Kitchen Extractor Fans

Kitchen Extractor Fans

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

For many families, the kitchen is the heart of the home.  A place where the family spend time together cooking and eating.  A kitchen is a room where much of a house’s character is found, and unfortunately, as the room where food is prepared, it is also a source of moisture that can spread through the whole home causing condensation and damp.

Moisture is released by almost everything you do in the kitchen.  From boiling a kettle to using the dishwasher.  But the biggest contributor to kitchen moisture is cooking.  Boiling a pan of water to cook rice, or roasting meat in the oven will create a lot of steam that will quickly escape into the room.

There are things that we can do to reduce the amount of moisture that is created when cooking:  If you are boiling vegetables or pasta on the hob, then putting a lid on the pan will speed up cooking and reduce the amount of steam that escapes into the kitchen – it will also reduce your energy costs.

Closing the kitchen door when cooking is a good idea too.  This helps to contain steam in the kitchen and prevents it escaping into the rest of your home where it can condense on cold walls and windows.

Types of Kitchen Extractor Fan

Most people are familiar with the extractor fan that sits in the hood above their stove.  This draws steam directly away from the cooking area and directs it out of the house.  This helps during the cooking process but will not help with other moisture causing kitchen activities such as washing up or washing machines.

A wall mounted extractor fan should also be fitted in your kitchen.  This works in the same way as a bathroom extractor fan, reducing moisture and smells from the whole room.  Modern kitchen extractor fans such as the Cyclone 7 are filterless, so they do not clog up and feature intelligent vapour tracking control which adjust the amount of power used dependent on the level of moisture during the day.  These types of fan reduce all sources of condensation and keep your kitchen air fresh.

Looking After Your Kitchen Extractor Fan

Older kitchen extractor fans may include a filter which can become clogged with smoke and grease from cooking. To keep it working at its best, you should ensure that the filters are cleaned regularly to prevent grease from building up.  If the filters become blocked, then the fan will not work as efficiently.  This grease can also affect the performance of the components of the fan including the motor and shorten the lifespan.

If they are well maintained and regularly cleaned kitchen extractor fans typically last around 5 to 10 years in normal use – about the same length of time as people wait between replacing their whole kitchen, however if your fan is not working effectively, or you have a standalone cooker and a wall fan, then speaking to a local ventilation specialist is a good idea to ensure that your kitchen is not causing problems in the rest of your home.

If you are struggling with condensation in your kitchen, or your existing extractor fans are not working well and allowing cooking smells to linger, then you should consider improving your ventilation.  Arrange a survey from one of our local specialists today and they will find the best solution for you.