Product review (2 stars): Worst installation experience ever!
I bought the product before Thanksgiving. This review has 2 parts: Installation and product performance. Installation gets 1 star. Performance so far gets 4 stars.
The product was clearly designed with no thought or consideration about ease of installation. Here's why:
1- The product is supposed to be hanging from 4 screws from under the cabinet. The screws need to be drilled with perfect precision, otherwise when you are lifting the hood to install it in place it won't go it. Remember you have no visibility at that point. What does Zephyr do to help you with this? Just a diagram of distance measurements.
What could they do to improve this experience? Supply a template sheet with drill holes marked so you can tape it under the cabinet, drill the holes, and be done. By the way that would also help ensure you have enough space under the cabinet without any lips or sides intruding.
Cost for that improvement? $0.05?
2- Once the hood is hanging from the screws, you need to tighten them (as the manual suggests). You need to do this laying on your back on the stove. But even then the front screws are impossible to reach though. Why? The only way you can reach them is at a 45 degree angle from front. Now imagine tightening a screw at 45 degrees. You will damage the screw head, and then you are stuck half way. The best way to avoid this is to take the hood down. Redrill the front holes at 45 degrees, and reinstall it that way. Does the manual specify that? No!
What could they to improve this? Clearly state the need to drill the front holes at 45 degrees.
Cost for that improvement? $0.00.
3- The power cable that comes with the unit has no plug, and is just about 4" long. What is the rationale for not having a plug and such a short length of cord? I don't know, but I can say that by the time you take the cord through the cabinet, you have little room for error when you are attaching a plug. I could bet that 90%+ of customers have an outlet within 3' of the unit. If you offer a 3' cord with a plug, and some minority of customers needs to change the cord, well they can cut it, and change it. Now everyone has to go through that.
Cost for that improvement? $1.00 max?
4- Finally is there a way this experience could've been world-class at low cost? Yes. They could change the installation process using simple system similar where four 1" mini-rails that you install under the cabinet, and then simply slide the hood into place. That way the unit is firmly attached vertically. To prevent horizontal play the unit can be attached to the rails with 4 short fat screws.
Cost for this improvement? The 4 mini rails, the corresponding rail-catcher on the top of the unit, and any delta in sheet-metal stamping. All would be less than $5.00