If you are planning to install a chimney for your kitchen, you need to plan and settle several most important matters like the height of the chimney in the Kitchen. The effective distance between the chimney and stove, suction capacity, and dimension (60cm, 90cm) are such factors you need to consider.
Kitchen Chimney height calculation is easier than you have ever thought. We recommend the installation of the chimney by a specialized technician to avoid unwanted and unsafe practices. This guide can help you calculate and plan proper Kitchen Chimney Installation Height and Suction Capacity Selection in the right way.
Kitchen chimneys are now one of the most essential appliances for our kitchen. While buying a new one, we always prefer to install the best kitchen chimney in India at our homes.
Kitchen Chimney Height Calculation and Installation
The height between the chimney hood and stove is very important in terms of the efficiency of the chimney. If you install the hood too close to the stove it may catch fire and be highly unsafe. So, you need to maintain a safe height from the cooktop.
But if you install it too high from the stove, it will suck the dirty air along with the surrounding fresh air.
Hence, the kitchen chimney height from the countertop should be balanced and you must maintain an optimum distance between the gas stove and the chimney.
So, what should be the height of the chimney from the gas stove?
The Kitchen Chimney height calculation comes in handy in this situation to find the chimney distance from the gas stove.
You need to place the hood at an optimum distance from the stove that is safe and can vent out the dirty air efficiently.
As guided by most chimney professionals, you must install the chimney at an ideal height of 24 inches to 30 inches from the gas stove. Once you have bought a chimney, look for the recommended kitchen chimney height from the stove mentioned in the user manual.
For example, Elica has mentioned keeping the chimney fitting height between 70 to 75 cm (27.5 to 29.5 inches) as the distance between the chimney and stove. Click Here to Download the Extensive operating manual of the Elica Kitchen hood.
As cooking on induction cooktops or electric stoves does not involve hazardous fire, you can install the chimney a little closer, 21 inches to 30 inches to the stove. You can compare the maximum and minimum height for the installation of the chimney according to different types of stoves in the following table.
Installation Height | Gas Stove | Induction Cooktop | Electric Stove |
---|---|---|---|
Maximum Height | 30 inches | 30 inches | 30 inches |
Minimum Height | 24 inches | 21 inches | 21 inches |
Among all the three types of cooktops, notice that the maximum height limit is 30 inches for all of them. This is because, beyond this limit, the suction volume increases resulting in the low effectiveness of suction.
For these reasons, you must fit the chimney at an ideal height backed by a scientific study. Use the following kitchen chimney calculator to calculate the exact recommended height for your chimney. This calculator uses your input to find out the approximate height irrespective of any brand of the chimney. Thus, check the user manual for any special instructions to fit the chimney.
4 Factors to calculate the exact installation height of a Chimney
There are several factors that you need to consider while determining the exact installation height of the chimney.
1. Type of Oven/ Cooktop
If you prefer using a gas stove over an induction cooktop during cooking, the placement of the chimney should be above 24 inches. If you install the chimney closer than 24 inches, it may suck the flame inside and may catch fire. However, you are safe, if you use the best induction cooktop for cooking. As there is no naked flame, the risk of fire hazards is minimized.
2. Number of bends and length of the duct
Installation of a chimney can be complicated with the installation of long ducts to the chimney. If it is required to install a duct with a long length with multiple numbers of bends, the flow of the smokey air gets obstructed. As a result, the discharge rate of air outside the duct is reduced affecting the efficiency of suction. For this reason, users tend to lower the installation height of the kitchen chimney. But it is not recommended at all due to safety reasons. Instead, you should select a chimney with higher suction power.
In such cases, a higher capacity of the chimney like Faber 60 cm 1200 m3/hr Heat Auto Clean Chimney is recommended to install at an optimum height.
3. Effect of Suction Capacity
It is one of the major factors that you must consider while selecting a chimney for your kitchen. A chimney with a lower suction capacity (below 800 m3/hr) should never be installed above 30 inches from the stove. This is because low suction capacity cannot suck out the fumes from a longer height above the stove. This relation between suction power and the height of chimneys depends on different factors that vary from brand to brand.
4. Kitchen design and position of Stove
The design of the kitchen and the position of the stove above which the chimney is to be installed, have a huge impact to determine the installation height of the chimney. The position of the stove should be near the outer wall of your kitchen so that the air can travel efficiently with minimum obstruction. It reduces the cost of installation and improves the performance of the chimney.
But, if the position of the stove is near the sidewalls of the kitchen, the installation may involve the long length of duct, reduced suction power, and inefficient operation. This is why you should shift the position of the stove near the outer wall. However, it is not always possible. In that case, select a chimney with a higher suction capacity. Make sure to adjust it safely by using the best ladder in India.
Here is an informative guide by ao.com about measurements of kitchen chimneys-
How to Select Chimney Suction Power with Respect to Height?
You need to install the chimney in such a way that it can effectively suck out the gases and fumes as well as maintain proper safety during cooking. Before placing at a height, firstly, you have to select the right suction capacity.
The typical dimension of a standard kitchen is 13 ft x 13 ft x 8 ft with lots of open space. For a 240-300 sq. ft. kitchen with 8 ft of height, you have a bigger volume of air.
In other words, the volume of air in the kitchen= 12ft x 8 ft x 10 ft= 960 cubic feet or 27.18 cubic meters.
So, you need to suck out the 27.18 cubic meters of air from the kitchen several times when you are cooking. It is recommended to remove the dirty air 10 times an hour for standard cooking. However if more fume is generated during cooking some special dishes, you may need to vent out the air more than 10 times an hour.
So the formula for selecting the suction capacity of a chimney is as follows.
Suction Capacity= Volume of Kitchen * Number of times to remove air * factor of safety
where the factor of safety denotes an integer that is more than equal to 1. You may require to increase the factor for better results.
For the best result, with the factor of safety= 4, you need the suction capacity to be 1087 cubic meters/ hr. But according to the cooking recipe, you may need higher or lower suction power sometimes with the factor of safety from 1 to 10.
You need to keep in mind that the rated capacity written in the product description is the maximum suction capacity. No electronic device can work with 100% efficiency. So, it is better to select a higher suction capacity than the calculated figure. For a room dimension mentioned above, you may need an 1100 cubic meters/ hr chimney to cook very efficiently without any problem. The Hindware 60cm 1200 m3/hr Auto Clean Chimney may fulfill your need.
Length of Duct and number of Bends
A duct is an integral part of a ducted chimney. The blower motor inside the chimney sucks the dirty air to remove it outside through this duct. The length of the duct depends upon the placement of the stove and exhaust location on the wall. The more complicated is the duct path, the more bends you may require. More bends may affect the suction force by the chimney as there are more restrictions on the flow of air. Depending on the chimney installation height, the length of the duct can be set accordingly.
So, it is recommended to select a shorter duct length with fewer bends for efficient working for the chimney. Ductless chimneys do not have such complications. Compare ductless and ducted chimneys to understand more differences between the two.
Provision for Operation & Maintenance
Whenever you buy any appliances that should stay fixed at a particular location like a chimney, a provision for maintenance must be given. You need to clean the chimney routinely. For that reason, the chimney should be placed at a convenient height so that you can handle it easily. Ease of maintenance is very important to keep the appliance in optimum condition.
To operate the chimney, the hood of the chimney should be around eye level. The objective here is to avoid strain on the eye as well as operational safety.
Electricity Requirements
Before you install the chimney, you must ensure that the voltage requirements of the chimney match your supply of electricity. Generally, it should not create any problems as all household electricity supplies are 220 V, 60 Hz. But you should check the user manual once. The plug point for the chimney should be very close to it. With this, the cable would not be under tension and you can easily use it. It is very important from the safety point of view as well as user-friendliness.
7 Tips for Fitting and Using a Chimney
- Install the chimney at the proper height after calculation from the stove placed on the countertop.
- Before starting cooking, remove the plastic covers and films on the body of the chimney and baffle filters.
- While frying do not leave the pan unattended as the oil may flare up and cause a fire.
- Clean the oil residue routinely on the body and the surface of the chimney to avoid catching fire.
- Wash the filters at least once in 2 weeks to ensure optimum performance.
- Always switch off and disconnect the plug before doing any maintenance of the chimney.
- Read user manuals for any troubleshooting or maintenance but for any repair work, leave it to the professionals.
- For easy cleaning, dip the filters in a warm solution of detergent for 10-15 minutes and then wash them in running water. Next, dry up the filters and reinstall them in the chimney.
- Chimneys are a far better system to remove gases and fumes from the kitchen when compared to the exhaust fan.
- Chimneys with an auto cleaning system are more desirable because they offer more ease of use.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chimney Installation Height
Yes, prior to the installation, the height calculation of the chimney is essential. Fixing it in your kitchen is a heavy task. When you buy a new kitchen chimney, usually, you will have to pay further to fit it on the wall. Being a permanent fixture, you won’t be able to move it in case you change your mind. Thus, you need to calculate the best possible height to install the chimney.
The exact placement of the chimney depends on several factors like the design of the kitchen, availability of free space, the distance between the vent and stove, the eye-level of the user, suction capacity of the chimney, type of stove you are using, and the number of its burners. You should install the chimney in such a way that it does not hinder your movement, and effectively suck the smoke and gases with proper safety protection.
No, installing a chimney down is not recommended. Gases and smokes tend to move in an upwards direction. A chimney pushes them with its powerful blower to help you get rid of them from your kitchen. So, you must install the vent up on the wall at a suitable height.
Calculation of the height of a kitchen chimney depends on factors like the type of stove that you are using and its suction power. While the ideal height of a chimney should be between 24 inches and 30 inches, you can find the most recommended height from the calculator.
There is no fixed law that a chimney has to be fitted within a certain height. But, we must ensure it runs at its full efficiency giving more control to the user. To satisfy this need, the maximum height for installing the chimney is 76 cm or 30 inches.
If you extend the height of the chimney further, the effectiveness of suction will decrease. This is because the extra height will increase the suction volume which the chimney won’t be able to handle. For this reason, considering the suction capacity is important.
If you decrease the height of the chimney below the recommended limit, the suction volume will reduce making the chimney more powerful at short distances. It can be a serious safety issue when cooking. In the worst-case scenario, the chimney may catch up fire from the gas stove flames. Thus, you should never decrease the height below the recommended limit.
The height of the chimney varies for different types of stoves. For gas stoves, the ideal installation height is between 24-30 inches.
The range of installation height between the kitchen chimney and an electric stove is higher. The reason behind it is electric stoves do not involve fire when cooking. Thus, there is no chance of any accident, related to fire.
For home, we mostly use single-element induction cooktops. To measure the installation height for it, the datum line of calculation must be on the top surface of the cooktop. It cooks only one dish at a time and does not involve fire. Thus, you can lower the chimney a bit if you need it. Keep the cooktop at the cooking level next to the wall, take a measuring tape, and mark the height of the installation.
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