Without a doubt, kitchen chimneys are an imperative part of a house. The main aim of any kitchen chimney, be it a chimney without duct or be it ducted is to eradicate steam, heat, smoke, and other harmful substances from your kitchen. All they do is keep the heat out of your beloved kitchen area to let the place be cool and not get entangled in heavy smokes and fumes, resulting in choking and unbearable situations in the kitchen.
So, since I gave you a rough insight of what kitchen chimneys are, let’s talk about two important options that you would want to know. Yes, I’m talking about a kitchen chimney without pipe (ductless chimney) and a ducted chimney.
I’ll be broadening the difference between the two and other important aspects about them. Let’s get going:
What is a ductless chimney (chimney without duct)?
A ductless chimney often referred to as chimney without exhaust pipe is a pretty good option for your kitchen to take out the smoke and air and enhance the quality of the air you would get in your kitchen. With the help of its exhaust fan, it takes in the hot air, toxic particles, smoke, and in return it provides you with a better quality of air within the area (kitchen).
Ductless chimneys tend to have a filter attached to them, and they aim to collect the solid particles found in the air and release them in the form of fresh air after some refining process.
Moreover, ductless chimneys do not require wall pipes to be installed and they are easy to handle. Furthermore, it is more focused on improving the quality of the air you get within the area it is installed.
Advantages of chimney without duct/pipe
- A chimney without pipeline is affordable as compared to a ducted chimney. You can be assured that you’ll save some bucks and also get a quality performance.
- This is sort of obvious but ductless chimneys are easy to install since they don’t require pipes. Hence, you can fit your beloved ductless chimney anywhere you want.
- You would not face heat loss during the winter months.
Disadvantages of kitchen chimney without duct
- Ductless chimney tends to focus more on filtering the dirty air and not cooling down the temperature within the kitchen area. This is a let-down and also the filtered air is re-circulated within the kitchen room. The moisture and steam remain in the kitchen.
- A ductless chimney is cheaper, but it surely requires high-maintenance. Not only do you have to look after the quality of its fan is in a good condition but also you will have to keep replacing its filters at regular intervals.
- A kitchen chimney without pipe produces a lot of noise that can make you annoyed, thanks to its exhaust fans. Also, it is less efficient and has low to average suction power.
Tip: although there are several benefits of using a ductless chimney, it is rare to find an efficient and reliable one in the Indian market, probably due to less demand. Instead, I recommend these top ducted models from Faber and Elica –
| Faber HOOD EVEREST SC TC HC BK 60 | Elica WD HAC TOUCH BF 60 |
|---|---|
 |  |
| CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
What is a ducted chimney?
A kitchen chimney with a pipeline attached to it is known as a ducted chimney. It has a large pipe, which is not the case with ductless chimneys and they tend to eradicate smoke and heat from the kitchen.
Ducted chimneys also have filters attached with them but their purpose is to completely take out the hazardous smoke and heat from the kitchen. This is possible due to a solidly built duct system and lets you cool down the temperature, which does not happen in the case of ductless chimneys.
The pipes on a duct chimney work like a charm as they take in large amounts of smoke and throw it outside.
Advantages of ducted chimney
- Duct chimneys substantially do things. They transfer a huge amount of hot air, smoke directly from your kitchen and puts them outside your house. Talk about doing a substantial amount of work.
- It requires low maintenance and you don’t need to be constantly worried about it. One of the reasons being that the pipes take in the dirty air and throw them outside the house, instead of re-circulating it within the kitchen room.
- Another imperative advantage of having a ducted chimney is that you won’t be getting irritated with the noise its fans produce. Ducted chimneys are more on the silent side and don’t usually create a nuisance with unwanted loud noises.
Disadvantages of ducted kitchen chimney
- Duct chimneys will thin your pocket compared to ductless chimneys as its procedure of installation is costlier.
- To set up a ducted chimney, you surely need a lot of space in your kitchen room to connect the pipelines going outside your house.
- Having a small kitchen can make things horrible in the form of regular cleaning. This is something which you need to take note of yourself when going for a ducted chimney within a small space.
Ductless vs ducted chimney – which one to choose?
What I feel about ductless chimney is that it can be useful for households with fewer people in a family or when the kitchen space is not gigantic or big enough. It is an affordable option for families having less kitchen space, even though it has a couple of cons, it is pocket-friendly.
On the other hand, ducted chimneys are next-level chimneys. They require complex installation procedures, costly but provide value for money with additional benefits.
In case you’re living with a large number of people in a house with a big fat kitchen, having a ducted chimney is a must. Since it is low maintenance and can drive away a substantial amount of smoke, dust, dirty air at once, this is recommended.
Anyway, let’s take a glimpse of the difference between a ductless chimney and a duct chimney, side by side –
| Ductless Chimney | Ducted Chimney |
|---|---|
| More flexible as it easy to install anywhere | Difficult to install |
| Works by filtering and circulating the smoke air in the kitchen itself | Works by removing the smoke air completely out from the kitchen |
| Less efficient – can’t remove steam, heat, and moisture from kitchen | More efficient – can remove steam, heat, and moisture from kitchen |
| Bit noisy because of the high speed exhaust fans | Produces less noise |
| Needs regular maintenance for good performance | Requires less maintenance comparing to ductless chimneys |
| Has low suction power | High suction power |
| Uses carbon filter with either cassette or baffle filter | Uses either cassette or baffle filter |
Conclusion
No matter what, you certainly require a kitchen chimney for your house. Whether it be a chimney without exhaust pipe or a ducted chimney, they both are equivalently useful for you in their ways.
A ducted chimney seems to be more efficient and preferred by many. Coming to ductless chimneys, they would not break you into a sweat with complex installation procedures. Ductless chimneys are without a doubt affordable and provide more flexibilities.
But wait, the decision lies upon you. It all depends on your requirements, whether you have a big enough space in the kitchen, you are fine with heat loss during winter, or you can keep a constant check on your kitchen chimney.
If your are getting a new range hood, you may find this guide helpful – Best Chimney Under 10000 In India.
