How important is a cooker hood to your home?

Cooker hoods (aspirators) undoubtedly work aesthetically beautiful and charming in kitchens around the world, but they are also very important in terms of the air quality in your home. Whatever the design, these ‘kitchen caps’ are designed to remove odours, irritants, and grease that are released into the air when storing food. Once the lid is turned on, the polluted air is filtered through a fan that is recirculated or carried outside. If there is not enough airflow in the kitchen, you could be exposed to dangerous gases like carbon monoxide.

If you have no air and no range hood installed, here's what it can do:

•  Your kitchen can become very warm and sticky, which can cause walls and ceilings to crack.

•  If you do not pay attention to the retention of grease and other debris, moulds and bacteria can grow in undesirable areas. Hood filtration helps keep other cabinets and appliances clean while increasing the life of your kitchen.

•  Smoke can settle on surfaces that can cause eye irritation and can be toxic to houseplants.

•  Unpleasant odours can be placed in your curtains, upholstery and other soft surfaces.

When it comes to tidying up your kitchen, you will wonder if you need an aspirator. We will try to help you make your decision.

Here's a brief explanation of the kitchen ventilation systems you might want to consider:

1. Vented or ducted hood

If there is a lot of cooking in your house, you will probably want a hood that vents outdoors. And the ducted hood expels the polluted air from the outside while fresh air enters the outside, keeping the kitchen air clean, preventing the odours of cooking and grease from spreading around the house and sticking to your kitchen cabinets.

Ducting is easiest if your range and cover lie against the outer wall. The duct can also point out the back of the hood through the wall of the house. For a span facing the inside wall, the duct can climb into the soffit above the cabinet or between the ceiling supports and then through the nearest outer wall.

No matter where you place the duct, it is important that the air moves out - the duct should never end inside the attic or other enclosed space.

2. Ductless hood

The ductless hood works a little differently: it consists of a fan with a carbon filter that sucks up grease particles, odours, and smoke. The air is filtered through the charcoal and circulated back into the kitchen.

If you opt for this form of kitchen air purification, ensure that the filters are regularly changed or cleaned.

Hoods of this type are less effective in cleaning the air but are easier to install and are usually more financially advantageous.

3. Downdraft systems

Downdraft systems are typically installed as part of a stove and are located on top near the burner. This is not a particularly effective ventilation system and there are frequent complaints that these systems separate heat from the food being prepared.

Another style of the downdraft system is the pop-up type. The opening stays flat with the cooking surface. When you need it, pressing the button will open the opening. When you have finished cooking, press the button and it disappears again.

As mentioned, aspirator filters should be cleaned once a month and this is a very simple process. First, remove the filters from the range hood; most filters should easily slide or pop off the underside of the hood. Then fill the tub with boiling water and pour in baking soda and dish soap. Put the grease filters in the water and let them soak for 10 minutes. After soaking, take a non-abrasive scrub brush and clean the filters, then rinse and dry.

If your range hood has built-in lighting, it must be LED. Therefore, if it is possible to install LED lighting instead of other, classic lighting, it is extremely desirable to do so because, in addition to saving energy, you will reduce heat generation in the area of the fan motor, which will inevitably lead to an extension of the life of your aspirator and by the way you will be spared the need for frequent replacement of defective lamps whose life may be further shortened by exposure to heat.

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