There are lots of appliances that go in a kitchen. They all do different things. The one thing they all have in common is that they have little glitches now and then. Some are more prone to certain issues that are others. Here, we are going to look at some of the most common range hood problems and what to do about them.
The Hood Light Won’t Go On
Always check something that runs on electricity for power before doing anything else. This can be caused by a number of things.
- The first and easiest fix would be to replace the light bulb. You may need to slide the glass/plastic cover off before changing the bulb.
- Check the bulb to see if it works in a different socket. If it does, the socket may be defective.
- If it’s not the bulb or the socket, it may be the light switch itself. This is a little more complicated but can be done by a good do-it-yourselfer. If you’re going to change out the switch, make sure the power is off to the unit.
The Hood Fan Won’t Work
Again, make sure there is power to the unit. Check fuses, circuit breakers, and the plug (if you can get to it). After these simple checks, you might need to look at the following possibilities:
- It could be the fan motor. If it’s faulty, it will need to be replaced. If you’re not comfortable with this, call a technician.
- The fan switch itself may be faulty. Again, if you’re not comfortable switching it out, a technician can do it quickly and easily.
- A thermal fuse may have blown. It can be tested for continuity with a multimeter. It should be replaced if it doesn’t have continuity.
Ventilation Has Decreased
If your hood over your range doesn’t seem to be sucking up the steam, smoke, fumes, etc. like it used to, it could be time to change the hood filter. Ordinarily this is pretty easy. You may choose to simply wash the filter with heavy duty degreaser, or you can replace it if you’d just like to start fresh. The cleaner the filter, the better the fan action will be to help get rid of unwanted fumes, etc.
Noisy Exhaust Fan
There are a few things here that could cause a fan to be noisier than usual. Be sure that the screen/filter is clean, as just described above. Next, you can check the following causes for excess noise:
- Worn fan motor bearings (a new motor would be a good idea)
- Damaged fan blade (you may need a technician for this one)
- Bad fan motor (again, you may need a technician here)
- Loose mounting screws (easy fix)
Nothing Works!
You’d be surprised how many times technicians have walked into a home due to a complaint that “Nothing works on my range hood!”, only to find that the hood isn’t getting any power.
Aside from a faulty power source, the following could be the cause:
- Wiring problems
- Light and fan switch failure
- Faulty user interface
- Bad electronic control board
Most, if not all of those, you may choose to go with hiring a technician.
Important Note: There are a vast array of switches and wiring that go into the makings of a range hood that could also cause the above stated problems. The best thing you can do if simple fixes don’t work is to call a technician.
These are the five most common range hood problems and what to do if they occur.
