All-metal range hoods do more than add luxury and style to the kitchen. They also remove grease, strong odors, and excess moisture from cooking areas, keeping your picture-perfect kitchen clean and comfortable. The secret to this process? High-performance filters. To help you take great care of your vent hood, our professionals put together a complete guide to replacing range hood filters — including why it’s important for your kitchen.
Why You Need To Replace Range Hood Filters
High-quality filters are essential for indoor, outdoor, and commercial-grade vent hoods. They’re responsible for handling the heavy lifting: absorbing pungent odors, filtering out grease, and capturing food particles in vapor.
Kitchen Air Quality
Cooking is supposed to be enjoyable, and having a kitchen that looks and smells clean is a major part of that. Recirculating range hoods draw in cooking vapors, extract odors and smoke, and return the newly filtered and cooled air into the kitchen through chimney vents. Regularly cleaning or replacing vent hood filters helps to make sure your favorite room in the house stays fresh.
Cooking Safety
Accumulated grease can become a fire hazard if it builds up too much. If your style of cooking involves a lot of sauteeing or frying — or you use commercial-grade burners — periodically replacing vent hood filters helps your family stay safe.
System Performance
Over time, grease and sticky food particles can build up in vent hood filters. This can get in the way of airflow, make your range hood less effective, and let oily vapor escape. The same goes for the odor absorption capacity of charcoal filters.
Range Hood Durability
Clogged filters allow grease to build up on other vent hood components, such as fans, ducts, and blower motors. Forcing a blower to work harder can shorten its lifespan, leading to premature repairs or replacements.
Replacing Range Hood Filters by Type
Now that you know the why, it’s time to learn the specifics of how. First of all, range hood filters come in a few different types, and how you handle them depends on the type:
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Charcoal: Carbon or charcoal filters have to be replaced. Cleaning them doesn’t work.
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Aluminum mesh: Aluminum mesh filters can be safely cleaned repeatedly.
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Baffles: Stainless steel baffles and grease trays are common in commercial kitchens but not in household environments. Both the baffle and grease tray are relatively easy to clean and may be dishwasher safe, depending on the vent hood’s design.
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Hybrid baffle: Hybrid baffle filters combine the louvered look of a traditional baffle with the extra filtration of aluminum mesh. It’s possible to clean all-metal hybrid baffles, but any models with charcoal filtration layers must be replaced.
Keep in mind that even aluminum filters eventually need replacement. After several cleanings or a long time without maintenance, the mesh can weaken or crack, allowing grease to get through.
How To Replace Hybrid Baffle Filters
The specific process for replacing baffle and hybrid baffle filters depends on the vent hood’s model and design. Always consult your owner’s manual for replacement and cleaning instructions, especially with custom range hoods and luxury finishes. Here’s what to do in general terms.
1. Turn Off the Power
First, power off the unit if it’s on. Next, disconnect its power source, such as unplugging it or flipping off the breaker switch at your fuse panel. Never reach into a range hood when it’s running.
2. Look for Screws or Clasps
The vent hood baffle and hybrid baffle filters are located underneath the unit. They are usually attached to the range hood with clasps, but some models use screws. Generally, all you need to do to remove the baffle is push in the clasps or slide them to one side.
3. Slide Out the Hybrid Baffle Filter
Depending on the design of the range hood, you may need to gently lift up on the hybrid baffle filter to dislodge it. With other models, you need to angle one end of the filter upward and slide the opposite end out diagonally.
Range hoods may have two or three hybrid baffle filters resting side by side. After you remove the first one, taking out the others is much easier.
4. Clean the Filter (for Mesh Hybrids Only)
Fill a sink or a large basin half full with hot water and add two tablespoons of liquid dish soap designed for grease. If the filter is heavily caked with grease, add half a cup of baking soda as well. Agitate the water so the baking soda dissolves.
Place your hybrid baffle filters in this soapy solution. You can also add boiling water if needed to the mixture to help loosen grease from the filters. Let the filters sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
With the help of a soft nylon scrub brush or textured microfiber cloth, scrub the grease from the filter’s surfaces. Afterward, rinse it with clean water and let the filter air dry.
5. Replace the Filter
Hybrid baffle filters with carbon layers must be replaced instead of cleaned. The installation process varies by range hood model, and it’s important to check the owner’s manual to avoid scratching stainless steel surfaces.
Usually, installing the new filter means reversing the steps you followed to take the old one out. You may need to gently pull down on the baffle for the metal clasps to snap into place. With horizontal clasps, pull them to one side as you position the hybrid baffle filter, then release so they lock into place.
How To Clean Aluminum Range Hood Filters
Single-layer aluminum range hood filters are easier to clean than hybrid baffle filters. There are several approaches that work, and which you choose depends on how dirty the filter is.
Option A: Soaking
One option is to soak the filters in a sink by following the instructions mentioned above. Combining hot water and liquid dish soap with a degreasing action is very effective at loosening dirt and oils from aluminum.
If you go this route, soak the filters for 20 to 30 minutes, but don’t oversoak.
For one thing, if the water cools down, grease deposits can stick to the filter again. Also, leaving aluminum mesh in water for hours can potentially tarnish or weaken the metal.
Option B: Multipurpose Cleaner
If you’re in a hurry or your aluminum mesh filter isn’t overly greasy, you can clean it quickly with a nontoxic multi-purpose cleaner for kitchen surfaces, such as Simple Green or Mr. Clean. To save time, choose a ready-to-use product so you don’t have to worry about diluting it.
Remove the aluminum mesh filters from your range hood and place them in the sink. Follow any safety guidelines on the spray bottle, such as wearing goggles or rubber gloves if necessary. Next, spray the product liberally on each filter and let it sit according to printed instructions, usually five to 10 minutes.
Next, with a soft brush or a cleaning rag, scrub the filter, focusing on areas with stubborn grease. If there’s not much grease, paper towels can be sufficient to wipe away any soils.
Using a damp rag or paper towel with just water, softly rinse the filter. Finally, use a clean dish towel to dry the filter, but don’t press so hard that you leave fibers behind.
Option C: Replace the Filter
Just because you can clean an aluminum mesh filter doesn’t mean you have to. Some homeowners prefer spending roughly $50 and just replacing the filter. It only takes a minute or two to unclasp the old filter and maneuver a new one into place.
Can You Use a Dishwasher?
Only put vent hood filters in the dishwasher if the model’s cleaning instructions say they’re dishwasher safe. Stainless steel baffles and filters are often compatible with dishwashers, but many aluminum filters aren’t. The hot steam, cleansing detergent, and long soaking periods can tarnish most types of aluminum, giving the bottom of your range hood a darkened appearance if you’re not careful.
How To Replace a Charcoal Vent Hood Filter
Charcoal filters are common with ductless systems and recirculating range hoods. They add to the odor filtration capabilities of indoor units and reduce smoke smells in outdoor BBQ kitchens.
Charcoal range hood filters come in several configurations:
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Some range hoods have round carbon filters that install directly onto the blower fan.
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Our World CopperSmith models use square or rectangular charcoal filters that sit behind the aluminum mesh filter.
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Hybrid baffle styles may have a smaller charcoal filter that mounts onto the rear of the baffle opening.
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Flexible charcoal filters can integrate with stainless steel baffle panels.
The process of replacing a charcoal vent hood filter depends on the type of model you have.
Rectangular Charcoal Filters
To replace a rectangular charcoal vent hood filter, follow these steps:
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Pull on the clasp and remove the aluminum mesh or stainless steel baffle from underneath your range hood.
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Loosen the charcoal filter cartridges, usually by pushing on edge tabs or moving the filter inward.
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Slide out the used filters.
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Repeat the process in reverse to install the new charcoal filters. They should click or slide effortlessly into place.
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Put the aluminum mesh filter back again.
The number of charcoal vent hood filters you need to install depends on how many blower fans your unit has. A dual-fan range hood requires two filters. Replace all charcoal filters at the same time, even if some look dirtier than others.
Other Types of Charcoal Range Hood Filters
To install other carbon or charcoal filters, follow the instruction manual for your range hood. Only use approved filters to ensure a snug fit, optimal filtration, and efficient airflow. You need the right size, shape, and thickness for a good seal.
How Often You Should Replace Your Range Hood Filter
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend cleaning or replacing range hood filters every three months. This is a good middle ground for families that like to cook periodically but have a busy schedule.
Of course, at World CopperSmith, we believe strongly in personalization. You should follow a filter replacement schedule that adapts to your circumstances.
Charcoal Filters
Replace charcoal vent hood filters after roughly 120 hours of use, or at least every three or four months. Activated carbon loses its effect after a while.
If you’re into exotic cooking with strong, fragrant spices — or frequent grilling for outdoor range hoods — you may want to replace charcoal filters more frequently. Delectable aromas are perfect in tasty dishes, but that doesn’t mean you want them hanging around in your kitchen afterward.
Fried Foods
If your family loves comfort foods like tempura, eggrolls, fried chicken, and hand-cut french fries, your aluminum mesh filter may need more frequent cleaning. For best results, check and clean the filter once a month. Preventing heavy buildup makes your job easier and speeds up the cleaning process.
Infrequent Use
We encourage customers to make the most of our top-quality range hoods, but we know that not everyone has lots of time to cook.
Do you mainly don your chef’s hat when entertaining friends, colleagues, or extended family? You may not need to clean your filters as often. The same goes for couples who spend part of the year at a second home.
At minimum, however, you should still replace filters every six months.
Signs It's Time To Change Your Filter
Keep an eye on these signals that your range hood needs an urgent filter change:
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The range hood fan doesn’t have much suction power
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You can see smoke or vapor in the kitchen
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There is a layer of grease or oil underneath the range hood
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The unit makes a loud humming noise
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The fan motors run harder than normal
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You can see perforations or loose sections in the aluminum mesh
The best way to keep your range hood at top-tier performance is to follow a regular cleaning and filter replacement schedule.
Get Pro Tips for Replacing Range Hood Filters
At World CopperSmith, we’re experts in high-performance and luxury metal kitchen accents. We can show you how to develop a program for replacing range hood filters that meets your schedule. Discover personalized recommendations for your custom range hood, including the best ways to protect premium finishes.