Sensitivity of measured range hood capture efficiency to test chamber configuration and volume

Kitchen range hoods remove harmful contaminants generated during cooking. Range Hood Capture Efficiency (RHCE) quantifies a hood’s ability to capture contaminants before they mix with room air. While RHCE can be measured in field studies, laboratory testing with tracer gas in a simulated kitchen provides more controlled and comparable results. This study examined the effect of test chamber geometry and volume on RHCE using three chamber sizes: 21.0 m³, 36.6 m³, and 55.0 m³. Two range hoods, representing different fan types, sizes, and flow rates, were tested at high and low speeds. For one unit, reducing chamber volume from 55.0 m³ to 21.0 m³ caused a statistically significant 10.3 percentage-point decrease in RHCE at high speed, with no meaningful change at low speed. For the second unit, reducing volume from 36.6 m³ to 21.0 m³ produced no appreciable difference at high speed but resulted in a significant 7.8 percentage-point decrease at low speed. Overall, chamber geometry and volume produced differences of up to 10.3 percentage points in the worst case, with inconsistent trends across units and speeds. These results indicate that test chamber configuration warrants greater consideration in standardized RHCE testing and further controlled investigation.