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Experts say, keeping the range hoods clean can also help cutting down the energy cost.
Filter cleaning/replacing, over time, the range hoods need to be cleaned. The thin, silvery screen on the bottom of range hoods is a grease filter (there may be more than one). It traps airborne oils and grease to keep them out of the blower and exhaust vent. To clean range hoods’ the filter, remove it and soak it in a degreasing solution until the grease is dissolved. Next, wash it with warm, soapy water to remove any traces of the degreaser. Then put it in the upper rack of the dishwasher and run it through a normal cycle.
Note… If the range hoods circulate the air rather than vent it, they may have one or more activated charcoal filters. Don't wash these. Just replace them when they lose their effectiveness.
UNDERSTANDING QUALITY FILTER SYSTEMS ON THE RANGE HOODS
As you shop around for range hoods, you need to pay close attention to what happens with the grease. This just does not work ... simple aluminum mesh filters catch some of the grease, which heats up as you cook and drips back down onto the stove top. You will never see flat aluminum mesh filters in a restaurant for a good reason - grease dripping back down onto the stove top can cause a fire. All of our range hoods adress the grease filtering/catching issue one of two ways: 1) grease catchment cups or 2) Charcoal filters. Grease catchment cups are clear plastic "dishes" mounted below the cone shaped mesh filters. As the filter catches grease, it heats up and drains down into the oil catchment cups. When you are ready to clean the filters, you simply unscrew the cap, remove the filter assembly, rinse and wash (dishwasher safe). Range Hoods’ Charcoal filters use a series of inverted cup shaped "baffles", which cool the moist greasy air as it flows though, condensing/catching oil and then allowing the grease and moisture to flow down into the lower trough (where it is held until cleaning). Recent popularity of the commercial look in residential kitchens has created a very high demand for baffle filters. The extra expanse of stainless steel underneath the ranger hoods does make for a more professional, industrial appearance. Performance wise, baffle filters allow slightly better air flow at the expense of trapping a bit less grease, but the difference is too slight to consider as a factor in your choice of hood model.
Interior cleaning, Warning! Be sure the range hoods are turned off before you clean them. Also avoid spraying cleaner directly onto the light bulb or light bulb socket. Keeping the interior of range hoods can help the motor to run smoother.
Note: Clean the interior of the range hoods with a standard household degreaser/cleaner.
Fan motor care, Most of the range hoods’ motors don't need any maintenance. Over time, the motor and bearings may become stiff because of the constant heat, humidity, and grease to which they're subjected.
Also over time, the blower wheel gets greasy and dirty, which can slow down the fan or cause vibration. Remove the wheel from the range hoods and clean it with a degreaser. Then, if the fan is still slow or if it vibrates, you need to replace the fan motor.
Vent cleaning, If the range hoods vent (rather than just circulate), you need to regularly check the vent that leads from the range hoods to the outside, to make sure that grease isn't building-up on the inside of them. If it is, contact a vent-cleaning contractor to clean the vent properly. (You may find such a contractor under "chimney sweeps," or "HVAC duct cleaning," or "ventilation cleaning" in your telephone book Yellow Pages.)
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