F.A.Q.: frequently asked questions

1. What is the meaning of recirculation or venting hood?
2. Which is the correct diameter for the external venting duct?
3. With which criteria should I choose the capacity of the hood?
4. Can I install the hood without leaving any vent for the extracted air?
5. At what distance should the hood be positioned above the cook top?
6. Which are the functions of the metallic and the carbon filters?
7. Is it necessary to remove the carbon filters from the extractor version hoods installed?
8. How often should the metallic filters be cleaned?
9. How often should the carbon filters be replaced?
10. Which is the correct way to clean stainless steel surfaces?
11. What is the function of the external extractors?
12. In the case of shared extraction systems, how can I avoid that odors deriving from another household enter into my hood?
13. Is it possible to reach the ceiling with the chimney supplied?

1. What is the meaning of recirculation or venting hood?
A hood is defined as re-circulating (or filtering) when it is not connected to an extraction vent for the aspirated air that leads the air externally.
When this connection is created, the hood is then referred to as external extracting (or aspirating). All of the Falmec hoods are conceived to be installed in both situations without the need to intervene on the hood itself; Falmec, however, recommends, whenever possible, to install the hood in the aspirating version.   

2. Which is the correct diameter for the external venting duct?
The correct diameter of the venting duct for external extraction depends upon the capacity of the motor and is determined on the basis of tests conducted in accordance to specific standards. For the 800 m3/h motor the required diameter is 150mm, whilst for the 600m3/h and 450 m3/h motor the required diameter is 125mm.
It is important that the entire venting duct maintains constant the ideal diameter and care must be taken to ensure that he horizontal sections are given a slight inclination as well as avoiding as much as possible curves or particularly long vertical sections (greater than 5/7 meters).   

3. With which criteria should I choose the capacity of the hood?
The ideal capacity depends upon the dimension of the room (volume) into which the hood will be installed: Falmec suggests installing a hood that is able to guarantee the extraction of at least 8 complete replacements of air per hour. In practice, however, to make the correct choice, it is also important to take into consideration the dimensions of the cook top (the hood should be wider than the cook top) as well as the type of cuisine that will usually be prepared.   

4. Can I install the hood without leaving any vent for the extracted air?
It is not possible to install the hood and close all of the exits to the extracted air. Even for those cases where the hood is installed in filtrating version it is necessary to give the extracted air the possibility to return to kitchen environment, obviously purified by the action of the carbon filters.   

5. At what distance should the hood be positioned above the cook top?
There is a normative that states that the minimal distance that a hood should be from the cook top is 65cm and this is the distance for which Falmec guarantees the highest efficiency of its products. Based on the type of extraction method utilized and the testing performed, some hoods may be positioned at different heights:  this is the case, for example, for the Diamante version which is equipped with a multi level suction Perimeter that also works vertically and allows the cook top to be positioned at a smaller distance. In the case of island versions, for ergonomic purposes the hood is usually installed at a distance that varies between 65/75 cm from the cook top.   

6. Which are the functions of the metallic and the carbon filters?
The function of the anti-grease metallic filters is that of blocking the greasy component of the vapors produced from the cooking of food thanks to the sophisticated layout of the metallic mesh from which it is composed. The function of the active carbon filters, on the other hand, is that of purifying the air that is extracted from the bad cooking odors, thanks to their high degree of chemical filtering action. All of the Falmec models come equipped with both types of filters.   

7. Is it necessary to remove the carbon filters from the extractor version hoods installed?
When the hood is installed in aspiration version it is necessary to remove the carbon filters: their presence, in fact, reduces the performance by approximately 20%.   

8. How often should the metallic filters be cleaned?
The anti-grease metallic filters utilized by Falmec, in both the aluminum and stainless steel version, are washable. The frequency of washing depends upon the utilization of the hood; on average, however, it is good practice to wash the filters on a monthly basis. This can be performed using hot water and neutral soap or even in the dishwasher providing that a delicate program is used. In the case of hoods with an electronic push-button panel, Falmec has installed a timer that signals when to wash the metallic filters which will occur after 30 operating hours of the hood itself.   

9. How often should the carbon filters be replaced?
The carbon filters installed onto the filtration version hoods are not washable and are to be replaced periodically.
The replacement frequency depends upon the frequency of utilization of the hood: indicatively, it is good practice to replace them every 3/4 months.   

10. Which is the correct way to clean stainless steel surfaces?
The stainless steel surfaces should be cleaned regularly in order to maintain the beauty of the hood. It is recommended to use a soft cloth which has been dampened with hot water and a small amount of neutral detergent and to ensure that the cleaning movements follow the direction of the lines of the satin finish of the surface. Never use abrasive products; Falmec also suggests not to utilize specific stainless steel cleaning products that are typically available on the market.
To avoid this inconvenience, Falmec has created Magic Steel which is a serviette that has been soaked in a specific mixture of oils that guarantees deep and long lasting cleaning and that creates an anti-imprint effect to the surfaces treated. A packet of Magic Steel Protective & Cleaning Wipe is included with every stainless steel hood manufactured by Falmec and is ideal for the very first cleaning operation once the hood has been installed.
Fasteel is the new technological state-of-the-art stainless steel created by Falmec and is used in the Top and Stratox ranges: the problem of cleaning is eliminated from the root as Fasteel is born anti-imprint and may be cleaned with just a soft moist cloth.   

11. What is the function of the external extractors?
The main function of the external extractors is that of removing any noise from the kitchen environment. To do so , Falmec has created two solutions: an external extractor that can be installed to the outside of the building or an under-roof extractor that can be installed into a space such as the attic. Both solutions are equipped with a powerful motor (1000m3/h) and must be combined, for command compatibility purposes, to a Falmec hood fitted with an electronic 4-speed push-button panel.   

12. In the case of shared extraction systems, how can I avoid that odors deriving from another household enter into my hood?
In the case of apartment block type extraction systems, in order to avoid that odors deriving from other apartments enter into your hood, a no-return valve or flap needs to be installed; it consists of a metallic closing device that opens when your hood begins to operate and closed when your hood is switched off.
It is normally supplied by Falmec in standard form for hoods with an 800m3/h motor and is available upon request as an accessory for hoods with other versions of motors.   

13. Is it possible to reach the ceiling with the chimney supplied?
Falmec hoods are designed with telescopic extensions in order to be adaptable to all of the types of cupboards normally used and to be able to reach the ceiling. In the case where this is not possible, as an optional accessory for many of its models, Falmec has created extensions that can reach greater heights and that can be installed in the place of the extension included in the packaging.