What is a recirculating kit?

A recirculating kit is an accessory for converting ducted range hoods to ductless or recirculating. It consists of a stainless steel vent and charcoal filters. Install the kit on top of your range hood to vent or recirculate air back into your kitchen.

Not all recirculating kits are the same, so be sure to consult the installation instructions. Also, double-check that there is a recirculating kit that is compatible with your range hood or the hood you are looking to purchase.

How does a ductless chimney work?

The range hood blower pulls air through the hood.
The air moving through your hood passes through charcoal filters, which clean your kitchen air.
The air moves up the chimney and out of the divets in the top.

Note: You convert wall and island hoods to ductless buy installing round charcoal filters to the blower. The under cabinet hoods require a recirculating kit to be installed on top of the hood - the filters are inside of the kit for that configuration. As your kitchen air passes through the charcoal filters, most of the unwanted contaminants and strong odors are neutralized.

This process explains why range hoods with recirculating kits are called recirculating range hoods. Your kitchen air is pulled inside the hood, cleaned, sent up the chimney, and then back into your kitchen.

Do I need a recirculating kit for my range hood?

Ducted hoods do not require recirculating kits since your kitchen air moves through ductwork to the outside of your home. Recirculating range hoods recirculate your kitchen air without a kit, so you don’t need one for those either. But if you want to convert your hood from ducted to ductless, you’ll either need a kit, charcoal filters to attach to your blower, or both.

Where can I buy a recirculating kit?

You can purchase a recirculating kit here for your compatible Proline range hood.

If you need a recirculating kit for another brand’s hood, click here or here.

Do recirculating range hoods really work?

You will find that most recirculating range hoods lack the power you need to clean your kitchen air. While there are some powerful recirculating range hoods on the market, because they recycle air, they will never perform as efficiently as a ducted range hood. Rather than recirculate the air, ducted hoods vent cooking fumes, smoke, and smells out of your kitchen.

If you can find a ductless range hood that is 600 CFM or greater, that is powerful enough to be a reliable option. Most range hoods that you find from big box stores are under 400 CFM, which won’t reliably move your air.

But, a recirculating range hood is better than no range hood. In some cases, you won’t be able to install ductwork in your home, like if you live in an apartment or a condo. Not all landlords will allow you to install a range hood, but maybe you can convince them!

We wrote a detailed article on the best range hood for your apartment, which you can check out here. You have several options to choose from.

How does a recirculating microwave work?

A recirculating microwave works the same way as a ductless range hood. A fan sucks air inside the microwave through some type of filter and this air travels back into the kitchen. The biggest problem with over-the-range (OTR) microwaves (also called microwave vent hoods) is that they are much less powerful than range hoods. The highest microwave vent hood you’ll find is likely between 300-400 CFM, and most are much lower than that.

How do you fit a recirculating cooker hood?

To fit a recirculating cooker hood, consult your installation instructions. Not all recirculating hoods or hood kits are the same, so the installation process will depend on the model.

If you have any questions about installing your recirculating kit, please call our customer service team at (877) 901-5530.

How do I know if my range hood is ductless?

If you are looking at a hood that you might purchase, it is ductless if it either comes with charcoal filters or a recirculating kit to convert from ducted.

If you bought a range hood and did not install ductwork, you own a ductless range hood. Because you don’t need to install ductwork for recirculating hoods, they cost less to install.

What is the best ductless range hood?

The best ductless range hood is the Proline PLJW 185. At only 5 inches tall and 600 CFM it is the most powerful low-profile hood on the market today!

The PLJW 185 is a low-profile under-cabinet range hood available in both 30” and 36”. This is one of our most popular recirculating range hoods. It features a 600 CFM single blower at just five inches tall. This hood is made of durable 430 brushed stainless steel to keep the hood in great shape for years.

The stainless steel push buttons are modern and easy to use. The LED lights keep the cooktop nice and bright to help you cook efficiently in the kitchen.

Here are a couple more of our professional-quality recirculating range hoods.

PLFW 520

PLFW 544

If you want to know how these hoods stack up against our others, we completed a full review of our five best ductless range hoods here.

What's the difference between extraction and recirculation?

Extraction refers to air that moves from in your kitchen to outside your home. Recirculation, on the other hand, refers to air that moves from in your kitchen through your range hood and back into your kitchen.

Ducted hoods extract unwanted air from the kitchen, while ductless hoods recirculate air.

At Proline Range Hoods, we offer four ductless models that only need charcoal filters:

PLFW 544

PLFI 544

PLFW 520

PLFI 520

At Proline Range Hoods, we sell eight different range hoods that come with a recirculating kit for ductless conversion. These hoods require installing the recirculating kit as well as the charcoal filters.