Appliance Repair Tips: Range Hood Maintenance

A range hood is a beneficial tool to have in your kitchen. It has the ability to vent fumes, odors, and heat outside through a grease filter and ductwork, or it vents the air back into the kitchen after it has passed through a grease and charcoal filter. Like any appliance in your home a range hood requires maintenance and repairs through the years. Below are a few troubleshooting tips and cleaning techniques to keep your range hood operating at its full potential.

What to do if there is no power to your range hood

Range hoods are either directly wired into your household’s power supply, or they are simply plugged into the wall. When your light and fan doesn’t turn on, the simplest solution is usually the right one. In this case checking to see if a fuse has blown is your best bet.

What to do if the light on your range hood won’t turn on

If the hood’s fan is working, but the light refuses to switch on, your first plan of action is testing the light bulb. If the bulb has burned out, simply replace it, but if you find the light bulb is not the culprit, you may be looking at a defective light switch or light socket. You can often purchase a light socket replacement as one piece and change it yourself. Finding out if the switch is defective can be more difficult and may require a repairman’s help.

What to do if the fan doesn’t work

When the fan on your range hood stops working, the two most common problems are a broken on and off switch and a burned out fan motor. Unless you feel secure in your repair skills, hiring a repairman to fix these issues may be your best option. If you would like to try to figure out which part is malfunctioning before calling an appliance repair company, you can check the fan switch for continuity with an ohm meter. If there is continuity then the switch is not defective, and the fan motor is likely your problem.

Cleaning tips to keep your range hood functioning

If you do not clean the greasy build-up that forms on the filter and fan of your hood range you are not only shortening the appliance’s life expectancy, but you are also creating a fire hazard. Properly cleaning your range is easy and does not require a large chunk of time.

• Locate the filter underneath the hood and gently remove it. If you are not sure how to do this, check the appliance manual.
• For an aluminum filter, use soap and hot water to remove any grease from it. Allow the filter to air dry before replacing it.
• If your hood range has a charcoal filter you do not clean it, instead you will need to purchase a new one and replace it.
• Before you locate the fan underneath the hood, make sure you have either unplugged the range or switched off the circuit breaker the range is connected.
• Using hot, soapy water wipe the inside and the outside off of each blade.
• Once you are done put everything back in its place and reconnect the power to the range.

If your hood range has stopped doing its job, and none of your quick fixes have gotten it up and running again, please contact us today and we will have your hood range working in no time.