Why carbon filter in the hood and filter cleaning methods

The kitchen is exactly the place where culinary masterpieces are created. But after the cooking process, you need to carefully monitor the external and internal appearance of household appliances, including the hood, which absorbs all the unpleasant odors that appear during cooking. Quickly neutralize any smell can different filters that are installed in the hoods. Their condition must be carefully monitored and changed in a timely manner to ensure the proper and reliable operation of the equipment.

Varieties of filters for cooker hoods

Before starting to replace the filter, it is necessary to determine what type is installed in a particular model of kitchen equipment. There are several main types, each of which has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. They also differ in installation method. Filters for hoods can be divided into 2 groups:

Designed for rough cleaning or fat-absorbing. In many models, it is mounted on the very edge of the device and is one of the most important elements for complete filtering. Due to this, there is a quick cleaning of air masses from suspended particles of fat, as well as impurities of a sufficiently large size.

Coarse Filter

These filters not only clean the air flow, but also eliminate the harmful particles that go into, and also protect the device itself and all internal surfaces. If there was no coarse filter in the hood, then its elements would be coated with oil coating for a short period of time.

Filters are:

• Disposable. In appearance they are thin rectangular rugs. The manufacturing material most often is synthetic winterizer, acrylic, non-woven, but any other synthetic material can be used. From the name it is clear that when re-installed in the device, this cleaning system will not be effective and does not retain its positive qualities.
  

  Disposable

• Reusable. They look like a metal plate with a large number of cells of the same size. The cleaning system is a metal frame with perforated foil or mesh. If it begins to get dirty, you need to carefully remove and rinse with a soap solution. The operational period of such filters is equal to the service life of the hood, so they are considered strong and durable with proper and timely care. The material of manufacture is aluminum, stainless or galvanized steel.

Reusable

The former are usually installed in budget models, and the latter can be found in hoods, starting from the middle price segment.

Charcoal cartridges for fine cleaning. They help clean the air that has already passed through the grease trap and get a perfectly clean air stream at the outlet. Cassettes can have a round or rectangular shape, which is enclosed in a plastic case containing activated carbon, which allows the filter to quickly absorb all unpleasant odors and harmful impurities. The longer the cartridge is in the hood, the less effectively it copes with the absorption of extraneous odors. Therefore, it is very important to carry out timely replacement. The frequency of this procedure is usually indicated on the packaging. Each manufacturer has its own expiration date and frequency of replacement.

Carbonic

In order for the hood to last as long as possible, it is necessary to ensure proper care of the equipment.That is, promptly and correctly rinse it and change the grease filter or carbon cartridge.

How to clean the filters from the hood?

Any household appliances should be properly maintained, which will take into account its specifics. A cooker hood is no exception. Today, there are a huge variety of models with various built-in cleaning systems. The main thing here is to understand the principle of caring for equipment filters in general, which will greatly facilitate the overall cleaning process. In addition, timely cleaning and proper care of the kitchen equipment can guarantee a long service life.

First of all, you need to know how to properly remove and clean a reusable anti-grease pad. This is done exclusively by hand and includes several stages:

1. Remove the plate from the device.
2. Dip it in a larger container, which was previously filled with warm water.
3. Add a dishwashing detergent or other household chemicals, the action of which is aimed at the breakdown of fat cells.
4. Leave the plate to soak for 20 minutes in a soapy solution.
5. After that, you need to clean it with a dense sponge or a soft brush.
6. Rinse under a stream of clean water.
7. Wipe dry. To achieve a quick and guaranteed effect, you can dry your hair dryer.
8. Put the plate in the hood.

Before and after cleaning

If fatty contaminants are too intense and do not leave the solution with a dishwashing detergent, then you can add citric acid to it.

To do this, take 3-4 sachets of the product and dissolve in water. To achieve the maximum effect, the plate can be left in the resulting composition for 2 hours, after which it is thoroughly wiped and installed in its original place.

The situation is somewhat different with a carbon cartridge. It cannot be cleaned in the same way as an anti-grease pad. In some cases, they can be cleaned with a powerful vacuum cleaner, but this is rather a temporary measure. In this way, large contaminants from the filter are eliminated, which is aimed at improving the operation of the hood. The coal cleaning system must be replaced with a new one after the end of its service life, which is indicated on the package.

You can do this yourself if certain rules are followed. In this case, the main thing is not to rush, but to carefully perform each action so as not to spoil the equipment, including all internal fasteners. Carbon cartridge replacement steps include:

• First of all, it is necessary to completely disconnect the eclectic device. This is done by pulling the plug from the outlet, even if there is a special off button on the control panel.
• Next, you need to remove the filters that prevent the ingress of fat inside, and clean them.
• The carbon cartridge is fixed very firmly, so you need to get this cleaning system very carefully so as not to damage the fasteners. The filter cassette is removed from the hood, after which they are disconnected from each other.
• If the cartridge is lightly soiled, you can clean it with a simple, important cloth. After that, it should dry completely before inserting it into its place.
• In case of severe contamination, the cartridge must be replaced with a new one and returned to the hood.
• In order for the equipment to continue to work properly, it is necessary that the filter completely falls into place.

Carbon Cartridge Replacement

When all the manipulations are done, it is necessary to connect household appliances to the power supply network and make sure that it works properly.

After the filter for the hood loses its place, you can also clean the hood with your own hands. For this, first of all, it is necessary to prepare a special cleaning solution. Take 1 liter of warm water and dissolve in it 1 teaspoon of any dishwashing liquid. It is advisable to take the gel.For heavily soiled surfaces, you can use household cleaning products such as Anti-grease or Cif.

Household chemicals

After that, the washcloth is lowered into the soap solution and slightly squeezed so that water does not flow from it to the surface of the plate. The cap and, if necessary, other exposed surfaces are treated with this tool. At the end of the cleaning process, the remnants of the soap solution are removed with clean water.

If drops of fat remain on the surface, then you can gently rub it with a plastic dish scraper.

How much carbon filter is enough for a modern hood?

This cleaning system is usually installed in recirculation models. Their feature is that the purified air returns back to the kitchen. In addition, these devices do an excellent job of removing soot and grease.

Recirculation models

If the carbon absorbent is heavily contaminated, then this will generally affect the operation of the equipment, which cannot fully absorb unpleasant odors and make the air cleaner.

Installing a carbon filter in a modern hood does not represent anything complicated or time-consuming, most importantly, carefully follow the instructions. In addition, it is worth remembering that in most models there is no carbon cartridge and you need to buy it additionally. It becomes polluted depending on the intensity of the assigned load.

The frequency of replacement depends on the manufacturer. In some cases, 1 cartridge lasts for 1-2 months, in others - up to six months. For example, the Krona manufacturer guarantees a quality work time of 100 to 130 hours. Therefore, before buying an item, you need to pay attention to the expiration date indicated on the package.

Crown

You also need to look at what area absorbed particles have. The larger it is, the less often you will have to change the cassette.

Some manufacturers advise to leave the hood in working condition for 5 minutes after the end of the cooking process. This will help to evaporate residual moisture from the filter, which will prevent its compaction, and the absorption capacity will not be lost.