I'm having trouble picturing your layout. Is the stove going directly beneath the window? Is the window right at the corner? If the stove going in directly beneath the window, if so, is the back going against the exterior wall with the window or against the interior wall that is 90 degrees to the wall with the window? Is the stove going exactly in the corner or do you have countertop that makes an "L" with the stove just beyond the L? Are the ceilings 8 feet high? Maybe you have a galley style kitchen with the counters running perpendicular to a wall with a a doorway aat one end and a window next to it?

I ask all this because my first thought was to ask why get a ductless hood (a "ventless vent" as it were) if you've got an exterior wall? Almost all wall-hung and cabinet-hung hoods can vent directly out the back through a wall. If the stove backs-up against an interior wall, it is easy to put an elbow on top of the vent hood and take it out the side wall -- unless, of course, that is where your window is. Do you condo association rules prohibit exterior venting hoods?

As for"is it possible to mount "under cabinet" hoods NOT under a cabinet?" --- sure. Some under-cabinet hoods are constructed so to give an option of wall-mount or hanging undercabinet, but it will be easier (and more stable with less vibration) to hang most such hoods from a couple of upside down shelf-brackets -- or make a shelf and hang the hood from that.

Putting a ventless hood 44" above the countertop strikes me as likely to be ineffective for grease. It is so far away from the stove and the fan power in most recirculating hoods is so low that it cannot capture much grease or steam. Most of the effluent will begoing to go on the walls, the window and out into the kitchen. Frankly, I think you would have more luck just putting a box fan in that window whenever you wanted to vent.

Also, consider how high you'd have to reach to hit the switches on a recirculating hood that is placed that high. Think about reaching to the middle of the lintels over the doorways. Maybe not so big a deal if you are tall, but likely an annoyance nonetheless.

Check local codes - many do not permit ranges in front of a window - especially if the window can be opened.

Ah, I should clarify: the window is on the side wall to the right of the range.

Sounds like it is going in a corner with a window on the right directly (or mostly directly) above the range. If so, I suggest you try find some way to change that design.

First, as weissman says, some building codes (or at least code enforcers) may not permit this. I recall several discussions of this topic here and have linked to one of them below in case you have not found it.

Second, a stove in the corner is very unergonomic. That was the stove location in my old-house kitchen when I moved in. (No windows in the corner though and there was a a venting range hood. ) I lived with that arrangment for a time and found it seriously inconvenient and uncomfortable to cook with my right side up against the wall. . First chance I got, I fixed it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Discussion of cooktops below windows

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sat, May 31, 14 at 14:28

The window isn't above the range (i.e. on the back wall) but rather on the side wall (technically also "above" the range I guess, but it's not above the back).

Also, the window is actually a hole over 1' deep (thick brick wall, old building) with a window at the end of that, so the glass isn't actually right there, if that's the issue.

Also, there will be a 2-3" gap between the right side of the range and the wall. It's not ideal but it's a small apartment kitchen in an old building in the city and, for a variety of reasons, we have few other options.

One issue with a window behind or possibly to the side of a range is that if the window is opened, the draft could blow the flames and possibly cause a fire. There's also the issue of any wood or other flammable material in the window or the frame. To be sure, I'd still make sure your layout meets your local code.

I wouldn't waste money on a ductless hood mounted that high.

A large quasi-commercial style hood could be effective at that height, given appropriate flow rate. 44 + 36 = 80 inches, four inches closer to the floor than commercial hoods are generally mounted. But you would best control the lights and fan by a wall switch panel unless you can easily reach that height.

6/1 Edit: Of course, such a hood wouldn't be ductless.

kas

This post was edited by kaseki on Sun, Jun 1, 14 at 11:32

A small apartment kitchen in an old brick building? I might have suggested one of the taller telescoping downdraft vents with an exterior blower, but that would require a bit more depth to the counters (or the stove) which I am guessing you don't have room for. Also, It will be expensive to vent out through the old brick if the old building will even permit that and if you don't have structural framing in the way. .

Back to your original question --- about all you would get from hanging a ductless hood above the top of the window level maybe would be a couple of extra lights over the range. Pointless as far as ventillation, grease removal etc.

One thing I can think of in the "better-than nothing" department would be --- if the window frame is, say, 12" or 15" back from that corner --- maybe consider an OTR. It wouldn't block as much of the window as a hood, and several posters here have written about the LG units with the pop-out tray that extenda coverage out over the stove's front burners when you want it and retracts back when you do not. It will hang low enough to actually collect some of the aerosolized cooking effluents. It also may solve the problem of where to put a MW in a small kitchen.

That thought started me thinking about that window, again. Any possibility of modifying the sash? If you could shorten the sash by 4 or 5 inches, you might be able to place a 3"x"10 rectangular exterior vent there at the top and have an OTR venting to the exterior. A lot of "iffs" though -- as in , (a) if the window sash can be shortened , (b) if the window is far enough back from the corner to allow an OTR, and (c) if the building will allow exterior venting, But, maybe this option has already been considered?

A difficult problem, for sure.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Jun 1, 14 at 15:16

Yeah, among other issues, the window frame is flush with the back wall. (It's actually a wider window but the partition separating the bathroom from the kitchen splits it in two.)

So, no vent fan for the bathroom, either?