We have installed a fancy dancy angled glass extractor unit above an induction hob. It looks very nice!

However, it simply doesn’t extract enough steam if you happen to be boiling stuff on the hob. The first problem we had was when the lights went, which turned out to be the transformer. The engineer visited and declared that we had insufficient ducting and he therefore wouldn’t do any warranty work. He did anyway but the problem to me is obvious in that the unit has a 6 inch flattish section (housing the lights) before the angle of the unit kicks in. The result is that a lot of the steam from the hob just hits this flat section and either condenses, disappears into the internals via the light fittings or simply wafts out into the room.

As a result we get water running down the back wall and dripping all over the hob whilst cooking. Changing the ducting isn’t an easy fix as the ducts run above the ceiling in the floor space (the manual suggested that ducting we have is perfectly adequate but the engineer has stated that the diameter of ours would only be allowed in Italy not the UK!!).

We have changed it temporarily to a recirculator but exactly the same hting happens. I realise that in this format it will not remove steam but it doesn’t take it in in the first place so oil / grease etc will be all over the kitchen soon rather than in the filters.

I just want rid of this thing (we first complained within 6 months of purchase) but they are using every trick / lie in the book to worm out of the fact that this thing just doesn’t work. The latest excuse this morning was that it was the fact that we had an induction hob rather than gas “as they heat up water differently”…

Just looking for advice as to whether I should expect this bloody thing to get rid of steam or whether others routinely have water pouring down their walls?

Our extractor was about £30 from Ikea. Traditional design where the bottom face is all grill/inlet. Works brilliantly especially on max although that is a little noisy. Doesn’t help you but just pointing out they can and do work so the problem is with your system not extractors in general. It may well be an issue with extractors that favour style over function though. That said we have a gas hob so the water boils normally.

Surely the gas hob would actually make more steam as the combustion products are mainly CO2 and H2O?

It may well be an issue with extractors that favour style over function though

That was my thought. We also have stainless steel IKEA monster that works well

Surely the gas hob would actually make more steam as the combustion products are mainly CO2 and H2O?

That was my thought. But I wonder of a gas hob, which is less efficient at the point of operation, produces more heat and more favourable convection currents

Did the extractor manufacturer specify the ducting required? Do you meet this specification?

We had to double the size of our ducting when the hood for the 90cm range went in.

ampthill – the instructions were vague with two diagrams provided – either 125mm or 150mm needed. The only requirement was to avoid stepping down the volume at any point. Its only after we complained that the company have stated 150mm. Nowhere is it explicit in the instruction manual.

Tbh, taking the ducting out of the equation, this thing shouldn’t have condensation pouring off it even in recirculate mode?

I have no real idea. Its just the usual problem if they can say you didn’t spec’ this correctly. If had 125mm down originally that counts in your favour one would have thought

The heat source could actually have some merit as gas has a lot of waste heat flowing up around the outside of the pan stopping it condensing so soon.

But…the extractor should be designed for any electric source which would have a low amount of spill.

Duct wise elbows and length will have an effect too. That said I used to have a bit of aluminium flexi hose into a 4m straight 5″ duct in my old place and that worked fine. Old style under short cupboard type.

Can you fit a remote fan? some fancy pants Italian extractors have the option of a remote fan unit which acts as a booster to increase the volume extracted

I don’t have any form of extractor and don’t have water pouring down the walls when I cook…..

twodogs – nor would I if there wasn’t a sodding great lump of metal casing above the hob.

twodogs – nor would I if there wasn’t a sodding great lump of metal casing above the hob

😀

Small update

DO NOT BUY YOUR EXTRACTOR HOOD FROM ELICA!!!

UK importers / “customer service” are rude, arrogant and dismissive.

I hope that you all fry food with lids on the frying pan. That’s the latest ‘absolute requirement’ shite that they’re spinning now.

As someone mentioned above – form over function.

That sounds pretty poor, something is definitely off there.

We have a Neff with the same ductwork requirements, I installed 150mm ducting for future proofing (retrofit as the sodding builders has tried to fob us off with a 100mm tumble drier duct!) and even on the lowest setting it sucks everything out (we have a flap on the louver so see it working). Ours is connected to a 1.5m flexi aluminium duct bent through 90deg onto 3m of straight stainless spiral ducting.

I’m planning my extractor and I can see a lot of these fancy designed ones don’t look that well designed when it actually comes to doing the job they are supposed to.

If your ducting is long and complex, maybe with loads of turns and converting from circular to flat you might find that the fan in the extractor simply isn’t strong enough to overcome the back pressure of the pipework. I think a lot of people put the extractor where they want it rather than taking into account that complex ducting may cause problems.

DO NOT BUY YOUR EXTRACTOR HOOD FROM ELICA!!!

most of the big brands (Neff, Bosch, etc) are rebranded Elica hoods

Simons – Elica’s parent – you are correct. Two things however, It is the fancy designed versions that aren’t fit for purpose IMO. Many of their ‘standard’ designs will be fine. My issues wouldn’t have occured if more detail on requirements was evident in literature. The main issue though is that the Elica brand itself is imported and sold in the UK by people who couldn’t give a toss.

we got a crappy cheap one with our howdens kitchen, planned to upgrade it, but its been excellent

ducting is very simple to the exit (and I got to hire a massive drill to make the hole)

Is the extractor on an inside wall? Ours has a 150 dia round duct turns 180degrees goes through a wall then transitions to rectangular profile before exhausting through an external wall. (5 metres of ducting)

Works fine in this configuration

Are your able to step up/ simplify the duct route?

Elica make a remote fan unit that works with lots of fans as a booster, normally an external unit

T1000 – the ducting route can be improved but thats no longer the issue – its the design of the unit not allowing all steam to be sucked into the filters in the first place. Some just gets diverted around the sides of the unit and into the internal cavity via the lamp housings…

Its first world but its f’ing annoying when you shell out thinking you’re buying a premium product!