Hood filters in the kitchen: an overview, pros and cons

Is the air processed by the hood guaranteed to be safe for a long time? After 3 months, even the most trouble-free cooker hood requires preventive maintenance. It's about cleaning and replacing the filter.

Does the hood need a replacement filter?

The question is rhetorical. Of course you do! At least once every six months. Burning fatty oils turn into soot. Accumulating, they can worsen the rotation of the engine, the resistance will disable the armature.

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• The flow hood expels vapors, carbon dioxide through the ventilation duct to the outside. Productive only if there is enough power for the fence and the subsequent run of at least 600 m³/ hour (for a kitchen with an area of ​​about 10 m³). After the manufacturer's guaranteed threshold of 100–130 operating hours (about a month of operation), the filter surfaces must be cleaned or, better, replaced.
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• The recirculation hood, by cleaning, returns the air back to the room. The unit, regardless of whether it is an advanced company or a little-known one, with a flat body or domed - early or later gives the room dust accumulated over a certain period of time along with harmful substances. There is no need to flatter yourself, using a powerful unit, that you will somehow manage without cleaning. Recirculating models after passing the threshold of 130 hours (after maximum pollution) themselves become sources of unsanitary conditions.

Classes, types and types of filters

Classes (according to the degree of purification):

1. The preliminary(rough)cleaning. They can be roll, mesh, pocket type, sold as belts, folded in layers. Polyester, non-woven, synthetic winterizer - catch dust, animal hair. They are used in all types of household hoods as a fixed or cushion membrane.
2. Electrostatic. Removes residues of oil mist, aerosol particles invisible to the eye. They are characterized as reliable catchers, but require constant preventive maintenance.
3. Panel. In addition to the household cluster, which includes the above flowing and recirculating ones, there are specific industrial ones:

• self-cleaning (pneumatic cleaning, used in food production);
• hygienic systems such as HEPA, ULPA - fine cleaning, capturing 99% of air impurities with a thickness of 0.3 to 0.1 microns, including pollen and fungal spores. To prevent these filters from becoming breeding grounds for infections, they are treated with an antibacterial compound;
• photocatalytic capture, then decompose bacteria and viruses into carbon dioxide + vapor, while working at room temperature; used for operating rooms, biological laboratories.

The types of air purifying devices depend on the capture materials:

• metal grid,
• fibrous materials,
• woven / non-woven,
• porous coal,
• metal cellular.

Household hoods, like most others, purify the air in stages, that is, they turn on several different filters at the same time. Environmentally friendly construction involves the installation of intermediate filters in the exhaust ducts. Unlike supply and exhaust systems, eco-systems provide the return of air masses, which significantly reduces energy consumption for heating, but increases the hassle of maintaining a working condition systems.

A string of accessories (louvers on the ventilation grill, butterfly valve) are mounted along the alignment of the exhaust duct, installing climate control using systems called “Smart House".

The most common types of catchers are:

• felt "pockets",
• "Accordions",
• cellular corrugations,
• tray-cylindrical,
• drum,
• box-shaped,
• leafy.

Fat filter

A household hood grease filter is made from:

• three-layer aluminum mesh or corrugated metal plate;
• grease tray / carbon box behind a sintepon membrane.

Disposable and reusable models

Each manufacturer develops its own type of filter, recommending only it. Non-interchangeability of consumables is dictated by commercial interests. Even boxes and drums of the same size have different bayanets (mounts).

Advice: in order to finally remove contaminants from the filter, it is necessary to keep the hood turned on for 15 minutes after the end of cooking.

Stronger aluminum, steel, box, carbon drums. Unlike non-woven ones, they last longer than the warranty period, but subject to regular washing. Disc, box-shaped, filled with coal are also disposable. Washing them is not provided, although it is practiced by housewives everywhere. Homeowners who care about the air of the apartment strictly follow the instructions of the manufacturer and monitor the development of the filter resource on the display, and replace it in time.

Semi-professional

A positive market trend was the emergence of semi-professional hoods with grease traps from a solid sheet of stainless steel, pressed according to the "wormhole" principle. Fence with cellular plates occurs through invisible contour gaps near the body, and there are no non-woven membranes on semi-professional hoods.

The new, elegant, unassuming brand from the Italian company Elica and the Spanish CATA was highly appreciated by food workers, restaurateurs, housewives. This is understandable: stainless steel is easy to clean and has a presentable appearance. The removable plates of these hoods can be washed even in the dishwasher.

Charcoal filter for kitchen hood

For recirculation models of hoods, a charcoal filter is required, since it is important in them not only to remove extraneous odors, but also to return the purified air back to the room. Charcoal “catchers” are installed behind the grease filters; they are based on activated carbon, which perfectly absorbs foreign odors. But it is worth remembering that the adsorbent that is part of the coal models, like a sponge, absorbs into itself pollution, and over time the air will pass through it worse and worse, the throughput of the hood decreases by 15–20%.

Charcoal filters most often do not come with hoods, so they should be purchased separately as they wear out. Of all the parts of the charcoal filters, only one is really valuable - this is the box for the charcoal pellets. It is easy to clean with warm water and common detergents. Foaming is enhanced by the addition of baking soda.

Filling - coal is sometimes calcined. Prying a non-woven membrane with a knife, the box is opened. Charcoal rods are poured onto a baking sheet, brought to red over hot coals or a gas burner.

This method gives a positive result in part. The fat appears to have been removed, but it has caked, forming an invisible film. The roughness of the granules must be restored by crushing the coal capsules into smaller fractions.

The membrane itself can be replaced by cutting out a circle from a synthetic winterizer (non-woven) based on the old one, then gluing it with rubber glue (it comes off easier). It is important to use a thin nonwoven material stitched together in layers to ensure strength. Membrane synthetic winterizer (even bactericidal) is sold by specialized stores.

But the factory synthetic winterizer will last longer if you cover it with a beret-type coarse calico cover. A piece of fabric is outlined, sewn under an elastic band, stretched, periodically washed.

Thrifty people who use hoods of advanced firms bypass the purchase of expensive filters in the following way: they keep the old drums, but fill them with carbon rods from cheap analogs. The prices of domestic discs are cheaper than foreign ones (sometimes the price difference is 1/10!), And the filling is the same: pressed coal dust.

Filter replacement table: how long is enough?

The table below will tell you how long the replaceable filters will last.

Filters	A type	Replacement (maintenance) frequency
Synthetic	Disposable	Replacement every 1.5-2 months
Metallic	Reusable	Flushing every 2-3 months
Coal household	Disposable	Replacement every 3-4 months
Coal professional (industrial)	Reusable	Replacement every 1-3 years

Do-it-yourself filter care, cleaning and replacement

If Long Life plates are as easy as shelling pears, then the rest are considered to be wearable and must be replaced. Different manufacturers have their own recommendations.

Coal grease catchers of the company:

• Elica is changed every 2 months,
• Elikor, Jetair - 3-4 months,
• Falmec - 4 months,
• Fabriano - 4-6 months
• Gaggenau - twice a year,
• Krona - from 6 to 12 months,
• Bosch - once a year.

Popular brands

In addition to the aforementioned Elica, which has rapidly conquered the Russian market, other manufacturers are successfully operating. household appliances in Italy: Faber, Ventolux, Smeg, Ariston, Lex, Best, Jet air, Delonghi, Indesit, Ardesia, Jantar, Candy. Therefore, which filter for the hood is better depends on the financial ability of the buyer. Each of the firms creates visor, inclined, flat T-pattern, slide, hinged, mortise and corner models.

• Akpo and Perfelli are Polish.
• Krona, Siemens, Kuppersberg, Zigmund, Teka, Kaizer, Korting, Hansa, Gunter Hauer, Akvilon, Bauknecht, Germes Pyramida - German,
• Russian Gorenje, Elikor have been improving the noise level of their products for a long time, just like the Belarusian Gefest. Now they belong to global brands.
• Franke, MBS, Zirtal - Swiss made, recognizable by fantastic cubic, spherical shapes.
• Beko, Zimfer - Turkey - occupy the budget segment of the market.
• Whirlpool - USA - creates facades that resemble picturesque floral still lifes.
• Oasis is made in China.
• CATA, EXITEQ - from Spain.
• Maunfeld is made in Great Britain.
• Shindo, Samsung - Korea.
• Elektrolux - Sweden.
• IKEA - Netherlands.
• Eleuys - Ukraine.

The best way to get rid of grime is to cook in airtight pots on electric hobs. When buying an expensive "fancy" exhaust system, you should pay attention to the availability of consumables and their cost, think about how ready the family budget is for the needs of a new kitchen device.