Yogendra Rai
A Complete How To Guide on How to Choose Chimney for Kitchen. Know different chimneys, filter types, and useful features.
Why Buying a Kitchen Chimney is Important
Some people are so allergic to the strong odor and smoke coming from the kitchen that they sneeze as soon as they are exposed to it and end up getting a cold for a few days✓1Governmental Authority, National Library of Medicine, Go to source.
Kitchen chimneys may be one of the main solutions to this problem.
The kitchen chimney removes harmful pollutants from the kitchen, which are present in the strong odor and light smoke produced during cooking. It protects us against sneezing, a runny nose, coughing, headaches, and serious respiratory diseases.
In addition to this, smoke, odor, and small oil particles are deposited in various kitchen equipment, tiles, and cabinets while cooking on a gas stove, and after a few days, they are coated in the shape of a sticky surface. Therefore, the kitchen chimney is an effective way to get them out immediately.
How to Choose Chimney for Kitchen
This post will teach you how to choose a kitchen chimney for your kitchen.
Parts of Chimney
A kitchen chimney, technically called an extractor hood, mainly consists of three parts:
- Capture Panel: It captures the smoke.
- Oil Collectors / Grease Filter: It separates oil and grease from smoke.
- Fan / Blower: It pushes or absorbs the smoke inside the chimney.
Type of Chimney
Chimneys are of two types on the basis of ventilation type:
Ducted Chimney
In this, a thick pipe comes out over the chimney, through which the kitchen smoke is drawn out.
- The ideal duct size should be 8 to 12 feet.
Ductless Chimney
When there is nowhere for the smoke from the kitchen to go, a chimney like this is installed. As opposed to a ducted chimney, this one uses a charcoal filter to trap smoke, odors, and small oil particles. The air is then filtered and returned to the kitchen.
There are two types depending on the fit:
Wall mounted chimney
If your gas stove is near the wall of the kitchen, then it would be fine to have this type of chimney. It requires the least amount of ducting pipes, so the work gets done at a low cost.
Ceiling mounted / Island chimney
If your gas stove is in the middle of the kitchen (not near the wall), it would be fine to have this type of chimney. It requires a few more ducting pipes, so the cost increases slightly.
Filter Type
Mesh / Cassette filter
It has a dense mesh of aluminum. When air passes through it, fine particles of smoke and oil get stuck on this fine mesh. The holes in these nets get clogged with dirt which needs to be cleaned every 15 days.
Pros: Mesh / Cassette filter
- The filter is easy to clean by wiping it with any detergent + warm water solution
Cons: Mesh / Cassette filter
- It is necessary to clean it every 15 days, otherwise, the chimney may not work properly.
Baffle filter
It consists of an aluminum/steel layer using a cut-and-chop technique to separate the smoke, oil, and spices. Even if oil accumulates in the first layer, the suction power of the chimney is not affected.
Pros: Baffle filter
- This is appropriate for the Indian cooking method.
- It is good for those homes where oily food is prepared.
- Even if oil accumulates in the first layer, the suction power of the chimney is not affected.
- Baffle-filtered chimneys may (or may not) have an auto-clean feature.
- The filter is easy to clean by wiping it with any detergent + warm water solution.
Cons: Baffle filter
- It is necessary to clean once every 5-6 months, after a few months rust starts to appear. Therefore, you should only take a chimney made of steel with a baffle filter so that it does not rust.
- Filters have to be changed every 4-5 years.
Charcoal filter
It has a layer of charcoal grains. Their main job is to absorb odor. Its efficiency depends on the thickness of the filter and the size of the charcoal grains. This filter is used in Ductless chimneys.
Pros: Charcoal filter
- The auto-clean feature is definitely available in charcoal-filtered chimneys.
Cons: Charcoal filter
- It cannot be cleaned, and has to be replaced every 3-4 months.
Auto Clean Kitchen Chimney
Some chimneys have an auto-clean feature. These chimneys clean themselves.
The sticky, greasy filth that has accumulated in the chimney is heated for 15 to 20 minutes while it is on, which causes it to convert into liquid and be removed. The chimney itself is cleaned in this manner.
How to Choose Chimney Size
| How many burners are on the cooktop? | Which kitchen chimney size should be used? |
| Up to 3 burners | 60 cm chimney |
| Up to 5 burners | 90 cm chimney |
Kitchen Chimney Height should be 24 to 30 inches from the cooktop.
Chimney Suction Capacity
The ability of a chimney fan/blower to absorb or suck smoke is measured in CFM (Cubic Feet of Air Moved per minute).
Suction Capacity is the main feature of the chimney.
When choosing the chimney, the right suction capacity chimney should be selected.
A chimney with a low suction capacity cannot remove smoke and a chimney with a high suction capacity makes more noise.
The suction capacity of the kitchen chimney is kept in four categories:
- Up to 799 CFM
- 800 to 999 CFM
- 1000 to 1199 CFM
- Over 1200 CFM
Kitchen Chimney Wattage
The electric motor of the chimney uses between 150 and 250 watts of electricity, depending on the suction power of the chimney. If the chimney has an auto-clean feature, then 100 watts of electricity will be used separately.
- Electric chimney motor 150 to 250 watts
- Light 50 watt
- Auto Clean Feature 100 Watt
- 400 watts in total
Other Features of Chimney
LED Lights
The cooktop is well-lit by the LED lights in the kitchen chimney. This is quite useful during cooking.
Touch control
The kitchen chimney’s touch control facilitates better operation of the appliance.
Motion Sensor Control
This function is quite helpful if you want to operate the kitchen chimney without ever touching it.
Auto heat sensor
As soon as you turn on the gas stove for cooking, the chimney turns on automatically.
Indicator/buzzer
When it’s time to clean or replace the filter, the chimney indicator lights up or sounds an alarm to notify you.
Installation
Most of the companies charge around Rs 500 for wall-mounted chimneys and around Rs 1500 for island chimneys. Ducting cost of pipes is around 500 to 1000 depending on the length of the pipes. Before the technicians of the company come, the work of the exit of the pipes like vents, etc. has to be done.
Warranty & Service
The motor and chimney for kitchen chimneys are frequently covered by different warranties. Most manufacturers provide a one-year guarantee on chimneys and a five-year warranty on motors. It is best to select the chimney that receives greater than this warranty duration.
Service differs depending on the brand as well. Verify whether a chimney’s service is offered in your city before purchasing one.
You should read customer reviews on online stores, forums, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, the company’s YouTube comment section, and even websites like Quora to know about the service quality and customer experiences of a brand.
Also, you should discuss with your friends and acquaintances their experience with the brand of the kitchen chimney.
After reading this article, hopefully, you now have some relevant knowledge that will help you how to choose a kitchen chimney for your kitchen.
FAQs
Which type of chimney is best for kitchen?
For Indian kitchens, a chimney with a larger air suction capability is recommended. Depending on the size of your kitchen, the range should be between 400 m3/hr and 1000 m3/hr for regular cooking. Generally speaking, chimneys with a lengthy hose have greater suction power.
Is 60 cm chimney enough for 4 burner?
Typically, a kitchen chimney of 60 cm or 90 cm in size will do for a stove or hob with 2 to 4 burners and 3 to 5 burners, respectively. The size of the kitchen chimney should always be the same as or greater than the stove.
Which shape of chimney is best?
The finest chimney for a tiny kitchen is a straight one. Compared to a hood chimney, a straight line chimney has fewer design alternatives. While modular kitchens are a good fit for hood chimneys. The hood chimney is easy to pick from because it is available in a variety of forms, patterns, and styles.
Which chimney is best auto clean or manual?
The auto clean chimney cleans itself more effectively than the manual chimney clean. There are features that make it easier to maintain, and you can even remove the oil collection and clean it as needed. As a result, the chimney requires less general maintenance.
Which type of chimney is best for home?
The chimney can remove leftover smoke, dirt, and other particles from your kitchen if it has a strong suction capability. Elica, GLEN, and Hindware chimneys as well as others have strong suction capabilities that keep soot and smoke out of your kitchen.
How much suction power does a chimney need?
For example, your kitchen’s volume is 4m x 4m x 2.5m, or 40m3. Ten times in an hour, fresh air the size of a kitchen must be changed; consequently, 10 × 40 m3 = 400 m3/h. Thus, your kitchen needs a chimney with a minimum suction power of 400m3/h.
Sources
- 1Governmental Authority, National Library of Medicine, Go to source
