No kitchen is complete without an auto-clean chimney. They were a luxurious item earlier; however, companies have been manufacturing kitchen chimneys suitable for residential use now. When auto-clean chimneys evolved, many brands came up with two types of auto-cleaning systems-
- Thermal or Heat auto clean
- Water or Wet auto clean
While thermal auto-clean chimneys are trending, water auto-clean chimneys are also available in the market. But which is better between those two chimneys?
Both chimneys are capable of sucking up smoke and oil particles efficiently; however, the main difference lies in their cleaning process. Modern thermal auto-clean chimneys are more advanced than water auto-clean systems in terms of technology, convenience, and hassle-free operation.
Today, we will discuss thermal vs. water auto-clean chimneys by comparing their advantages and disadvantages. Go through this article to know everything about both chimneys and then you can decide which one will be perfect for your kitchen.
Thermal auto clean vs. water auto clean chimney
| Point of Difference | Thermal Auto Clean Chimney | Water Auto Clean Chimney |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Cleaning Process | The heating coil in this type of chimney heats up the inside walls that melt the oil and grease stuck. The liquid oily substance ultimately gets stored in the oil collector. | The sprinkling pipe of wet auto-clean chimneys squirts hot water around the filters, which rinses and drains the oil and grease stuck in the filters. The water can be filled automatically or manually. |
| Filtration | These chimneys are either equipped with baffle filters or integrated with filterless technology. | All water auto clean chimneys have baffle filters. |
| Cleaning Frequency | Thermal auto-clean chimneys with baffle filters must be cleaned once every three months. You may need to clean it once a month for heavy grilling and frying. In the case of filterless heat auto-clean chimneys, cleaning frequency is quarterly. | The filters in water auto-clean chimneys are required to be cleaned once in two weeks. |
| Ease of Cleaning | Heat auto-clean chimneys with baffle filters are moderately easy to clean. On the other hand, filterless heat auto-clean chimneys have no cleaning hassle. You just need to press a button, and the machine will clean itself automatically. | Water auto-clean chimneys can be challenging to clean as it involves filling the water, operating the chimney and finally draining water from it. |
| Cleaning Efficiency | Thermal auto clean chimneys have a higher cleaning efficiency with more effectiveness. | Wet auto-clean chimneys are less efficient in cleaning the oil and grease stuck inside. |
| Control System | All thermal auto-clean chimneys are built with a touch and gesture control system. | Water auto-clean chimneys usually have only a touch control system. |
| Noise Level | While filterless heat auto-clean chimneys produce very little to no noise, the models with baffle filters can create noticeable noise when clogged. | As all water auto-clean chimneys are built with baffle filters, they make noise up to 58 dB when in operation. |
| Cost | Costlier | Less expensive |
Thermal Auto Clean Chimney
An auto-clean chimney comes with an automatic blower that sucks the hot gases from the cooking pan. Thermal auto-clean chimneys have a heating coil equipped inside them. When turned on, the element gets heated, and it melts all the oil and grease particles stuck on the filter and chimney body. The same oil gets collected in an oil tray, which can be cleaned later.
There are two types of thermal auto-clean chimneys-
- Filterless
- With baffle filters
The chimneys with baffle filters need to be cleaned at least quarterly frequency. On the other hand, heat auto-clean chimneys with filterless technology are almost maintenance-free. Simply press the auto clean button, and the appliance will clean itself.
Also Read: Baffle Filter Vs. Filterless Chimney
Here are the best thermal auto-clean chimneys available in the market-
Advantages of a thermal auto clean chimney
- Thermal auto-clean chimneys with filterless systems are the best kitchen chimneys in the market.
- High performance with effective cleaning is a key benefit of thermal auto-clean chimneys.
- Besides baffle filters, some of these chimneys also have filterless technology that water auto-clean chimneys lack.
- They are easy to use and hassle-free to clean with less frequency than wet auto-clean chimneys.
- Thermal auto-clean chimneys produce low noise during operation.
- The design of a thermal auto-clean chimney is compact with an easy-to-operate control panel which is perfect for modular kitchens. (Read: Modular Kitchen Chimney Designs)
- You can avail of both the touch and gesture control systems with this type of kitchen chimney.
Disadvantages of a thermal auto clean chimney
- These chimneys are expensive, with a price usually more than ₹10000.
- Filterless thermal auto-clean chimneys are not good enough with a long duct pipe. Without a filter, the smoke and oil particles pass through the duct and get deposited inside. If the duct is long, it can be challenging to maintain.
Water auto-clean chimney
As the name implies, this type of chimney runs its auto-cleaning system using water instead of heating. Those chimneys are equipped with a small water tank with a capacity of around 300 ml. A small pump circulates the water through a sprinkling pipe around the filters built inside.
To use this system, simply press the clean button on the control panel, and the hot water will rinse the oily substance inside the filter. The washed oil then passes to the oil collector, which you can easily drain.
You can operate the cleaning function of a water auto-clean chimney in two modes- manual and automatic. While the manual mode involves filling, processing, and draining the water manually, the automatic mode makes it hassle-free. Please note that you still need to clean the baffle filters manually after a specific time period.
Here are the best water auto-clean chimneys available in the market-
- Hindware Cleo 90 cm 1200 m3/hr Water Auto Clean Chimney
- Faber Auto Clean Hoods Premiere Energy TC 60
Advantages of water auto clean chimney
- Water auto-clean chimneys have a high suction capacity similar to thermal chimneys.
- They are built with good quality stainless steel or carbon steel body and frame, increasing durability.
- Wet auto-clean chimneys produce low noise when you are cooking.
- These chimneys are more economical than thermal auto-clean chimneys.
Disadvantages of water auto clean chimney
- Wet auto-clean chimneys do not have a filterless system.
- The cleaning effectiveness is not as good as the thermal auto-clean chimney.
- The water auto clean chimney’s cleaning frequency is high, and the process can be complicated for some users.
- Most of these chimneys do not have a gesture control system.
Thermal or water auto-clean chimney – Which is better?
As new technologies are evolving almost every day, manufacturers are upgrading their chimneys to make them more convenient to use. This is how water and thermal auto-cleaning technologies were adapted to kitchen chimneys.
However, from the comparison of thermal vs. water auto-clean chimneys, you can see that the water-based chimneys require more frequent cleaning and involve more hassle than the thermal-based ones. Comparatively, the cleaning efficiency is high for a heat auto-clean chimney, but they are costly. If you feel like spending some extra bucks, thermal auto-clean chimneys are a much better choice than water auto-clean chimneys.
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