An extractor unit can extract cooking fumes outside via a duct and a hole in the wall or roof. But increasingly, you opt for an extractor unit that filters the air and blows it back into the kitchen. The air is then recirculated. In new energy-efficient homes, you are required to work with a recirculating extractor unit, because it uses air (energy) sparingly. If you can choose and opt for recirculation, you do so for three reasons:
- The design of the extractor hood is much more elegant, as there are no large shafts.
- The extractor hood is environmentally friendly, because the warm air stays inside.
- The capacity of the extractor hood with the filters we supplied is good.
To use a recirculating extractor unit:
- Before you start cooking, set the motor to position 1 to create an air flow.
- During cooking you can increase the motor speed to position 2. Do not set it higher, because that does not benefit the filtering. The faster the air flows through the filter, the less time the filter has to purify the air.
- When you have finished cooking, let the motor run on setting 1 for a while.
- Do not turn off the engine until all food has been removed from the kitchen and the dishes have been cleared away.
There are several filters on the market that purify cooking odors. We offer two filters that guarantee that cooking odors are eliminated: a carbon filter and a plasma filter. The difference between the two is explained below.
Recirculating with Carbon
The air is passed through the filter and the carbon binds the unpleasant odours. Once the cooking odours have passed through the filter, they are largely free of oil, grease and odours and the purified air is blown back into the room. However, the absorbed oil and grease particles ensure that the filter eventually becomes clogged and the carbon does not continue to work indefinitely. This means that the filter must be replaced regularly. If you have a Wave carbon filter, it is recommended to do this after 2.5 to 3 years.
Recirculating with Plasma
The electronic plasma filter is placed on the engine exhaust nozzle and has two functions:
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On the one hand, it removes odors using a plasma generator. As soon as the air enters the filter, a sensor detects the air flow and activates the plasma generator. Plasma eliminates odors immediately. The polluted air (grease, pollen, odors, etc.) is converted into clean air and CO₂ by a natural reaction. The recirculated clean air is then blown back into the room. Plasma changes the DNA structure of a scent, so to speak.
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In addition to odor removal, the plasma filter also eliminates grease. Grease particles that are not retained by the grease filter are captured in the plasma filter. The walls of the filter, which are under high voltage as long as the hood is on, store the grease and eliminate it bit by bit. It is very important to leave the hood on for a while after cooking to capture the last residual odors and remove the grease in the filter. This can vary from half an hour to an hour, depending on your cooking habits. By running the hood after cooking, you prevent the filter from becoming saturated and odors from passing through the plasma filter. With normal use, this filter can last about 12 to 15 years without maintenance. Thanks to the conical interior, there is almost no resistance and the filter even has a sound-absorbing effect.