Will your new rangehood fit - and work - in your kitchen?

Do you want your rangehood to vent air outside or filter it back into the kitchen?

Ducted rangehoods use a vent pipe and ductwork to move cooking smoke and steam outside, either directly through a wall or ceiling or via ducting concealed in a bulkhead or roof cavity that then continues to an external vent. They’re effective, but you’ll need an existing vent hole or the ability to create one. If you’re in a unit, townhouse or strata property, cutting a new hole may not be possible. Most rangehoods are designed to be ducted by default. To use them in recirculating mode, you’ll usually need to add a separate charcoal filter or recirculation kit.

Recirculating (ductless) range hoods filter the air through charcoal or mesh filters and send it back into the room. They’re easier to install because they don’t need rangehood ducting - just a power supply.

If you’re replacing an existing rangehood, sticking with the same type makes things simpler. If you’re doing a kitchen renovation, though, you may have more flexibility to switch. Just keep in mind that swapping to a ducted setup can mean extra electrical work or cutting holes in cabinet interiors and wall for new ducting installation.

If you’re unsure what type you currently have, look inside the cupboard above or next to your existing rangehood. If you see a vent pipe leading out through the wall or ceiling, it’s ducted. If there’s no ducting and only filters in place, then you most likely have a recirculating rangehood.

In Australia, ducted rangehoods are more common, and the majority of models stocked by Appliances Online are ducted. However, many apartments, townhouses, or older properties without easy access to an outside wall or roof have recirculating rangehoods.

It may seem like an obvious one, but be sure to order the right size!

Width: The width of your rangehood should match or slightly exceed that of your cooktop. Most cooktops are around either 600mm or 900mm wide. Get your tape measure out, and if your cooking surface is 900mm wide, your rangehood should be too.

Depth: Make sure the hood extends far enough over the cooktop: if it’s too shallow, smoke and steam from the front burners might not be captured.

Height: This is actually about the height at which the rangehood is installed, rather than the dimensions of the unit.

The undersides of rangehoods often need to be at 600-650mm above an electric cooktop or 650-750mm above the trivets of a gas cooktop. Too low and you’ll bang your head, too high and the hood fan won’t capture steam, smoke and airborne grease effectively. However, this is not always the case.

Rangehoods must meet the highest minimum clearance specified by three different sets of requirements: the Australian Standard; the rangehood manufacturer; and the cooktop manufacturer. What does this mean? Well, if the Australian Standard and rangehood manufacturer state a minimum clearance of 600mm above an electric cooktop, but the manufacturer of your cooktop states that a clearance of 750mm is required, you need to go with the largest of those three figures, i.e. at least 750mm in this instance.

If you plan to install your new rangehood yourself, do a little research to confirm the clearance specs of your cooktop, the new rangehood and the Australian Standard.

Most rangehoods plug into a standard power point, but some do need to be hardwired by a qualified electrician. Appliances Online stocks a selection of hardwired rangehoods, but around ten times as many plug-ins.

If you choose a plug-in model, check whether you have a power point in the cupboard above, or beside, where the rangehood will go. The cable will generally feed through a hole in the cabinetry and plug directly into the power point.

In terms of design style, it’s always easiest to replace like-for-like. For example, if you currently have a slideout hood under a cupboard, switching to a wall mount range hood will probably require you to make adjustments to your cabinetry. That’s not impossible, but it will add to your installation costs if you’re not going DIY.

If you’re handy, you might attempt a DIY rangehood installation. Many models come with installation instructions, mounting screws and step-by-step set-up diagrams. That said, if the hood needs new ductwork and a vent hole, you might want to get a professional installer in, and if any hardwiring or other electrical work is required, you’ll definitely need an electrician.

Appliances Online offers a paid rangehood installation service that you can book when you order a new rangehood: just consider the above points before you order to ensure a smooth install on the day. And, even if you plan to do the installation yourself, we can take your old rangehood away for free recycling when we arrive with your new one, as long as you have disconnected and removed it from its position.

So, before you order a new rangehood, be sure to check the type, size and power requirements. That way, whether you order installation along with your new rangehood, or you plan to install it yourself, you shouldn’t face any frustrating hurdles.