requires and the detailed process of wiring a range hood.
So, here in this article, we'll provide you with the detailed process of how to wire a range hood to a plug. Follow the instructions precisely to successfully perform the wiring task within minutes!
Table of Contents
- Types of Range Hood Wiring
- Wiring A Range Hood To A Plug
- Step One: Purchase a Power Cord Kit
- Step One: Gather the Necessary Tools
- Step Three: Take the Necessary Safety Measures
- Step Four: Remove the Terminal Box Cover
- Step Five: Remove the Knockout
- Step Six: Feed the Cables Through the Knockout Hole
- Step Seven: Connect the Wires
- Step Eight: Reinstall the Terminal Box Cover
- Final Step: Test the Range Hood
- The Bottom Line
Types of Range Hood Wiring
Before jumping on the wiring process, you must know what type of wiring your hood requires. There are two types of range hoods depending on the wiring requirements:
1. Hardwired Range Hoods
Some range hoods are manufactured to be hardwired with the main electrical framework of your house. If your range hood comes with a cut plug or no plug at all, it is meant to be hardwired. To hardwire the hood, you can follow the provided manual to get instructions on how to hardwire a range hood.
2. Plug-in Range Hoods
This type of hood is meant to be plugged into a 120V receptacle outlet for the power supply. If you received a range hood with an electrical plug installed on it, it's a plug-in hood. You can simply plug it into a nearby outlet or use an extension to reach a distant outlet. This is usually a cheaper and easier way of wiring.
However, you can always interchange the range hood wiring systems in the modern range hood hoods. Most of the range hoods are meant to be hardwired, but they also come with a three-pronged plug and cord for plug-in installation.
Wiring A Range Hood To A Plug
Below we've provided a simple step-by-step procedure so that wiring a range hood to a plug will be a piece of cake for you. Ready? Let's get started.
Step One: Purchase a Power Cord Kit
If your range hood already came with a power cord kit, skip this step. If not, you have to purchase a power cord kit of the right size. A good quality kit will cost you $12 to $25 only. The kit will include a plug with a cord, an anti-rotation plate, and wire nuts.
You should select an appropriate cord size depending on the distance between your range hood and the power outlet. Keep in mind that, according to the National Electrical Code, the cord must have an 18-inch minimum and 4ft maximum length.
Step One: Gather the Necessary Tools
You'll need some simple tools to complete the process. Here are the tools you will need:
- A flat blade and Phillips head screwdriver
- Wire cutter and wire stripper
- Nut driver
Got all of them? Proceed to the next step then.
Step Three: Take the Necessary Safety Measures
We all know that safety comes first. Especially when you're handling electric wires, you have to be extra careful. Make sure the power cord isn't plugged into a power supply at any point of installation.
You can locate the electricity breaker of your house and easily cut off the power to your kitchen. Locking the panel box will also be a good idea to make sure no one can turn back electricity while you're working.
Step Four: Remove the Terminal Box Cover
- Now, you have to locate the terminal box of your hood.
- Once you find it, use a screwdriver to remove the screws and uncover it.
- You'll find some wires of different colors underneath the cover.
Step Five: Remove the Knockout
To reveal the access hole for the power cord, you need to remove the knockout panel. You can do it easily with a flathead screwdriver.
Insert the screwdriver blade into the preferred knockout slot and give a little pressure to bend it until the knockout is removed.
Step Six: Feed the Cables Through the Knockout Hole
You have to install the anti-rotation plate around the access hole and thread the cord cables through the hole.
Pull the cables from inside of the hood terminal box to clip in the strain relief. You can also use the tightened-down nut to secure it in place.
Step Seven: Connect the Wires
You should be more careful now as this probably is the most important step. First of all, you have to inspect the terminal box wires to determine the connection type.
If your hood has a ground screw:
1. Connect the screw to the green ground wire of the cord.
2. Connect the black wire of the power cord to the stripped black wire of the terminal box.
3. Twist the wires together firmly and use the provided wire nut to secure them.
4. Do the same to secure the white wires together.
If your hood has a ground wire:
- Connect the black and white wires of the power cord to the black and white wires of the
- terminal box. Use wire nuts to secure the connections.
- Take the green ground wire of the cord and cut off the ring terminal with a wire cutter.
- Then, use the wire stripper to strip 1/2" of the insulation and connect it to the green wire of the terminal box.
Step Eight: Reinstall the Terminal Box Cover
Once you have connected all the wires firmly, visually inspect all the electrical connections to make sure nothing is wrong with them. Then, replace the cover of the terminal box and install it in place using the screws.
Final Step: Test the Range Hood
As a final step, turn on the power supply and plug the hood in an outlet to test if the wiring process is successful and everything is working well. And your job is done!
Congrats! You have successfully wired the range hood to a plug!
The Bottom Line
So here was the instruction on how to wire a range hood to a plug successfully. Always remember, if you're not comfortable with electric wires, you can call an electrician to get the job done for you.
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- How To Make Range Hood Quiet
- How Many Sones Is A Quiet Range Hood
- Range Hood Electrical Requirements
- Installing A Range Hood Roof Vent