Range hood insert fans help remove grease and smoke from the air, but they must be cleaned regularly. You don’t want to wait until you can’t take in the smell anymore because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to eliminate the odor.
Keeping your range hood insert fan clean by following these guidelines will keep your kitchen fresher and your house healthier for longer.
Cleaning the inside of a range hood is one of those tasks that seems easy but quickly turns into a time-consuming project. According to the National Fire Protection Association, grease fires account for 18% of all home cooking fires.
If you’ve got a fire hazard in your kitchen (those fumes could be toxic!), it's worth getting in there and doing some spring cleaning. But how often should you get it done? Your answer will depend on a few factors: Do you use heavy or light cooking oils? Are you using nonstick pans? Does your stove vent to the outside or recirculate air inside the house?
There are so many variables at play here that what’s best for one person might not work well for another.
Every time a dirty range works, it can release grease and other contaminants into the air. When these particles coat the inside of your range hood and insert the fan, they can absorb any remaining fumes or odors from cooking (such as onion) and emit them again when heating up.
It’s important to note that range hood inserts with filters typically don’t collect as much dirt or dust since their filters are also rated for odor filtration. They’ll typically need to be washed less often.
A filter replacement is needed if it’s been longer than six months since the last time it was cleaned; while washing may not be necessary at that point, the build-up on its surface could negatively impact air quality in the kitchen.
Air quality is a serious issue. Poor air quality can result in respiratory problems, colds, and headaches. Regularly cleaning your range hood insert fan is important for ensuring that it does not cause these effects.
Leaving the fan dirty may lead to issues such as smoke residue build-up, which may be dangerous. Make sure to clean the filter of the range hood and change it regularly so that it can trap smells and other particles, causing problems in the air.
To keep your range hood insert fan safe, ensure a regular maintenance check-up by a professional once a year.
There are several health risks from dirty range hood insert fans, including asthma, chronic respiratory disease, and lung disease. Individuals who suffer from these diseases can be significantly impacted by air pollution.
There is also the possibility of elevated levels of carbon monoxide in homes with dirty range hood insert fans. Exposure to elevated levels of carbon monoxide can cause sleepiness, nausea, weakness, dizziness, and confusion.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide has given insight into how often a range hood insert fan can be cleaned. Generally, it is best to use a dry cloth and microfiber towel or damp cloth with the minimum amount of water. This will avoid the build-up of dirt in the duct, which could result in fumes and a bad smell.???????
