What Types of Exhaust Hoods Are There?

Exhaust hoods are critical in kitchen ventilation. Good design and install control fumes with less airflow, higher efficiency, and lower running cost. Hoods fall into five structural types. CHINENG explains each.

Hood types and principles

1) Enclosed hoods

The source is fully enclosed. Low airflow and strong capture, immune to room drafts, but harder to operate—used for high-hazard gases/dust. Common on food-plant or central-kitchen automated lines such as continuous fryers and ovens that exhaust inside sealed process equipment.

2) Cabinet hoods

One open face for handwork; other sides enclosed. Face velocity keeps contaminants inside—typical for lab benches and chemical fumes.

3) External capture hoods

Placed near the source; less impact on operations and easy to install, but they pull more room air, need higher volume, and capture less efficiently. Used when sealing the source is impossible—side or downdraft forms.

4) Receiving hoods

The opening faces the natural plume path. Kitchen hanging canopy hoods receive rising cooking fumes this way.

5) Push-pull hoods

Combine supply jets with exhaust for strong draft resistance and better control without blocking work, but need blow ducting. Useful when the hood is far from the source or room drafts defeat capture alone.

By position relative to the source, kitchen hoods are also overhead, side-suction, or downdraft.

In summary: choose the hood type that fits your process. Follow the CHINENG website for more updates.