Extractor fans are typically associated with bathrooms, but they’re becoming more commonplace in kitchens. A kitchen extractor fan is designed to remove the smells, moisture, and humidity of cooking so that you can breathe fresh air. Throughout this article, we take a look at why your kitchen needs an extractor fan.
What Do Kitchen Extractor Fans Do?
When you’re busy cooking in the kitchen, especially when working with boiling water or opening the oven door, enormous amounts of smelly steam are released, leaving moisture behind on cold surfaces. In the winter, the condensation levels are higher because your windows are closed and there are more cold surfaces. Over time, condensation in a kitchen will lead to mould growth, damp cupboards, and peeling paintwork.
By installing a kitchen extractor fan, you will have greater control over humidity levels and cooking odours. The benefits of having a kitchen extractor fan will reach other rooms as well, as smells and moisture have a habit of travelling.
The Difference Between an Extractor Fan and Cooker Hood
The majority of homes have a cooker hood, which directly targets steam and fumes from hob usage However, many of them are recirculation hoods that aren’t suitable to be used outside of general cooking. Cooker hoods come in different shapes and sizes, with many of them closing away into cupboards above the oven.
Kitchen extractor fans, on the other hand, are typically mounted on the ceiling or external wall and will remove contaminated air from inside the kitchen to the outside. As with cooker hoods, there are many different styles, but they often look exactly like bathroom extractor fans and can be controlled using a light switch-type cord.
Does a Kitchen Extractor Need to Vent Outside?
A kitchen extractor fan doesn’t have to vent outside, but an external-venting extractor fan will always be more effective. When an extractor fan recirculates only, they don’t remove much moisture, which defeats the object of installing the extractor fan in the first place.
Recirculation fans pass air through a charcoal filter to remove odours, but it won’t do anything to handle condensation. Without taking air outside, there’s no way for an extractor to remove moisture, as there’s nowhere for the moisture to go.
Mould and Condensation in Kitchens
If you have issues with dampness in the kitchen, you’re likely to see wet walls and mould growth, which is harmful to health and not a good idea to have around the kitchen. Installing a kitchen extractor fan will reduce the chance of mould growth, if you don’t have external wall damage or leaking pipes. If you have a humidity meter (hygrometer) in your kitchen, you’ll see the difference after installing a kitchen extractor fan.
Having an outside-venting extractor fan in the kitchen will remove moisture and reduce odours, and it prevents them from travelling to other areas of the home. A kitchen with less moisture is less likely to have mould, which will make the environment much safer for the entire family’s health.
Featured Image: Amazon
