Kitchen Chimney and Ventilation for Oily Daily Cooking
Ducted vs ductless chimneys for tadka-heavy kitchens: suction, duct size, cleaning and MAD costs that stop oil on sofas.
Ductless recirculating clogs in 3 months tadka — oil lands on sofa. In a 65 sq ft daily-cook galley, 1400 m3/hr ducted 6-inch shortest to shaft cut oil 80%; ductless neighbor wiped cabinets weekly. Layouts in kitchen layouts picker.
Ducted vs ductless: oily verdict
Ducted 1200-1500 m3/hr + 6-inch rigid shortest (<10 ft + 1 bend) to shaft/window: expels heat + oil + smell, filter monthly. Cost MAD 4,200-6,800 + duct MAD 800. Ductless 1000 m3/hr + charcoal (MAD 2,800-4,000 + filters MAD 400/3 mo): recirculates fine in pasta kitchens, fails tadka — charcoal saturates 6 weeks, oil returns.
Rule: daily tadka/pressure/fish = ducted or no chimney + cross window + 20W exhaust. Semi-open sliding glass blocks oil to sofa only with ducted 1400+, not ductless.
Size, height and duct math
60cm 2-burner, 90cm 3-5 burner + larger 65+ sq ft. Height 24-30 inch over hob (gas 28 ideal) — 36 wastes 40% suction, 20 scalds + grease fire. Duct 6-inch rigid (not 4-inch flex crushed 50% loss), shortest straight, foil tape (not cloth that peels heat), wall cap with bird mesh + backdraft shutter.
Test: A4 tissue holds at hood edge full speed = suction ok, flutters = duct kink. Noise 58 dB max or switched off (useless). Auto-clean heat + drip cup emptied weekly — cup full drips oil on stove fire risk.
Cleaning that keeps suction 3 years
Baffle monthly hot + degreaser 20 min soak (dishwasher safe), mesh weekly 10 min (tadka clogs mesh 2x baffle). Duct yearly brush + degrease MAD 300 service — 3-yr grease narrows 6 to 4 inch, suction halves. Cabinet tops newspaper quarterly change — sticky dust cake dims + odors.
Glass backsplash + aluminium strip channel wipes weekly; bare tape gums 3 months. Chimney + glass same clean day monthly 30 min.
Makeup air + window logic
Powerful 1500 m3/hr sealed flat whistles + backdrafts bath — crack window 2 inch or door grille 0.5 inch undercut. Cross: window + balcony door 4-inch open + chimney on pulls 8 air changes/hr. Closed AC + chimney starves — CO + heat build. Wire chimney separate switch + 5-min run-on after cook (heat + oil clear).
Syndic shaft permission written before duct cut — 1 Fes stop day 3 cost redesign MAD 1,200. Shaft tissue test (pulls = clear, still = nest/block complaint with video).
Cost table Morocco 2026
- Ducted 60cm 1400 auto-clean: MAD 4,200-5,500
- Ducted 90cm 1500: MAD 5,800-7,500
- Duct 6-inch rigid + cap + labor: MAD 700-1,100
- Ductless 60cm + 4 filters/yr: MAD 2,800 + 1,600/yr
- Yearly duct service: MAD 300; baffle DIY MAD 0 + 20 min/mo
US ducted $450-700 + $90 duct.
Install checks
Level + 4x M8 brick (not partition), transparent oil cup test 1L steam 5 min (cup fills = path ok), tissue edge test, noise phone 58 dB, 5-min timer. Keep bill + filter size photo — wrong charcoal size ordered 40% online. Spare baffle set MAD 350 rotates wash/dry no downtime.
FAQ
Exhaust fan instead of chimney? 20W wall exhaust + cross window handles light veg 70% for MAD 400 — tadka daily needs chimney. Combo both best small: chimney over hob + exhaust opposite for cross.
Why does new chimney drip oil? Cup full + baffle saturated + duct sag trap. Empty weekly + monthly soak + duct straight no belly — 10 min prevents stove fire.
65 sq ft galley retrofit: ducted 1400 in 1 day
Old ductless charcoal saturated 6 weeks + oil on sofa + cabinets wipe weekly. Retrofit: 60cm ducted 1400 auto-clean MAD 4,800 + 6-inch rigid 7 ft straight to shaft + cap + shutter + foil tape (not cloth) + 28-inch height + tissue + 58 dB + 5-min timer. Oil on sofa cut 80% month 1, cabinet wipe monthly (not weekly), charcoal MAD 400/3 mo eliminated.
Syndic shaft written same week (hours + cap + mesh) — brick-cut neighbor fined MAD 2,000 without. Makeup window 2-inch crack + door grille stops whistle + backdraft. Baffle monthly soak 20 min + duct yearly MAD 300 holds 3 years; cup emptied weekly prevents stove drip fire.
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