Cooker Hood Filters

The aim of the cooker hood is to remove unpleasant odours, grease and steam from the kitchen. There are two main types of cooker hood; those that extract to the outside and those designed for recirculating air within the kitchen.

The filters within the cooker hood play a vital role in the effectiveness of both types of cooker hood, but they are especially important in the recirculating variety. As the cooker hood draws in air from your kitchen the cooker hood filters, which normally contain activated carbon, remove the grease and other contaminants to clean the air passed back into your home.

Cooker hood filters don't last forever. After a period of constant use cooker hood filters can become clogged and saturated, meaning they become less effective at blocking contaminants. As a general rule cooker hood filters should be replaced every six months to a year, fortunately they are relatively inexpensive to buy and easy to fit.

There are two main types of filter that are used in a cooker hood; carbon filters and grease filters. Both types of cooker hood filter need to be properly maintained to ensure consistent performance. Some filters are washable while others need to be replaced.

Cooker hood carbon filters

Carbon filters are most commonly in recirculating cooker hoods. They possess activated carbon which is used to absorb cooking odours and contaminants.

Cooker hood grease filters

Grease filters absorb grease and other cooking fumes which could otherwise damage the internal components of the cooker hood. There are several types of grease filter but paper grease filters are the most common. With normal use the filters need to be washed regularly and replaced when they become saturated.

There are also universal cooker hood filters. These are simply filters that are designed to fit a wide range of cooker hoods from various brands. It is common for universal filters to be cut to size.

If your cooker hood filters are no longer delivering the performance they once did, it is likely they have become saturated and need to be replaced. Our finder is the easiest way to find a replacement grease or carbon filter that is suitable for your cooker hood.

To use the finder you simply need to select the make of cooker hood you have and the model number. If you don't know your model number there are several places to look. First try the original manual or instruction booklet. If you no longer have these don't worry, the model number will usually be printed on the cooker hood. Our model finder guide shows you where to look.