A chimney or  extractor hood (U.K.) or range hood (U.S.), also known as a kitchen hood, stove hood, exhaust hood, cooker hood, extraction hood, cooking canopy, ventilation hood, extractor fan, fume extractor or electric chimney, is a device containing a fan that hangs above the stove or cooktop in the kitchen. It is used to remove airborne grease, combustion products, smoke, odors, heat, and steam from the air by a combination of filtration and evacuation of the air.
An extractor hood consists of three main components: a skirt or capture panel to contain the rising gases (also known as the “effluent plume”), one or more grease filters, and a fan or tangential blower for forced ventilation.

Given below are few of the companies who produce them and some of their products

FABER :-

2740

Features

Finish -Black Powder Coated/ Stainless Steel
Width-60 cm
Suction-400 m 3/ hr
Noise level-Max 62 dba
Filters -Aluminum Mesh Filters
Warranty-1 Year
Accessory-Charcoal Filters

CF 601

Features

Finish-Black Powder Coated/ Stainless Steel
Width-60 cm
Suction-600 m 3/ hr
Noise level-Max 62 dba
Filters -Cassette Filters
Warranty-1 Year
Accessory-Charcoal Filters

CLEO LTW

Features
Finish-Black Powder Coated/ Stainless Steel
Width-60 cm
Suction-700 m 3/ hr
Noise level-Max 67 dba
Filters -Baffle
Warranty-Life Time Warranty
Accessory-Charcoal Filters

STYLE

Features
Finish-Black Powder Coated/ Stainless Steel
Width-90 cm
Suction-500 m 3/ hr
Noise level-Max 67 dba
Filters -Baffle
Warranty-Life Time Warranty
Accessory-Charcoal Filters

ELECTROLUX

EFC9573X

TECHNICAL DATA:
*Product Description:90cm Chimney Hood with Dual Filter
*Extraction Power (m3/hr):1400
*Turbo Fan: Yes
*Dual Filter:Yes
*Low Noise: Nil
*Easy to Clean Filter: Yes
*Oil Collector: Yes
*Efficient 6 Layer Grease Filter:Nil
*Recirculation with Active Carbon Filter: Nil
*Timer: Yes
*Bright Halogen Lighting: Yes
*Product [W x H x D] (mm): 900 x (504-844) x 520
*Colour: Stainless Steel
*Country Availability: Malaysia     (AVAILABLE IN INDIA THROUGH SPECIAL DEALERS)

PRODUCT FEATURES:

* Dual Filter Technology
* Touch Control with Timer & Child Lock
* Heavy Duty Turbo Fan
* Easy to Clean Seamless Built-in Canopy

EFA9620X

TECHNICAL DATA:
Product Description: 100cm Glass Island Hood
Extraction Power (m3/hr):800
Turbo Fan: Nil
Dual Filter: Nil
Low Noise:Yes
Easy to Clean Filter:Yes
Oil Collector: Nil
Efficient 6 Layer Grease Filter: Perimeter Ventilation
Recirculation with Active Carbon Filter: Yes
Timer:     Yes
Bright Halogen Lighting: Yes
Product [W x H x D] (mm): 998 x (856-1096) x 550
Colour: Stainless Steel
Country Availability: Malaysia & Singapore (AVAILABLE IN INDIA THROUGH SPECIAL DEALERS)

HINDWARE

Gemini
Catalogue No. (C100037)
Product Description-Designer Hoods
Features-Suction Capaciy-1000m3/hour
Noise Level-56 dba
Lamps-2
Finish – Stainless steel
Mechincal Push Button
Products Size (cm)-600mm
Collection-Hindware Italian Collection

Olivia 90
Catalogue No. (C100023)
Product Description-Island Hoods
Features-Suction Capaciy-1000m3/hour
Noise Level-65 dba
Lamps-4
Finish – Stainless steel
Controls- Electronic Switch
Products Size (cm)-900mm
Collection-Hindware Italian Collection

Lisa60
Catalogue No. (C100012)
Product Description-Standard Hoods
Features-Suction Capaciy-1000m3/hour
Noise Level-58 dba
Lamps-2
Finish – Stainless steel
Push Button
Products Size (cm)-600mm
Collection-Hindware Italian Collection

Basic SS
Catalogue No. (C100017)
Product Description-Straight Line Chimneys
Features-Suction Capaciy-550m3/hour
Noise Level-54 dba
Lamps-2 Incandescent bulbs
Finish – Stainless steel
Push Button
Products Size (cm)-600mm
Collection-Hindware Italian Collection

Electrical Chimney

Originally uploaded by vivek sivaram

A new apartment’s kicthen proudly fitted with an electric chimney. Note the pleasing color combinations of the tiles on the wall and the cabinets for storing kitchen-ware.

1. How does a chimney work?

A chimney is fitted right above the cooking appliance. When turned on it sucks all the oil, smoke, spices etc generated during cooking. The oil gets trapped into the modular filters and the odor/smoke is either filtered or recirculated into the room or they are thrown out of the room through the duct.

2. Does a chimney really work?/How does it differ from an exhaust fan?  

Yes a chimney is very effective. It not only throws/ purifies the air but it also traps the oil , spices. This not only keeps the kitchen air clean it also prevents the blackening of the walls/ furniture which can’t be does by the exhaust fan.

3. How is it fitted?

It can be fitted in ducting or recycling mode. In the ducting mode, heavier particles of Oil/grease/spice are trapped in the baffle / mesh filter, and the smoke/fumes are ducted out of the house. In case ducting is not feasible, the chimney can also be fitted in a re-cycling mode. In this mode, heavier particles of Oil/grease/spice are trapped in the baffle / mesh filter and the smoke/fumes are filtered through the activated charcoal filter. The clean, deodorized air is then re-circulated into the room.

4. Who will fit the chimney? 

A Skilled Technician should be called to install the chimney.

5. Is Ducting compulsory? 

No, but it is always advisable as the efficiency and the suction capacity of the chimney increases, and there is no recurring cost of the charcoal filters.

6. Are there separate models for re-cycling and ducting?

Yes and No. Some models can be used in both modes of installation and some not. 
 
7. What should be the size of the duct pipe, length of ducting and the number of bends for effective suction? 

Please check with the manufacturer for these specifications. There is a norm which has to be followed to ensure proper operation and reliability. Things to check are pipe diameter and ducting length. Also please check the maximum number of bends your ducting pipe can have.

8. Can a smaller diameter pipe be fitted?

No. Using a smaller diameter pipe causes a backpressure to act on the motor. This may void the warranty!

9. At what height should the chimney be fitted?

One manufacturer wants the users to mount the chimney at a height of not less than 65 cms from the burners and ideally not more than 75 cms. This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so please check with them.

10. How to maintain the chimney?

The Mesh filters have to be cleaned in warm detergent water every 8-10 days, and the Baffle filters have to be cleaned in warm detergent water every 15-20 days depending on usage. In case of re-cycling the charcoal filters have to be replaced every 3-4 months, depending on the usage.

11. Life and cost of charcoal filter?

Typically, the charcoal filters last around 3-4 months. However, this period may become vary depending on the usage. Cost should be confirmed with the local service center.

12. What is the suction capacity available?

Chimneys are available in a range of suction capacities, from 300 m³/Hr to 1000 m³/Hr. The suction requirements of the chimney depend on a lot of parameters like the cooking habits & kitchen size.

13. Is it true that the chimney makes a lot of noise?

No, this depends on the speed of operations and suction capacity of the kitchen chimney. This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so please check with them.

14. What is the electric consumption?

It depends on the individual models. This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so please check with them.

Portions on this article were taken from Faber’s website.

People asked us here  and here about electrical chimneys. We mentioned briefly in our article Hob placement in kitchen – User Query what an electric chimney is supposed to do.

It is a vacuum cleaner kind of a device which has a motorized way of creating an air turbulence. Somewhat similar to an exhaust fan, a chimney throws air out of the cooking area creating a low pressure/suction effect near the cooking media.

However, an electric chimney is far more sophisticated in nature. For starters, it has a duct mechanism which serves to channel the air flow in an efficient manner.(Compact chimneys do not have the duct). While the exhaust fan has a powerful suction at it’s rear end, the smoke does not have to get guided all the way to the fan which is situated at the top end of the room.

The electric chimney is therefore located just above your cooking stove/hob and the smoke which logically rises above, enters the chimney automatically. Further the surface area is quite large which makes escaping of the smoke no longer an issue. (an exception here would be steam from the whistle of a pressure cooker which would escape sideways and not to the top. However it is more or less pure steam so less harm is done.)

Image Courtesy : Alibaba.com

When turned on, a constant low pressure and flush out effect is created in the Chimney which sucks the smoke into the hood and expels it outside the kitchen.

Most chimneys have buttons with which you can control the speed of operation. Further they have illumination so that you can see what you are cooking. This is really a good feature.

Chimneys are available with or without hood. We will cover some details in the next post, so keep reading. Predominantly, chimneys need a duct pipe to expel the gases, so please plan this in advance.

As with any electric appliance, there are criteria to choose the electric chimney. The most important one is the suction power. It is measured in cubic meter per hour (m3/hour)