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The main function of a kitchen chimney is to extract heat, smoke, food odours and air-borne grease, using its internal fan and filter. Kitchen chimneys can be broadly classified into ducted chimneys that transfer the stale air from the chimney and release it into the outdoors through a duct, and ductless (recycling) chimneys where the stale air passes through a set a charcoal filters and the purified air is circulated back into the kitchen.
Ducted chimneys are more effective and preferred in comparison to ductless chimneys for the Indian style of cooking, which involves a lot of frying and the use of masalas. There are numerous chimney models to choose from; one can opt for an under-cabinet kitchen chimney, a wall-mounted kitchen chimney or a ceiling-mounted chimney, as per the design of the kitchen or the homeowner’s preference.
1. Chimney size
Ducted chimneys are available in standard sizes of 60 centimetres or 90 centimetres wide.
- For a cooktop with two to four burners, a 60-centimetre-wide chimney is enough.
- If the cooktop has three to five burners, then it is advisable to go for a 90-centimetre-wide chimney.
2. Chimney filter
For ducted chimneys, there are two types of chimney filters to choose from:
- Cassette filter: A cassette filter has multiple layers of a metal mesh to collect kitchen pollutants like grease and oil, and expels the smoke through a duct or a PVC pipe. One drawback is that it has the tendency to get clogged with grease particles, which affects the suction power of the chimney.
- Baffle filter: These filters are made of overlapping layers of steel and aluminium, which change the direction of airflow. This filter uses ‘cut-and-chop’ technology to separate the grease from smoke and its suction capacity is not affected by clogging over time.
3. Chimney suction power
Choose the chimney with the correct suction power (suction power is measured in cubic metres per hour – usually expressed as m3/hr). For the Indian style of cooking, the suction power of the chimney should range between 400 and 1000 cubic metres per hour, depending on the size of your kitchen.
4. Chimney duct
- The chimney duct should not be more than 12 feet long. Choose an appropriate position for the chimney such that the piping that connects to the outdoors is short, to ensure maximum efficiency in terms of the air suction power of the chimney.
- Stainless steel is the most preferred material for the chimney duct pipes because of its strength, durability and resistance to corrosion. Materials like PVC and aluminium are also used for the chimney ducts.
- It is not advisable to go for more than two bends in the chimney duct, because a short pipe with fewer bends is more effective than a long pipe with more bends.
5. Cut-out for chimney duct in the external wall
- There should be a 6-inch-wide circular cut-out in the external wall for the chimney duct. This cut-out should be made on the external wall at a height of 7 feet from floor level or above the window-lintel level.
- In case there is no pre-existing circular cut-out in the kitchen, then try to give the contract to the chimney installer to make the hole in the correct position of the external wall for installation of the chimney. Another way to deal with such a situation could be by using the cut-out or position of the external exhaust fan for passing the chimney pipe through it.
- For all those who live in buildings or rented apartments with restrictions that won’t allow them to create a cut-out in the external wall, a ductless model is the only option.
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