Broan PM390 Range Hood Review

Hello there, Happy Monday!!

Quick update: I haven't worked much on the garage project these past few days. Friday and Saturday were super cold up here, and yesterday I just didn't feel like it. However, I picked up most of the wood lying on the floor and organized it on the shelves. It feels so much better already! 

Today's post came to my mind about three weeks ago, while cleaning the range hood. I remembered thinking about one of the most frequent questions I have to answer: 

How do you like your Broan PM390 range hood? 

Is it too noisy? 

Well, the answer to those questions and other details about the Broan PM390 range hood is right here in this blog post.

Building the range hood was one of my very first DIY projects, almost ten years ago. It was nerve-wracking at the time because there weren't similar projects that I could follow. 

The entire kitchen makeover project was done one step at a time, very slowly, with the husband looking at me, wide-eyed, a "what is this crazy woman trying to do?" look on his face. :D

This is how the kitchen looked, with a recirculating hood above the stove. 

I hated that system.

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The following picture shows the same kitchen right after completing the first big makeover, and of course, sporting a range hood that was bringing the air outside.

Details here for HOW TO BUILD A RANGE HOOD

Was it an easy project??  

- Probably so, but at that time, I remember mainly being nervous about doing the right thing.

Now, looking back... Yes, it was an easy install and an easy build.

The Broan PM390 is an insert range hood, which means it's the inside unit, the fan. 

You need to provide the cover for it, along with all the other parts, such as the liner, ducting, and outside wall cap.

| Broan PM390 Hood Insert | Hood Liner | Metal Duct Pipe | 90-degree Elbow | Wall Cap |

A few years down the road, I gave the range hood and the entire kitchen another mini-makeover by painting the kitchen island a brighter color, removing a couple of cabinet doors, and changing the trim on the range hood.

Check all the changes done to the range hood right here: NEW TRIM FOR THE RANGE HOOD.

Three years ago, the range hood got another makeover:

A FARMHOUSE LOOK FOR THE RANGE HOOD

What can I say? 

Change is good.  

However, I didn't like the dark shade on the hood, and I brought it back to white:

As you see, the outside has gotten many updates. The inside of the unit... not so much!

The Broan PM390 has been working all these years nicely, bringing vapors and cooking smells outside the house.

The controls to turn the unit ON/OFF are on the underside (black oval area), as is the light switch.

It has three air suction settings, low, medium, and high, which do a great job at suctioning air.

I always use the lower setting, but if I'm cooking something that creates a lot of steam or vapors, I go up to the second setting. I've just had to use the highest extraction setting a few times, and it's loud.

NOISE LEVEL

That's precisely the other question I get: How noisy is it?

- At 6.0 sones it can't be a quiet unit, but I don't find it to be too noisy, or maybe I just got used to it? :)

The low setting is low; it isn't bothersome at all. You hear it, but you can have a conversation while using it.

As you increase its power, the noise goes up. The medium setting is still bearable.

The highest setting is noisy, and that's perhaps why I don't use it much. However, it gets lots of air out of the area; it's powerful!

CLEANING

I went on vacation for almost a month, after getting back home and not being able to clean the unit for almost two months. Let me tell you, this thing was yucky! 😝

It looked like the boys had held many cooking parties here, and they didn't bother to clean the hood.

The filter, which I usually change every month, was nasty. Worst of all, I didn't have replacements. And when I ordered them, the order was somehow canceled, and I kept waiting for their arrival. Well, about a week later, I got a new order. And that was the other reason why I wanted to write this post.

I ordered the filters from a new company: Supply House. They were awesome! The price, shipping included, was lower than what I paid to the other company I used to order from. But the best was the FAST shipping. I placed my order at around 5:00 pm, and this big, well-packed box was at my doorstep at noon the following day. What?! Happy dance!

By the way, this is not a sponsored post.

| Grease filter - $6.35 each |

The ugly thing... I had to go and clean the entire hood. First, I got rid of the yucky grease filter.

Every two years, I also ditch the nasty metal grille (Grille $30) and buy a new one.

I was ready to do it, but it looks like the new grilles are made of plastic, and I didn't like the idea of getting rid of the metal ones. So, I went ahead and cleaned it.

| Grille |

Another item that I usually change after a few years of use or when it gets damaged is the lens or the light covers. Their price is outrageous, and the little "legs" that hold them in place break easily. They are made of plastic/paste material; they simply snap after a few months. Without those little legs, it's hard to set them in place.

After washing the grille and lens with lots of very warm, soapy water, they looked dull. My little trick to alleviate that problem is to give all those surfaces a good wipe with a paper towel soaked in stainless steel cleaner.

| lens each- $17 |

And here you see it... Good as new!

For its overall price/value, the Broan PM390 Hood Insert is a good buy. 👍

I'm starting to think about replacing this unit next year or so. I've loved this unit, I would use it again if I don't find something way better. Although I would like to change the look. ;)

What type of range hood are you using? Do you like it? 

*This post contains affiliate links.

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