Because they don’t require ventilation, ductless range hoods are easier to install and cheaper than ducted models. But that’s basically where their benefits end. Here are five significant downsides explaining why we at Aroua don’t offer such models.

1. Ductless Range Hoods Just Recirculate Air Back into the Room.

A ducted range hood pulls in grease, smoke, moisture, heat and odours and then expels them outside through a ventilation duct. Instead, a ductless range hood uses a carbon filter to trap some of these substances before pushing the air back into the room.

Anything that sneaked through the carbon filter thus finds its way back into your kitchen. This is less than ideal if you’re concerned about your home’s indoor air quality.

2. Ductless Range Hoods Don’t Remove Heat and Moisture.

Charcoal filters can’t trap the heat and humidity in the air that occurs during cooking; these aren’t “impurities” but rather properties of the ambient air. Steaming food, boiling water or turning on the oven during a summer heatwave can quickly make the room stuffy. Even if you turn on an air conditioner, more effort and energy are required to maintain a cool environment.

3. Ductless Range Hoods Can Be Noisy.

To achieve acceptable performance, ductless range hoods are often equipped with a more powerful blowerand must operate at high speed. This results in more noise pollution than with an appliance that can exhaust the air through a ventilation duct with less effort.

Without a duct, of course, it’s also impossible to install a quiet range hood using a remote blower!

4. Carbon Filters Need to Be Replaced Regularly.

Unlike metal filters, carbon filters used to trap odours and dirt are neither washable nor reusable. Instead, they must be thrown away and replaced approximately every three to six months, depending on the range hood’s use and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Installing a ducted range hood instead makes all the material, packaging, transportation and recurring costs associated with such filters unnecessary.

5. A Ductless Range Hood Could Affect a Home’s Resale Value.

In real estate, the kitchen is one of the rooms that potential buyers pay the most attention to. People who are used to cooking using a ducted range hood may feel that buying a home with a ductless model is a step backwards. This minor concern could influence their decision to present an offer or not – and at what price.