How often should you service a kitchen chimney?

The honest answer is: it depends on how you cook. A household that fries and tempers every day loads the filters far faster than one that mostly boils and steams. The manufacturer's card says six months; for a typical Indian kitchen that is about right, and for a heavy one it is optimistic.

What actually happens between services

Oil vapour condenses on the baffle filters first, then works past them onto the fan blades and the inside of the housing. Each layer makes the motor pull harder for the same suction. By the time the chimney is audibly louder, the fan has been running against grease for weeks.

Signs it is already overdue

• Smoke lingers at head height after you turn the gas off
• The chimney is louder than it was when new
• Filters look glossy or dark even after a wipe
• A faint smell of old oil when the kitchen is closed up
• Drips from the filter edge onto the hob

What a service visit includes

Filters out and degreased properly, not just wiped; the fan and housing cleaned; the motor checked for bearing noise; the duct inspected where it is reachable; and a suction check afterwards. Half an hour to an hour depending on how long it has been.

If the filters are already dripping, do not run the chimney at full speed until it is cleaned. Grease reaching a hot motor is how the burnt smell starts, and that repair costs more than a service.

A simple rule

Wipe the filter faces every fortnight. Book a full service every six months, and every four if you fry most days. It is cheaper than a motor, and the kitchen stays breathable.