The need to rid kitchens and living rooms of bad smells and smoke leads to a myriad of solutions to explore.
Two main options that pop up in this quest are range hoods and chimneys.
While range hoods are primarily for extracting bad smells and smoke, chimneys are mainly for ridding living rooms of the smoke that is emitted in fireplaces.
Unfortunately, most homeowners are not quite aware of the differences between the two critical items.
In that view, we have prepared the following article, in a bid to focus more light on their differences.
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By the time you are done reading the discussion, we trust that you will have a more in-depth understanding of the two so you can make an informed pick when looking for a more pristine and functional indoor environment.
Purpose
Ideally, chimneys are made for ridding living rooms of the thick smoke clouds produced by fireplaces, thereby providing homeowners with not just a pristine, but also a healthier indoor environment. If the smoke spread throughout the house, it would not only stain walls and surfaces and cost you huge financial losses, but inhaling the smoke is unsafe for your health. Conversely, range hoods rid kitchens of bad smells and smoke that comes from the stove as you cook. Similarly, if these by-products were to prevail in the area, they would cause significant risks and disadvantages. Reduced visual appeal, difficulty in breathing, and huge financial losses are among the various effects you stand to deal with, were it not for range hoods
Design
By design, chimneys are long stone, brick, or concrete vertical shafts that stretch from the fireplace extending to the ceiling before they escape through the roof to the exterior. At the fireplace, chimneys are usually horizontally larger than the rest of the shaft. On the roof in the exterior, chimneys usually have a wire mesh below the top lid. The mesh is designed to keep debris and the avian community from invading the interior.
A range hood comprises a hood that houses a fan, filters, and an under-lighting, amongst other aesthetics. Sometimes, based on the hood type, you may have a duct extending up the ceiling before it escapes through the roof.
Installation
Coming down to installation, chimneys are very different from range hoods. To begin with, hood installation is quite simple, especially if the hood does not come with a duct. Where the hood comes with a duct, some bits of reorganization to accommodate the duct will have to be done. However, where the hood is ductless, all you need is to just hang and secure it against the wall or under the cabinets.
Chimney installation can only be done when building the house. This is due to the intricate structural design and building process of installing the shaft and the fireplace. Installing a chimney in a house that does not have one is quite hard. It will take a lot of time, lots of money, and you may have to seek alternative accommodation since it is a serious renovation.
Operation
Range hoods operate under the mechanism of the rotating fan in the hood. As the fan rotates, it sucks the dirty air, ridding the room of the bad smells. Based on the hood type, the dirty air may be thrown out of the house be recirculated after being cleaned of dirt particles. Range hoods that come without ducts are the ones that recirculate dirty air after ridding it of dirt particles. Those with ducts throw the dirt out of the house through the shaft.
Chimneys are mainly found in living rooms where fireplaces are installed. They operate under the mechanism of backdraft, which suggests that hot air rises while cold air descends. As people burn fuel such as wood and charcoal or coal, the air in the fireplace gets heated up, becomes less dense and starts rising. That hot rising air is referred to as smoke.
As we initially hinted, chimneys are installed during the construction of new homes. While it is still possible to have one in older houses, the process is quite complicated and cost-intensive. For functionality purposes, chimneys are your go-to option while chimneys are mainly for enhancing visual appeal in living rooms. Since each of these appliances serve their own purposes and occupy different areas, they can be used concurrently. If you are going to settle on just one between these, be sure to work alongside a contractor for a streamlined selection and installation.