Do Recirculating Range Hoods Actually Work?
Table of Contents
Do Recirculating Range Hoods Work?
Have you been shopping for a range hood? How will you vent it to the outside? If you are planning on purchasing a recirculating or ductless range hood, there are a few things you may want to consider.
As homeowners, we want to know that we are investing our money wisely. But if you are not familiar with range hoods and venting your kitchen, it's hard to feel confident about choosing the right fan.
We'll go over some of the best recirculating range hoods on the market. Then we'll tell you everything you need to know about ductless range hoods.
Best Recirculating Range Hoods
Most recirculating range hoods only run at 300 to 400 CFM or lower. At Proline, we offer powerful ductless hoods to ensure that your kitchen air remains clean and fresh.
Our ductless hoods pull an impressive 600 CFM of air, making them some of the most powerful on the market.
PLJW 185 Under Cabinet Range Hood
The PLJW 185 is one of our most popular recirculating range hoods. Customers love the sleek look, bright LED lights, and durable stainless steel finish. At just three inches tall, this hood packs a strong punch at 600 CFM. It's a reliable low-profile fan that will last you years.
Click here for a list of our best under cabinet range hoods. Or if you don't like the style of our beloved 185, check out a couple of alternatives below.
PLJW 520 Ductless Range Hood
The PLFW 520 is a beautiful and powerful wall mounted vent hood. With your purchase of charcoal filters, you can convert this hood to ductless. It features a user-friendly control panel with a sleek digital display. On this panel, you can adjust the blower speed and LED lights easily while you're cooking. The stainless steel mesh filters do a great job of capturing heavy grease and dirt before the air passes through the effective charcoal filters.
The 520 ductless vent hood is available in 24", 30", 36", 42", and 48" sizes.
PLFW 544 Ductless Range Hood
Closing out our list of the best ductless vent hoods is the PLFW 544. This vent hood features an innovative glass design that our customers love. Its unique design stands out from our other vent hoods with a stainless steel frame. Like the 185, the design isn't its only perk. This model is rated at a powerful 600 CFM. Not only that, but there are six different speeds. The 544 truly accommodates any cooking style.
The PLFW 544 is complete with bright LED lights to help you see while in the kitchen as well as efficient stainless steel mesh filters to catch dirt and grease as it travels through your hood. The controls are modern and incredibly easy to use.
Best Ductless Island Range Hoods
Do you need a ductless island hood for your kitchen? If so, you're in luck. Our PLFW 520 and PLFW 544 models come as island hoods as well, with the exact same features.
Available Island Models:
- PLFI 520 - Island version of our popular 520 model
- PLFI 544 - Island version with innovative glass design
Mini Ductless Range Hood
If you're looking to remodel your small kitchen, we have the perfect vent hood for you: the 24" PLFW/PLFI 520. It has all the features of our 520 model and it is the smallest hood that we offer at Proline.
Recirculating Range Hood Inserts
If you're in the market for a range hood insert, go with a ducted one rather than a recirculating insert. Professional quality recirculating inserts are hard to find – most that are on the market today are low-CFM compared to ducted inserts.
At Proline, we sell a wide variety of ducted vent hood inserts. Purchase yours below.
Recirculating Range Hoods for Gas Stoves
Generally, recirculating range hoods work well for electric stoves and gas stoves 36" or smaller. With a range over 36", we don't recommend mounting a recirculating hood since most gas stoves produce too many BTUs for a ductless hood to handle.
We wrote a comprehensive article on the best vent hoods for gas stoves. Check it out here!
Ductless Range Hood Installation
If you don't have the budget to spend money on installation, no problem. You don't need a professional to install your recirculating hood. Check out our video on how to install the ductless PLFW 520 below. This installation is similar to many other ductless hoods available on the market today.
How to Install a Ductless Island Range Hood
Here's a closer look at how to install a ductless island range hood – our PLFI 520.
How to Clean a Ductless Range Hood
- Apply glass cleaner or acetone to a towel
- Wipe the surface of your vent hood
- If the stains don't come off, apply a small amount of no grit Soft Scrub to a towel and wipe the hood off. This is a last resort
- Remove your stainless steel filters
- Unscrew the blower from the vent hood
- Unscrew side of blower to remove charcoal filters
- Replace charcoal filters (click here to find out how often to replace them)
Ductless Range Hood Reviews
Check out some reviews from Proline Range Hoods’ customers below. For more reviews, check out this article.
"I love how slim and sleek it is! It's super powerful and the buttons on top make it easy to use. I am so happy to have a great quality range hood!" - Shane C.
"The range hood we purchased is extremely well made and straightforward to install. The instructions were easy to follow and we had no problems doing the installation ourselves. We are very happy with the functionality of the hood and would purchase from Proline again." - Patty T.
"I love my range hood, especially the lights on it. The ventilation is amazing. I could not ask for anything more out of it." - Nick L.
"We own a PLJW 185.30 under cabinet range hood purchased in 2017. Its dual fan, variable speed settings, sleek look, and unique profile to fit into a corner space made it the ideal choice. The ease of cleaning, both the outer hood and the grills, along with its ability to clear cooking gases quickly and without a lot of noise makes us proud to keep it in our kitchen! We are super happy with this choice and would highly recommend the products to anyone. The customer service is also very attentive and works with you to get a resolution. They are clearly proud of the products they make." - Jay S.
What Are Some Common Health Concerns of Poor Kitchen Ventilation?
When it comes to poor kitchen ventilation, there are many health concerns. A shocking 80% of all cancers are attributed to environmental rather than genetic factors. This includes exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. Many of these toxic chemicals are found in household cleaning products.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor environments are two to five times more toxic than outdoor environments. In some cases, indoor air in homes is 100 times more polluted. This would not be as concerning if we didn't spend so much time inside our homes. However, people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. For these reasons, kitchen ventilation is vital to your health and safety.
Here are a few things that may be in your air at home:
- Carbon Monoxide – If you have a gas range, you may be putting elevated levels of carbon monoxide in your air
- Formaldehyde – One of the chemicals produced from heating oil
- Other Toxins – Grease, food, and house cleaners burning on your stove create more airborne toxins. This is not healthy for anyone's everyday living and breathing environment
- Moisture/Steam – Cooking can put a lot of water vapor into the air
- Odors – You know those fish tacos you made the other night? Well, your guests might be smelling that for a while
Recap - Ductless vs. Ducted Range Hoods (Ventless vs. Vented)
As you can see, there are many reasons why people prefer vented kitchen hoods over ventless kitchen hoods.
A ducted hood will always be much more effective at filtering all forms of air pollution produced from cooking out of your home. It removes greasy kitchen air and also prevents cooking odors from spreading throughout the house. With a ductless vent hood, the air is filtered and released back into the room only using a charcoal filter for cleaning.
Keep in mind that having a kitchen hood that recirculates is better than not having a vent hood at all. A ductless vent hood is easy to set up, but it won't give you the same performance as kitchen hoods that are vented to the outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
This concludes our guide on recirculating vent hoods. Hopefully this information has been helpful.
Are you shopping for a ductless hood? Check out our professional quality selection of ductless hoods.
If you're looking for information on ducted hoods as well, we have comprehensive guides available.
Shop Ductless Range Hoods