Buying Guide
Having a ductless range hood allows you to install a range hood with the minimum of cost and inconvenience. Ductless range hoods are range hoods that filter the air without requiring external ducts. This means that they can be more easily placed and moved around your kitchen. Islands often require ductless range hoods, due to the issues of installing ducts in ceilings. This page discusses the question of when a ductless range hood is best, and the discusses the special considerations involved with ductless hoods.
Ductless or No?
One very important question is whether or not to even use a ductless hood. Because island hoods are placed in the centre of a room, one cannot put a duct into the wall of the home. Instead, any duct will necessarily go through the ceiling. Depending on the structure of the home, this may make a ducted hood simply impossible. Sometimes there is insufficient room in the ceiling for a proper duct. In other cases, the cost of a ceiling installation may simply be too much. In all of these cases, a ductless range hood is often the best option for an island hood. Rather than having the air escape, the hood cleans the air right in the kitchen and recirculates it.
Filters and Power
Because ductless hoods actually clean the air rather than cycling new air from outside, ductless hoods usually have special, charcoal filters for this. These filters are very effective, but they also require replacement from time to time. After all, when you’re cleaning the air, the dirt in the smoke has to go somewhere, so it goes into these charcoal filters. They also limit the amount of power the island hood will have. Ducted hoods have an almost limitless amount of air they can pump in, so their power is only limited by their fans. Ductless hoods are limited also by the capacity of the filters. However, ductless hoods can still reach up to 600 cubic feet per minute of circulation, more than enough for most cooking needs.
Ductless Conversion
Many ductless hoods, especially island range hoods, are not originally ductless. The great majority of island hoods will have ducts. However, many models will also come with a ductless conversion kit that can be used to turn what would otherwise be a ducted hood into a ductless one. In general, these conversion kits are excellent, because the hood will still have the powerful fans and features of a ducted hood. Note, however, that ductless conversion kits are often an additional charge, up to $100. If you plan to purchase a ductless conversion kit, make not of whether this kit is an extra cost and whether or not it is even available from the same supplier.
If you can’t place a duct in your ceiling for you island hood, there are still a number of great cooking options and ductless hoods available for purchase.