Bertazzoni range hood charcoal filter replacement only applies if your hood recirculates air back into the kitchen instead of sending it outside. A charcoal filter, also called a carbon filter, takes odors out of the air that a recirculating hood returns to the room, and it wears out. A ducted hood that vents outdoors normally does not use one. Which filter your hood takes, where it sits and how it is released are set by the model, so your owner’s manual and the rating label are the authority; our site does not list charcoal filter part numbers, so we will not guess one.
Does your Bertazzoni range hood have a charcoal filter?
Many hoods can be used in two ways. A ducted hood sends the air through a duct to the outside. A recirculating hood, which has no duct, pushes the air through a charcoal or carbon filter and back into the room. The charcoal filter is the part of the second setup that takes out smells. If your hood is ducted, you will usually only have metal grease filters, which you clean rather than replace. If you are not sure how your hood is set up, look in the manual and note the model number on the rating label; our range hood model number and rating plate guide shows what to look for.
Our site lists many hood models, such as the KT36XT, but the model pages give the series and type, not the filter. We do not decode model letters either. So whether a charcoal filter is fitted, and what kind, is a question for the manual or the person who installed the hood.
What is the difference between a grease filter and a charcoal filter?
A grease filter is a metal mesh or baffle near the cooking surface that catches grease droplets. It is washable on most hoods, and our guide on range hood grease filter cleaning frequency covers it. A charcoal filter sits further inside or above the grease filter and is made of activated carbon, which holds odor molecules. It is generally not washable. Cleaning a carbon filter does not bring it back, so the correct action once it is spent is to replace it. Check your manual, however, because some models use a different type of filter and the manual will say whether it can be washed.
How do you replace a charcoal filter safely?
Turn the hood off at its controls and let the light and the surfaces cool. Stand on a stable surface rather than a chair if you need to reach, and clear the cooktop below so that nothing falls on a burner or a hot zone. Take out the grease filters first if they cover the charcoal filter, using the release your manual describes. Remove the old charcoal filter the way the manual says, keeping the hood’s fan and its housing untouched. Fit the new filter in the same position and orientation, check any marked direction, and refit the grease filters.
The steps differ between models, and we do not give a button or latch sequence that is not on our site. If a filter will not release, do not pry it, and do not take the hood apart to get at it. Do not open the blower housing, the wiring cover or the motor area; those are technician jobs. Our range hood cleaning and maintenance guide covers the regular routine.
How do you choose the right replacement?
Match the filter to your model number, not to the width of the hood. A filter that does not fit may leave gaps that let air bypass it, and the hood will clear odors poorly. Use the number on your rating label to look up the filter named in your manual, or ask the manufacturer or a supplier. We do not list part numbers, so we will not name one. Keep the packaging, and compare the new filter with the old one for shape and size before you fit it.
As for timing, follow the schedule in your manual. We will not offer a number of months, because use matters: a kitchen that fries often needs a filter change sooner. A useful sign is that the hood runs but smells linger. See also our page on odor not clearing.
What if the hood still does not clear the air?
A new charcoal filter does not fix a weak fan, a clogged grease filter or a poor setup. If airflow feels weak, see our page on weak airflow, clean the grease filters as the manual describes and check that nothing blocks the vents. Our guide on how range hood airflow is rated explains what the airflow figure on a hood means. If the fan itself is silent or noisy, the issue is mechanical and for a technician.
If you smell burning, see smoke or find water near the hood’s wiring, switch the hood’s breaker off at the panel while standing on a dry floor. For a grease fire on the cooktop, cover the pan with a lid, turn off the heat, do not switch the hood on and do not pour water on it.
When should you call a technician?
Call if the filter will not release, if the hood stays weak after a new filter and clean grease filters, if the fan does not run or if you hear grinding. Our Bertazzoni range hood repair page explains how a visit works.
