Care notes · Hoods
Cleaning Viking Baffle Filters
Viking's guide: examine the filters periodically; clean the whole hood thoroughly every 3 months.
- Baffle filter — grease collects on the channels and drains to the bottom
- Blower (ventilator) — the only moving part pulling the air
- Backdraft damper — opens under airflow, falls shut when the fan stops
- Metal duct — smooth and straight is best; every elbow costs draw
- Roof or wall cap — where the air finally leaves the house
- Lights and controls — the lamps and the fan and light switches on the canopy
In short
Baffle filters catch grease on their channels and drain it to the bottom edge. Loaded filters cut the air a hood can move, so a weak hood may be a filter job first. Viking Repair Sammamish checks draw with the filters in and out before blaming the blower: (425) 610-8986.
Why the baffles matter before the motor
A baffle filter is a set of stainless channels. The air turns through them, the grease hits the metal and runs down to the bottom edge. Viking’s own guide says this design passes more air than a mesh filter, which is also why a loaded baffle chokes a hood so completely: the channels narrow as the grease builds.
On a weak-hood call the filters come out first. A reading with them in and then out tells us within a minute whether the blower is even the question.
The steps
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Power off, then let it cool
Switch the hood off at the breaker and let it cool. Viking warns that the heat sensor can start the blower during cleaning if the power is left on.
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Slide each filter out
Slide the filter forward off its rear lip, lower the back edge, then draw the front out. On 18-inch-high hoods, lift out the grease trough too. Never take a baffle filter apart: Viking says it is not needed and voids the filter warranty.
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Wash in the dishwasher or the sink
Viking allows either a dishwasher or a sink of hot, soapy water. Skip caustic detergent and anything abrasive or corrosive, which can mark the finish. The grease trough soaks in hot, soapy water.
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Dry, refit and run it on high
Let the filters dry, refit them seated on the rear lip, restore the power and run the fan on high. If it still moves little air with clean filters, the fault is further along the air path.
Call us when
- The hood moves little air even with clean filters in place
- The blower grinds, hums unevenly or will not start on any speed
- Grease drips from the hood edges or the duct collar
- The fan starts by itself with nothing cooking below it
Past that point it is a bench job, not a care job. Viking Repair Sammamish picks up on (425) 610-8986; the visit and diagnosis are $89, taken off the repair if you go ahead.
Asked about this
Can Viking baffle filters go in the dishwasher?
Yes. Viking's use and care guide for its professional hoods says the baffle filters can be washed in a dishwasher or in a sink of hot, soapy water, but not with caustic detergent. Charcoal filters on recirculating hoods are different and stay out. Viking Repair Sammamish, (425) 610-8986.
