Written by Caitlin
Edited on
27 January 2025
·
13:10
Should you buy a range hood with or without a motor?
There are range hoods with a motor and range hoods without a motor. Which one you need depends on the exhaust system in your home. If you have a central exhaust system, choose a range hood without a motor. Do you use the outward ventilation system or the recirculation setup? In that case, you'll need a range hood with motor.
In short
| What type of range hood do I need? | |
|---|---|
| Ventilation system: pipe comes straight out | Range hood with motor |
| Exhaust system: none | Recirculation range hood |
| Exhaust system: central exhaust system | Motorless range hood |
Range hood with motor
Range hood for exhaust ventilation system
- Suitable for: ventilation system
- Extraction: the air is discharged outside
- Advantage: powerful range hood that extracts far more than the other types
- Disadvantage: You need an outward exhaust to use this hood.
Please note! This type is absolutely not suitable for a central exhaust system. If you connect the hood to that, the food odors will end up in your bathroom, toilet, or with the neighbors.
Recirculation range hood
- Suitable for: when you do not have a ventilation system.
- Ventilation: the air is sucked up, filtered and blown back into the kitchen.
- Advantage: You don't have to have an outwards drain, so you can use this type in any home.
- Disadvantage: In addition to the grease filters, you also need carbon filters, which you have to replace every once in a while.
Range hood without motor
- Suitable for: central exhaust system
- Extraction: a valve opens in the exhaust system, allowing the air to escape via a tube.
- Advantage: relatively quiet and cheap.
- Disadvantage: the suction power depends on the operation of your central exhaust system, and you can't set it yourself.
Please note! A hood without a motor simply doesn't work with an exhaust ventilation system.
Article by Caitlin
Range Hood Expert.
