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Typically, kitchen hoods come equipped with activated carbon filters to eliminate odors in the kitchen space. However, after prolonged use, you'll need to replace the activated carbon filter. So, how do you go about replacing the activated carbon filter in your kitchen hood? Let's find out in this article by Mytour Supermarket!
Replacing the Activated Carbon Filter in Your Kitchen Hood
1. Understanding Activated Carbon Filters
Activated charcoal, also known as activated carbon, is a type of carbon processed at high temperatures ranging from 900 – 1000°C. It is primarily made from materials such as coal, peat, coconut shell, etc. Activated charcoal typically appears black, porous, lightweight, and comes in various forms such as pellets, powder, or granules.
What is Activated Charcoal?
The main component of activated charcoal is carbon atoms, usually in the form of amorphous carbon or graphite crystallites. This type of charcoal acts as an odor remover and effectively eliminates harmful substances in the air, ensuring user health.
2. How Often Should You Replace Activated Carbon in Your Kitchen Hood?
Typically, after 6 to 9 months of use, activated carbon becomes saturated and loses its effectiveness in odor absorption. It's essential to replace the activated carbon to ensure optimal performance of your kitchen hood. Especially for those who use the appliance infrequently, replacing the activated carbon every 12 months is advisable.
Replace Activated Carbon Every 6-9 Months for Optimal Performance
If you still smell food odors in the air even after running the hood for 5-10 minutes at high speed, it's likely time to replace the activated carbon. This ensures uninterrupted cooking processes.
3. Simple and Effective Guide to Replace Activated Carbon in Your Kitchen Hood
Step 1: Turn off the power to the extractor hood by unplugging it from the power source.
Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet
Step 2: Release the filter grid latch and remove the activated carbon filter tray.
Release the filter grid latch
Step 3:
- If your filter tray has a symmetrical design with both sides made of hard plastic, simply release the latch. Then, separate the filter tray and empty out the remaining used activated carbon.
Filter tray with symmetrical design
- Clean the filter tray with water and detergent, then dry it with a clean cloth. Once the filter tray is completely dry, insert the new activated carbon inside and reassemble the two sides of the tray.
- Finally, place the filter tray back into its correct position in the extractor hood.
Step 4:
- If your extractor hood has a filter tray with one side made of plastic and the other side made of fabric, you'll need to first use scissors to cut away the fabric layer and empty out the used activated carbon.
Filter tray with design of two sides being plastic and fabric respectively
- Wash the cut fabric thoroughly with water and dry it under sunlight to eliminate harmful bacteria.
- Once dry, refill with fresh activated carbon and seal the plastic and fabric sides together using tape. Then, reinstall it into the correct position in the extractor hood.
Step 5: Plug the power cord of the extractor hood into the electrical outlet, restart the machine, and perform a test run. If the device operates normally without any issues, you have successfully replaced and installed the new activated carbon for the extractor hood.
Plug in the extractor hood and restart it
4. Considerations When Replacing Activated Carbon for Your Kitchen Hood
Currently, there are numerous places selling activated carbon with a variety of models on the market. However, you should carefully select the appropriate type of activated carbon to replace for your kitchen hood. If you end up purchasing low-quality products, the effectiveness of the device will be greatly reduced.
You can also check the quality of the activated carbon you're using with a simple method as follows:
- Prepare a glass containing water, then add some of the activated carbon you currently have.
- If you observe gas bubbles rising when you add it in, then this is good charcoal. Conversely, if you don't see any reaction (or only a few bubbles rising), then it's likely poor quality activated carbon.
Check the quality of activated carbon with water
Here is a simple and effective guide for replacing activated carbon at home that you can refer to. Hopefully, with this article, you will successfully apply these methods. At the same time, you will gain more useful knowledge for using the kitchen hood more efficiently. Currently, Mytour Supermarket offers various brands of kitchen hoods such as Electrolux, Teka, Hafele, etc., at different price levels.
