Anyone explain why rangehoods are so expensive?

[giddyup]

Our 8 year old range hood quit and now in the market for a new one. When I looked inside the old one, all I see is a motor to create suction and switches to regulate the speed of the fan. So why do these things cost 10,000-35,000 baht? OK, there has to be the stainless steel housing, but I can buy a heavy duty washing machine for less, and that has a lot more mechanics involved. I have to throw away the old range hood  because it is now obsolete and parts like the switches aren't available any more. Makes me mad that we live in such a throw-away society.

[lopburi3]

But the washer is made here.  Same with microwaves.  Would expect price to decrease with recent switch to condo living but probably still has to be imported as most homes did not use them - simple (or not so simple) exhaust fan or outdoor gas cooking is still favored for private houses and eating out/prepared food is very much higher than in most other countries.  

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

But the washer is made here.  Same with microwaves.  Would expect price to decrease with recent switch to condo living but probably still has to be imported as most homes did not use them - simple (or not so simple) exhaust fan or outdoor gas cooking is still favored for private houses and eating out/prepared food is very much higher than in most other countries.  

I think you will find that in nearly every new gated village there is a western kitchen equipped with a range hood, so there must be thousands of them being installed in Thailand. Are they all imported? I know most are international brand names, but I thought some would be made here under licence.

[BEVUP]

Yep the old import tax

Same with a 4 burner BBQ, I can get them for half the price abroad 

[bankruatsteve]

Most new build "western" homes that I have seen will also have an outside cooking area and which is used for the cooking with chili, etc.  For steaks, there's usually the outside grill.  IE: maybe don't need a hood unless the smell of bacon cooking in the morning is offensive.  In the past, when I have had a hood, about the only time it got used is when I would cheat a cig inside the house.  But, to the question... yeah, mostly imported, and the appeal from westerners that think it's a necessary item.

[johng]

Better (most probably cheaper too)

just to go to a metal fabrications shop and have one "custom" made and fitted.

 

If you have an aircon compressor unit anywhere near  the stove it will get covered in oil and then dirt

if you don't have a hood.

 

[bankruatsteve]

15 minutes ago, johng said:

Better (most probably cheaper too)

just to go to a metal fabrications shop and have one "custom" made and fitted.

 

If you have an aircon compressor unit anywhere near  the stove it will get covered in oil and then dirt

if you don't have a hood.

 

That might explain why hoods were invented:  to protect the AC compressor in the kitchen.

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, bankruatsteve said:

That might explain why hoods were invented:  to protect the AC compressor in the kitchen.

Compressors are located outside home in split system air conditioning as used in Thailand however.

[bankruatsteve]

13 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Compressors are located outside home in split system air conditioning as used in Thailand however.

Ah, right.  Well you know the AC thingy then - that would otherwise collect the oil spatter if not for the hood.

[johng]

In lots of condos  the compressor unit is  on the balcony  which very often doubles as an "outside kitchen"

lots of "Thai homes" also have an "outside kitchen"   the air con compressor ( or any fan)  are "oil magnets" and once oil is on the cooling fins it will attract dust and dirt making the aircon work harder increasing electricity usage and require getting the "professional" cleaners in more often.

[scorecard]

 

I've bought exhaust hoods several times.

 

Luckily I knew several months in advance of the date the hood would be needed, so I started shopping around for promotions etc. Every time I went to Home-Pro, global etc., I did a quick check for any promotions. I noted several promotions, some with quite big discounts.

 

In the run up to fitting out the western style kitchen in son's new house in CM, we walked into Home-Pro  on the super highway (often there to shop at Big C, same floor) and just inside the door a big promotion set up with several different packages. We bought a package: oven, electric black glass cook top, range hood, double sink, micro-wave, and big 2 door fridge, all good brand names.

 

We saved a fortune, and the price included delivery and a voucher for 5,000Baht as part payment for fitting, and same evening the fitter man came and checked everything. He wanted 3,000Baht more for some extra fittings (he showed us pictures of what he wanted to buy and it was all very logical).  About 48 hours later all fitted and complete. 

 

 

[janclaes47]

5 hours ago, giddyup said:

Our 8 year old range hood quit and now in the market for a new one.

But but, the Franke technician was a scam and you had it fixed easily just yesterday.

 

 

 

 

[Farangdanny]

I have one that I bought but didn't use. MEX. Where do you live. Can have it for 6,000. PM me if interested.

[giddyup]

21 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

But but, the Franke technician was a scam and you had it fixed easily just yesterday.

 

 

 

 

I didn't finish the story. The local guy said that he had fixed the motor and said he would come and fit it, but after blowing the fuses twice he decided it was beyond him. I was optimistic that he had fixed the motor, but maybe the problem was in the switches, who knows? Can't trust anyone to do a decent job, so I'm left with no alternative but to buy new.

[Belzybob]

Its not just Thailand. I was looking for a new hood and they are silly money in Australia as well.

[Beats56]

5 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

Most new build "western" homes that I have seen will also have an outside cooking area and which is used for the cooking with chili, etc.  For steaks, there's usually the outside grill.  IE: maybe don't need a hood unless the smell of bacon cooking in the morning is offensive.  In the past, when I have had a hood, about the only time it got used is when I would cheat a cig inside the house.  But, to the question... yeah, mostly imported, and the appeal from westerners that think it's a necessary item.

Bacon never smells offensive. If anything it makes you hungry.

[bankruatsteve]

1 minute ago, Beats56 said:

Bacon never smells offensive. If anything it makes you hungry.

Ya, that's more or less my point.  I just don't agree that a hood is much use for anything if there's a place outside for the wife to do her thing.  (And it doesn't do anything for oil spatter.)

[Beats56]

8 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Ya, that's more or less my point.  I just don't agree that a hood is much use for anything if there's a place outside for the wife to do her thing.  (And it doesn't do anything for oil spatter.)

Get round mesh splatter quard Stops the splatter. Use ours all the time.

 

[1FinickyOne]

low demand - - but buying parts new seem to be always expensive... 

[4MyEgo]

8 hours ago, giddyup said:

I think you will find that in nearly every new gated village there is a western kitchen equipped with a range hood, so there must be thousands of them being installed in Thailand. Are they all imported? I know most are international brand names, but I thought some would be made here under licence.

We recently built an external kitchen, i.e. an internal door from within the house which leads out into the external kitchen, which also has a door at each end of the kitchen, i.e. north & south if you like, and at one end of that kitchen, just above the gas hotplates we have half a dozen louvre glass panel slates, and to the right of that we have a Panasonic extractor fan with a metal cover with holes in it, so that it can be taken off and cleaned every now and again, it also has flaps at the back of it that open when you switch it on and close when you turn it off, and its quiet.

 

I personally don't like rangehoods, they are either too loud, or the quiet ones are bloody expensive, and they are all sticking inwards from the walls, so depending on who is doing the cooking (not me), they do get in your way, or people do bump their heads on them , etc etc, so for just under 2,000 baht, and say 300 baht for a lakey to make a hole in your wall to fit in, it will be a cheaper alternative, we had it hard wired to our power point so just have to flick the switch as opposed to pull the cord that it came with.

 

If you live in a house, not condo, it will be a cheap alternative for you and works wonders, although we do have good cross ventilation in that kitchen with doors at either end and the louvre window to help push the smoke right to the extractor fan.

 

If you want a photo, just PM me and I will upload one for you, assuming it can be done here.

[giddyup]

14 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

low demand - - but buying parts new seem to be always expensive... 

Every big department store (Homepro, Homeworks, etc) in Thailand carries a wide range of range hoods, so there's obviously more than low demand.

[lopburi3]

34 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Every big department store (Homepro, Homeworks, etc) in Thailand carries a wide range of range hoods, so there's obviously more than low demand.

By that logic dishwashers should be common too - but until very recently you could not even buy detergent most places.  Big departments stores are not where most people shop and they are

 expected to carry top line items (as well as a lot a bit less so).  

Perhaps relatively low demand would be more accurate.

[mixlis]

Prices don’t seem all that high.. in Australia you can pay over 50 tho for a name brand ! 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Every big department store (Homepro, Homeworks, etc) in Thailand carries a wide range of range hoods, so there's obviously more than low demand.

ok - then I will go with part two of my answer... a friend once added up the cost of parts needed to build a car and came out with 10x the price of a new vehicle... I never heard of anyone looking for a range hood before... I stand corrected.. maybe. 

[giddyup]

59 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

By that logic dishwashers should be common too - but until very recently you could not even buy detergent most places.  Big departments stores are not where most people shop and they are

 expected to carry top line items (as well as a lot a bit less so).  

Perhaps relatively low demand would be more accurate.

I guess all he people I see in department stores are just window shoppers, no actual buyers. Makes you wonder how they stay in business. I was in Baan and Beyond (uses to be Homeworks) yesterday and counted at least 30 different range hoods, seems excessive for a low volume product. Didn't see many dishwashers though.

[giddyup]

31 minutes ago, mixlis said:

Prices don’t seem all that high.. in Australia you can pay over 50 tho for a name brand ! 

My point was that the price seems high for what is actually inside. There's nothing hi tech about them, a blower and a switch, can't get much more basic than that.

[Crossy]

Don't give up on your current one just yet. You may be able to find a suitable motor which your local handyperson can fit, probably with a little, er, adjustment and a bent tin bracket.

 

Does the "repaired" motor run on the bench with a direct mains connection? If so it could be a control gear problem, but, as you say, there's not a lot to these things.

 

[carlyai]

Ya, that's more or less my point.  I just don't agree that a hood is much use for anything if there's a place outside for the wife to do her thing.  (And it doesn't do anything for oil spatter.)

Gets rid of the carbon monoxide. There's one good thing.

Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk

[wgdanson]

On 4/4/2018 at 11:33 AM, johng said:

Better (most probably cheaper too)

just to go to a metal fabrications shop and have one "custom" made and fitted.

 

If you have an aircon compressor unit anywhere near  the stove it will get covered in oil and then dirt

if you don't have a hood.

 

The hood surely, is only to extract smoke. All other 'splatters' will go onto the cooker top or back-splash (as it's name implies). 

[johng]

The smoke itself is oily...but yes a splash back / sides and a hood extracting fumes/smoke to an outside area would be best.