Kitchen Range Hood Not Working? Here’s Why.

The range hood above your oven and stove is an important appliance in your kitchen. Whether working in a residential kitchen or in a commercial kitchen, the hood helps remove grease, debris, and steam, as well as maintain the temperature and clean the air. While cooking, this appliance is pivotal to ensuring the health and safety of those working in the kitchen. However, like any household appliance, there are some common problems that can arise with your kitchen range hood. If your kitchen range hood is not working, check these common issues and fixes to restore the hood to working order. 

Common Problems With Range Hoods 

There are a few common problems that can take place with the range hood. These can include: 

• Lack of power to the range hood, shown by no fan or lights 
• The light bulbs attached to the appliance will not turn on 
• The fan attached to the appliance will not turn on 
• The range hood is not clearing smoke from the area
• The range hood makes unusual noises while turned on, such as loud buzzing or humming noises 

Common Solutions to Range Hoods Not Working 

If the issue you are experiencing is one of the above common problems, there are a few solutions you may try to fix the problem. 

No Power
If the range hood does not have power throughout the entire appliance – meaning that both the lights and fan do not turn on at all – a breaker may have tripped or a fuse may be blown. Check your circuit breaker panel to see if this has happened. Additionally, if your hood is plugged into an outlet, check that the plug has not come out of the outlet and that the outlet is working.

Lights Not Working
If the fan turns on, but the lights do not check that the light bulbs are not burnt out. If you try a new light bulb and the light still will not illuminate, check that the hood switch is working. You may need to replace the range hood light switch if the wiring has become faulty.

Fan Not Working
In the opposite scenario, if the lights are working but the fan is not, check that the fan switch is in working order. Additionally, the fan motor could be burnt out and faulty, and need to be replaced.

Not Clearing Smoke
If the range hood is set to high, but the fan is not clearing smoke successfully or as well as it used to, there are a couple of solutions. First, check that the filter is not clogged. If it is, remove the filter and clean it in soapy water to remove the clogging grease. If this does not solve the problem, grease may be restricting airflow in other parts of the appliance. Check the ductwork with a flashlight to see if there are blockages, or call a professional ductwork cleaning company to clean the ducts and assess the situation.

Range Hood Fan Making a Strange Noise
A strange noise coming from the hood fan, such as loud humming or buzzing, could mean the fan is coated in grease and needs to be repaired. It could also mean the fan has become off-kilter or lost and is rubbing on the side of the duct or vibrating. Bent fan blades may also cause loud noises. If you are unsure how to tell if these are the issue, the best option is to contact a ductwork service company to repair the range hood fan. 

Repairing the Range Hood

You may be able to complete some repairs, such as replacing light bulbs or checking the range hood fan is plugged in. However, if you are unsure what the problem is or do not know how to complete the repairs, the best solution is to contact an HVAC and ductwork servicing company. The professional team will be able to assess the problem, as well as safely and effectively provide solutions.