Ducted vs. Recirculating Mode: What’s The Difference?

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Modern kitchen with luxurious brown cabinets.

While browsing our products online or in-store, you may have heard that Newmatic chimney hoods should be operated in ducted, rather than recirculating mode. But what do these terms mean and why is one preferred over the other? In this article, we hope to shed light on this subject and help you get the most of your Newmatic chimney hood. 

What are chimney hoods?

Newmatic Built-in Cooker Hob and Black Kitchen Hood

A chimney hood, also known as a range hood, cooker hood or kitchen extractor, is a kitchen appliance installed directly above a cooktop in the kitchen. Its primary purpose is to extract and filter the airborne pollutants generated while cooking, like smoke, grease and odours. Within its chassis, every chimney hood is typically equipped with a set of illumination lamps, control panel, filter, valve, air chamber and electrical components. When the chimney hood is switched on, the contaminated air is extracted by the blower and filtered through aluminium and/or charcoal filters before being led through the air chamber and valve. 

What is the difference between ducted and recirculating mode?

Diagram showing the differences between ducted and recirculating mode.
  • Ducted Mode. In this mode, the chimney hood is connected to a duct which leads to the outside. This allows the hood to send the contaminated air outside of the home while bringing fresh air back into the kitchen. 
  • Recirculating Mode. In this mode, the chimney hood extracts the contaminated kitchen air through its filters before re-introducing the air once again into the room. However, this makes the hood less effective, as it cannot truly expel all the pollutants or introduce fresh air into the kitchen without a duct to the outside. 

Why should my chimney hood operated in ducted mode?

Cooking Smoke
  • Greater performance. Ducts only allow the chimney hood to successfully expel unpleasant fumes, grease and odours but also re-introduce fresh air into the kitchen. This allows the appliance to clean the kitchen’s air more effectively. 
  • Better health outcomes. While cooking, especially with a gas hob in a poorly ventilated kitchen, depleted oxygen levels and the potentially carcinogenic fumes from evaporating ingredients can cause dizziness, headaches, eye irritation and even serious respiratory issues in the long term. A Newmatic chimney hood can help prevent these issues and better safeguard your health if operated in the ducted mode. 
  • Long-term cost. All Newmatic chimney hoods come with a complimentary aluminium hood. However, an additional charcoal filter must be used and replaced every 6 months if the chimney hood is operating in recirculaing mode to compensate for the loss in performance. This will incur additional costs in the long-term, and is not recommended.  

Can Newmatic help me set up my chimney hood?

Aluminium ducting is normally used where there is lots of heat like on a cooker extractor unit, because it needs to be heat resistant.

Yes, Newmatic offers free delivery and installation of chimney hoods to selected areas. Please check out our Delivery & Installation page for more details. If you have not set up your kitchen for a ducted chimney hood, we also offer coring services for a small fee. For more information, please contact our General Enquiries hotline at +254 0711 477 711. 

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