A message from KBDi Corporate Partner, Schweigen

Discover why tin and other metal ducting does more harm than good – and how the properties of Shirikon Firemesh® in Schweigen SteelFlex™ help.

Every design element of a rangehood is important, including one that is almost always hidden from view – its ducting.

Tin and other metal rigid ducting are most often employed. However, they are particularly susceptible to build-up of grease and bacteria within rangehood systems. This is because on contact, hot airborne grease, fats and oils naturally coagulate and stick to the cold metal.

These deposits present a number of issues:

• Growth of mould and bacteria
• Attraction of pests and insects
• Pervasive musty smell

Moreover, as the deposits congeal further around bends where airflow changes, air extraction can get impaired over time. Turbulence and noise may result, and worse, old bacteria-ridden oil may actually drip back down the ductwork and onto food being prepared on the stove.

Most worryingly, this grease build-up presents a major fire hazard. Should grease be ignited within the vents (by coming into contact with the stove below or in any other manner) – homeowners run the risk of dealing with personal injury and potential property damage.

According to a study by the National Fire Protection Association in USA: “Two-thirds of home cooking fires began with the ignition of cooking materials. Fat, grease, cooking oil and related were first ignited in half of the home cooking fires that began with cooking materials.  Almost two-thirds of the civilian deaths and three-quarters of the civilian injuries and direct property damage resulted from these fires.”

There are, of course, alternatives like semi-rigid ducting. However, even this type of ducting can get very greasy and become a breeding ground for bacteria due to the internal ridges present throughout the ductwork. As years upon years of grease and oil build up, they inevitable present the same issues and risks as above.

The solution is Schweigen SteelFlex™ – an ultra-strong and flexible high-performance safety duct made of Shirikon Firemesh®. Whereas tin and other metal ducting pose health, fire and safety risks, Schweigen SteelFlex™ was designed to specifically target these issues using a range of technologies and materials that make this product uniquely fireproof, pest and crush proof with an antimicrobial-treated surface that prevents the build-up of grease and bacteria.

This tightly woven, tri-layer tear-resistant UV-treated sleeve is moulded over a low-resistance steel helix rib. It is thermally insulated, acoustically dampened, and specially engineered for efficient high-volume transfers of temperature-sensitive air in HVAC applications.