A kitchen rangehood is the largest exhaust system in most Melbourne homes — it has to remove not just moisture but also cooking heat, grease and odours from the busiest room in the house. Whether it does that well depends on the type of rangehood, how it is ducted, and how it is sized for the cooktop. This guide explains the difference between ducted and recirculating rangehoods, how to size one for a Melbourne kitchen, what installation costs, and how to keep it working.
Ducted vs Recirculating Rangehoods
The most important decision for a Melbourne kitchen rangehood is ducted versus recirculating, because it determines whether the system actually removes moisture and heat from the home.
Ducted rangehoods
A ducted rangehood captures the air above the cooktop and discharges it outside the building through a duct to a roof or external-wall vent. Because the air leaves the home entirely, a ducted rangehood removes cooking moisture, heat, grease-laden air and odours — everything you want out of the kitchen. This is the more effective system and the better choice for Melbourne kitchens wherever ducting to the outside is possible.
Recirculating rangehoods
A recirculating rangehood draws air through a grease filter and a charcoal odour filter, then returns the filtered air to the kitchen. It captures some grease and reduces odours but does not remove moisture or heat from the room, and the charcoal filters need replacing every few months. Recirculating is the fallback where ducting is genuinely impractical — some apartments, or island cooktops a long way from an external wall. For moisture control in Melbourne’s climate, ducted is clearly preferable.
Types of Rangehood
- Fixed / under-cupboard: mounted under an overhead cupboard above the cooktop. Common and economical in Melbourne kitchens. Can be ducted or recirculating.
- Canopy / wall-mounted: a larger hood mounted on the wall above the cooktop, often a feature piece. Strong extraction when ducted.
- Undermount / concealed: built into the cabinetry above the cooktop, hidden from view. A tidy look with good performance when ducted.
- Island: suspended from the ceiling above an island cooktop. Needs ducting through the ceiling and roof, which makes installation more involved.
- Downdraft: rises from behind or beside the cooktop and extracts downward. Used where an overhead hood is not wanted; ducting runs below the floor or to a wall.
Airflow and Sizing for Melbourne Kitchens
AS 1668.2 sets a minimum mechanical exhaust of 40 L/s for a kitchen, but an effective rangehood usually moves considerably more, because it has to capture the rising plume of steam and grease over the cooktop before it spreads into the room. Sizing well means getting three things right:
- Width: the rangehood should be at least as wide as the cooktop, and ideally wider, so it sits over the full plume.
- Airflow: match the output to your cooking — a keen cook or a gas cooktop benefits from a higher-output rangehood than light cooking on an induction top.
- Mounting height: too high above the cooktop and the rangehood cannot capture the plume; follow the manufacturer’s recommended height.
As with bathroom fans, the airflow on the box is a free-air figure that drops once ducting is added, so a rangehood ducted over a long run needs margin in its rating. See our ventilation regulations guide.
Ducting and Discharge Requirements
A ducted rangehood must discharge outside the building — through the roof or an external wall — not into the roof cavity or a cupboard. Because rangehood air carries grease as well as moisture, the ducting needs to be smooth-walled where possible (grease builds up less than in ribbed flexible duct), kept as short and direct as practical, and fitted with a backdraught damper to stop cold Melbourne air flowing back when the rangehood is off.
Discharging rangehood air into the roof cavity is a serious fault: it deposits warm, greasy, moist air into the roof space, causing condensation, grease accumulation and a potential fire risk. The duct should run cleanly to an external discharge with a weatherproof cowl or wall vent. See our venting to roof guide for the principles, which apply to rangehoods as well as bathroom fans.
Rangehood Cost Melbourne 2025
| Job | Complete Price (AUD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ducted rangehood supply & install (against external wall) | $600 – $1,000 | Short duct run to wall vent |
| Ducted rangehood with roof discharge | $800 – $1,500 | Longer duct across roof cavity to cowl |
| Island rangehood install | $1,000 – $1,800+ | Ceiling and roof ducting — more involved |
| Recirculating rangehood install | $350 – $700 | No ducting; filters need replacing |
| Rangehood ductwork repair / re-route | $350 – $750 | Fixing a poorly ducted existing rangehood |
All prices are complete-job prices. Every kitchen is different — FreshDuct provides a fixed quote after confirming the cooktop, duct route and discharge. Call 0431 918 137.
Cleaning and Maintenance
A rangehood only performs if its filters are kept clean. Aluminium mesh grease filters should be washed every two to four weeks with regular cooking — in hot soapy water or the dishwasher. A clogged grease filter chokes the airflow, makes the rangehood loud and ineffective, and is a fire risk because accumulated grease is flammable. Charcoal odour filters in recirculating units are not washable and need replacing every three to six months.
Beyond the filters, the rangehood body, the fan and the ducting accumulate grease over time and benefit from a periodic professional clean — particularly the section of duct nearest the rangehood. See our exhaust fan and rangehood cleaning guide for how and how often.