Prima Cooker Hood confusion

[Milleniumaire]

Hi, I've just installed a Prima Cooker Hood, but I'm not convinced it is setup correctly and would appreciate a second/third opinion to confirm this.

It's a simple cooking extraction unit comprising of a hood with a fan, light and switches and a decorative telescopic flue, all in stainless steel.

This is replacing a similar Hygena hood, which is no longer available, so I've installed the new Prima hood in a similar way.

The original hood was NOT ducted in any way. It also didn't have any carbon filters fitted, so essentially only the washable filters on the lower face of the hood were being used and the air would have been pushed up the flue and out through some flue vents in the stainless steel flue just below the ceiling. The new Prima hood is the same, or so I thought.

This time, I have purchased some carbon filters. The instructions suggest (they aren't very clear) that when the carbon filters are used, it is necessary to fit some flexible ducting from the top of the hood to the top of the flue. As this flexible ducting isn't supplied, I'm at a loss as to what difference it would actually make as surely the air will still be directed up the flue and out of the vents at the top of the flue? Why would the ducting be required when the carbon filters are fitted, but not required when they aren't?

I've attached a manual, which uses pictures to show the various installation steps and English instructions on page 15. It isn't very well written. Tried to contact Prima Customer Support but they don't exist and the number I did get through to suggested I spoke to the suppliers of the product, as if they would know the intricacies of installing every product they sell!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Can you not find some way to install a duct to the outside? A hood with just a filter is better than nothing, but not much better - you still have the problem of all the steam from cooking, just being pumped back into the room. To answer your question, sorry I have no idea what difference adding the flue up to the ceiling will make with the filter - other than the smells are discharged away from the cook.

 

[Milleniumaire]

Thanks Harry, unfortunately it isn't possible to duct it to the outside. On the other side of the wall is the neighbour so they would notice if a duct appeared in their kitchen , above would require cutting through every joist between it and the outside wall due to the direction in which the joists run and even to box it in within the kitchen isn't possible because there is a boiler installed between it and the outside wall!

I suspect I may purchase some flexible ducting just to attempt to ensure the filtered air is directed to the top of the flue, but I suspect this would happen anyway within the decorative stainless steel flue!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks Harry, unfortunately it isn't possible to duct it to the outside. On the other side of the wall is the neighbour so they would notice if a duct appeared in their kitchen , above would require cutting through every joist between it and the outside wall due to the direction in which the joists run and even to box it in within the kitchen isn't possible because there is a boiler installed between it and the outside wall!

I suspect I may purchase some flexible ducting just to attempt to ensure the filtered air is directed to the top of the flue, but I suspect this would happen anyway within the decorative stainless steel flue!

Check the diameter needed, you may find a length of plastic soil pipe is what you need. Flexible will need some support to hold it up in place.