Overview: how to check the hood in the kitchen

Extractor fan in the kitchen monitors the cleanliness of the air. If the appliance fails, it will cause a large number of troubles: extraneous and unpleasant odors will appear in the apartment, it will be difficult to stay in the kitchen while cooking, kitchen utensils will gradually begin to become covered with fat, which the hood should have absorbed.

Therefore, you need to know how it is recommended to check whether the hood in the kitchen works, and how to determine exactly where the breakdown occurred.

The equipment could simply fail as a whole, or a failure in one of the main functions occurred. In addition, the hood may start to pull poorly, create additional noise during operation, or the backlight does not turn on. To minimize the negative consequences, you need to be able to eliminate all malfunctions as soon as possible.

Why could the hood in the kitchen fail?

This type of household appliance usually has a rather simple design, it does not have too complicated options and functions, therefore, a breakdown should easily be repaired. But in order to know how to properly check the hood and repair the appliance, you first need to correctly establish the cause that led to this situation. The most common and well-known prerequisites for a quick breakdown include:

1. Improper maintenance. In order for the equipment to remain in good condition for a long time, it is necessary to clean the grease trap in a timely manner. The best option is to clean it every 3-4 weeks, depending on the frequency of cooking and turning on the hood.
   

   Filter change

2. If the equipment is too close to the burners, direct fire will quickly damage the system.
   

   Location of equipment in the kitchen

3. Incorrect ventilation or clogging. For the hood to work properly, there must be natural draft in the ventilation duct. Otherwise, an excessive load is placed on the hood, which does not allow it to pull normally and provokes a fairly rapid failure of the equipment.
4. During cooking, you always need to turn on the hood, as the flow of greasy steam that enters the idle engine can cause serious damage to it.

Proper use of equipment

In addition, in some models of hoods there is a carbon filter, which must be completely replaced with a new one at least every 6 months. If you do not follow this simple rule, then this will become one of the main reasons why the hood quickly fails. In the latest and most modern models, so that a person does not forget about the timely replacement of the filter, there is a special LED indicator that will always remind you that the old coal cleaner has reached the end of its useful life and is inoperative.

All these reasons can lead to the fact that a working hood will fail. The device itself, its engine and the electronic part can break. It is better to repair immediately, as the malfunction is detected, since delay can lead to a more complex and serious repair, which will require not only more time, but also money to fix the problem.

The list of basic malfunctions and solutions to problems

To date, a huge number of different models of hoods are presented. But they all have a number of similar problems that can occur in equipment if it is not properly handled. The most basic and known failures include:

1. The hood weakly draws air currents.First of all, it is recommended to check the condition of the filters. Most likely, they are clogged, which prevents the steam from circulating normally. To confirm this, it is necessary to remove the filter from the hood and turn on the equipment without it. The problem is solved quite simply and quickly. There are 2 ways to do this: change the filter to a new one or clean it using special fat-dissolving agents. In addition, the draft may be impaired as a result of clogging that occurred in the ventilation ducts in an apartment building. To make sure of this, it is necessary to bring a burning match or a lit lighter to the open ventilation shaft. If there is draft, the flame will be drawn into the ventilation duct, even if it is a short distance from it.
   

   Traction check

2. The backlight on the hood does not turn on. Manufacturers usually complete models with the simplest lighting systems, which, if necessary, can be repaired quickly enough. First of all, you need to visually inspect the bulb and contacts on the cartridge. To make sure the latter is working, you can insert a light bulb in it that works for sure. If no breakdown has been detected, then you need to check the operation of the exhaust motor, then make sure that all circuits and the buttons themselves are working. This will help devices such as indicator screwdriver, tester and indicator light.
   

   Backlight

3. The hood is too noisy. Usually this defect can be detected immediately after installation in cheaper and low-quality models. But sometimes this happens in good and expensive range hoods. The reasons for this are usually fasteners, which over time simply move away, which leads to mechanical wear of the equipment. Checking the reliability of the fastening with which the equipment is fixed on the wall or furniture will help to eliminate this defect. If necessary, the gaps must be eliminated, as well as to seal places with voids using foam rubber or polyurethane.
   

   Checking fixtures

4. The speed on the technique does not switch. If such a problem occurs, then you need to pay attention to the control unit, as well as the buttons and the board. The cause of the breakdown becomes a missing or burned contact, which goes from the button to the motor.
5. The hood completely stopped working. That is, in household appliances, the fan and the backlight do not even turn on. The first thing to check is the power outlet. If there is tension in it, then you need to continue further searches for damage. A multimeter can help with this. With it, it is necessary to check all the circuits and voltage on the board and switch. There is a possibility that the wire or fuse has blown.
   

   Complete equipment failure

6. The device does not eliminate odors. This indicates a problem with the filters. If they are not disposable, then they must be cleaned. Other types - change to new filters. To understand which are installed in each specific model, the manual for the hood will help. It will definitely spell out recommendations for installing disposable and reusable filters.

The hood does not cope with unpleasant odors

Any household appliance may fail, the range hood is no exception to the rule. Most often, breakdowns occur due to ruptures of conductors, as well as connecting contacts.

General recommendations for maintaining the hood in good condition

To avoid various repairs as rarely as possible, you must follow the simple rules for using the hood in the kitchen. These include:

• monitor the timely replacement of all filters and carefully monitor their condition;
• equipment can be installed at a height of 65 to 70 cm from the hob;
• periodically check the motor of the product for fat there. Clean it if necessary.

If you follow these simple recommendations, it guarantees the correct operation of the device for a long period of time.