Zephyr AK7100BS-BF 30" Essentials Power Series Gust Under-Cabinet Range Hood with 400 CFM Baffle Filters 3 Speed Levels Mechanical Slide

The hood performs as well as can be expected. It came packaged well to prevent any shipping damage. It was also covered in film to protect the exposed stainless steel cabinet inside and out. I had no problems installing. A little louder on low speed than my wife was hoping, but still not too loud. It clears air quickly and pulls a nice draft. I have mine vented outside. The lights are nice but I can really feel the temperature from them. Halogen is hot, I might look into getting some led to replace them. Overall the product is sleek and not having the buttons on the front really makes the product look nice in our kitchen.

Others are correct, install is tough, but not impossible. Just need to measure exactly and be precise. I had to install furring strips beneath my cabinet so there was something for the wood screws to grab onto. One tip for installation, I strongly suggest using washers for the supplied wood screws, as the slots on the hood that the screws fit into is a little wide and it feels like the heads on the screws aren't wide enough. The washers add quite a bit of strength and stability, kind of surprised they weren't supplied by the manufacturer.. I think the hardest part of the installation was getting the light bars removed... I ended up having to use a small flat head screwdriver to break it free.As for performance, I was concerned that 400CFM wouldn't be enough, however I am very pleased with the performance. Other reviewers noted that the unit is loud, and while I wouldn't say it is loud, you can definitely hear it running even on low. That said, we were replacing a microwave range-hood combo which sounded like an F-15 flying over the house, so I'm not complaining about the noise. We had an HVAC Contractor vent the hood straight up thru the ceiling and out the roof, no more smelling dinner for hours after it is cooked! The baffle filters are easily removed and the halogen lights are bright and dim-able, though I will probably replace the bulbs with LED at some point.Finally, I had reservations about ordering this from amazon because of potential shipping damage, but the product was packaged well with plenty of Styrofoam and had protective film all around the stainless. There was a slight ding in the corner but it was the side against the wall so I installed it anyway (which was why the halogen light strips were so hard to get out, they had been wedged in by that same ding).All in all I give this 4 stars... would buy it again. Install could have been a lot easier and unit could be quieter, but overall I'm happy

The exhaust fan is part of a major kitchen remodel. The quality is very good and installation was easy as long as you have two people and have not yet installed the stove or range.As to installation, I offer the following tips:1. You must have filler strips under the cabinet if the cabinet does not have a flush bottom.2. Wait to install the hanging screws (provided) until you have unpackaged the hood and can measure the actual holes.3. Measure the screw holes carefully as there is very little tolerance side to side or front to back.4. Remove the screws from the electrical connection housing and install your strain relief with the screws inside the hood before attempting to hang the hood.5. Remove the light bulbs and the light fixture parts. There is a spring loaded clip at the front edge of the light fixture. You need to pull it away from the front. I thought I was bending them and did not pull it far enough so it was difficult to remove the light fixture. Once it is removed from the main fan base, you can un-clip the electrical connection and set it aside.6. Hang the hood onto the screws. You really need two people for this since you need to fish the electrical connection through the hole in the rear and slide the hood onto the screws. Tighten the screws. You will likely need an extension bit to reach the screws on the left side since the blower motor is in the way.I have purposely ignored the ductwork connection as each installation is different. My condition was a through-wall connection that required the rear discharge to be offset by about 1-1/8". My duct man had to fabricate a connection. With the ductwork connection fabrication, the install took about 2-1/2 hours.As to use, I will update review after a few months.

Good: It's a nice looking range hood, it works effectively, and it's okay on noise level. Bad: I thought Zephyr was the high-end, quality manufacturer. Nope. There was a small ding hidden under the protective wrap. Oops, you can't return it once the protective wrap is removed. Additionally, some of the internal screws were not tight. I found that one screw fell out during shipment and was rattling around inside the fan housing. With considerable effort I was able to retrieve it. Also, it was difficult to install. The mounting screw holes adjacent to the fan were difficult to access. The screws provided by the manufacturer were inadequate. Fender washers were required but not included.

While it looked good and the price was right we purchased one of these and called the pro installers to finish the process. When we opened the box we saw that it was a defective unit, fan housing was bent and a few other dents in the upper part of the unit. We sent it back and settled for a replacement from Amazon, which arrived a few weeks later. When we tried to install this one we discovered that it was also dented on top and a few screws were floating around the fan housing. Something is definitely wrong with the quality control as the unit leaves the factory. We since settled on another make and are very happy with.