TIPS & GUIDES

Why Do I Need a Charcoal Filter for My Ductless Range Hood?

By Hauslane ∙ 5 mins read

Cooking sometimes seems like a magical process. You take a few ingredients, add some heat, and voila! A delicious meal.

Okay, maybe it’s not that simple, depending on the recipe. But as you cook, you release fumes, odors, oil, grease, and other particles into the air. This air can travel throughout your house and linger.

Fortunately, range hoods exist to neutralize odors and filter your air. How these appliances freshen up the air depends on the type you buy: ducted or ductless. If you go with the latter, your range hood will use charcoal filters to get the job done.

Why Do I Need a Charcoal Filter for My Ductless Range Hood?

Ducted vs. Ductless Range Hoods

First, let’s discuss the difference between ducted and ductless range hoods. Ducted range hoods are the most common and effective type. They suck out grease, fumes, and odors in the kitchen air through ductwork. The ductwork is typically found in the wall or your ceiling. The air then travels through the ducts and to the exterior of your home.

On the other hand, ductless range hoods don’t use ducts to filter out the air. Instead, they rely on filters to clean and deodorize kitchen air. The charcoal filters trap dirt and dirt grease to neutralize the air. These range hoods are often used in smaller kitchens such as those found in an apartment, townhome, or condo. They’re most useful in places where installing ductwork is not possible or desired. You can also use the filters to convert some ducted models to ductless.

If you have the option to use a ducted range hood, it’s always the most efficient option. However, ductless range hoods are certainly better than no range hood at all. They’re also a more cost-effective choice than installing ductwork.

Why Charcoal Filters?

Without filters, there would be no way for ductless range hoods to clean the air in your kitchen. Most ductless range hood filters use filters with a charcoal layer and an aluminum layer. The aluminum material catches grease while the charcoal neutralizes odors and particles.

To maintain your ductless range hood, you’ll need to change the filter on a regular basis. Over time the filters will lose effectiveness. They can’t be washed or cleaned. At Hauslane, we recommend changing the filters bi-monthly or as soon as you notice they aren’t working as well. If you cook a lot or use high temperatures, you’ll want to change the filters more often.

We offer a filter subscription program to make getting the best performance from your range hood easy.