Can Kitchen Extractor Fans Be Repaired? And Who Fixes Them?

Making sure air keeps fresh in our homes and workplaces has been increasingly important recently. 

Extractor fans help to remove stale odours, moisture and other pollutants from the air in our kitchens. 

So if your extractor fan has stopped working, it is little wonder many of us are wondering can kitchen extractor fans be repaired? And if so who fixes them?

As experts in the protection and maintenance of household appliances, read our article to find out more and discover everything you need to know. 

Let’s first start with the mini answer so you can get the air in your kitchen fresh and humidity free.

Extractor fans can be repaired. If the fuse is blown or the filter needs cleaning, you may be able to do it yourself. With these tasks, it will depend on how confident you are with DIY skills or whether you prefer to call in an expert home appliance engineer who can fix it or provide other options.

Extractor fans are a kitchen necessity these days, especially if you do cool basement living or for any kind of home where cooking smells might be an issue.

How to know if your kitchen extractor needs repairing 

The most obvious way you can tell that your kitchen extractor isn’t doing its job properly is through smells and smoke lingering in your kitchen. 

However, sometimes it can be hard to tell. This is a great hack to work out straight away whether a problem stems from the extractor.

Use baby powder 

To find out if your kitchen extractor is actually removing smells and other particles properly, puff a cloud of baby talc right next to it. 

You’ll know straight away if it’s working or not, as all the powder will be sucked into the fan. Aim it as near to the fan grill as you can and check if it disappears into the fan. 

If it does, your problem is likely something else as the extractor will be doing its job.

If the powder seems to be dropping to the floor or cooker surface, then it’s likely there’s a problem – as it should be drawing the powder into the filter. It’s most likely some kind of blockage or something else. 

It can be annoying to find the smell of food making its way into the soft furnishings and your clothes …so why is it that your kitchen extractor might all of a sudden stop working? 

Read on to find out. 

“If the powder seems to be dropping to the floor, then it’s likely there’s a problem as it should be drawing the powder into the filter.”

Why do kitchen extractor fans stop working?

Like most appliances, there’s often a range of problems that might be causing your kitchen extractor fan to stop working. 

If you’re finding your kitchen filled with smoke, fumes and odorous cooking smells it’s time to examine the cause.

There are usually a few standard reasons why your extractor fan might stop working. 

So for anyone wondering if an extractor fan can be repaired, here’s the troubleshooting shortlist along with a little detail. 

“There are usually a few standard reasons why your extractor fan might stop working.”

A fuse may have blown

If it’s simply a blown fuse that’s causing a kitchen extractor to need repairing, then this is a job you could potentially do yourself – if you have the knowledge. 

If you’re attempting the job yourself, make sure the rating of the fuse is the same as the one that was originally in the plug. If it’s higher, it won’t offer sufficient protection and if it’s a lower-rated fuse, it will likely blow again. 

The fuse is there specifically to safeguard the extractor from issues such as a problem with the electric supply or if the fan gets jammed.

Some built-in extractor fans do not have a visible plug showing in a local socket and are incorporated to the home electrics. If this is the case, and you cannot locate any access panel or fuse source, then your best option is to call in a professional to locate any access panel and make the fix for you.

A blocked or damaged filter

Another issue common with kitchen extractor fans is that they may have a filter that’s blocked, or in the worst case, damaged.

These filters are there to trap oil, dust and other particles which might cause damage to the fan.

For anyone wondering who fixes kitchen extractor fans, if the filter is simply blocked, if you feel happy attempting the job, you could do it yourself.

A damaged filter that is integral to the unit that needs replacing is likely to be a job for a home appliance engineer. The easiest thing is to just give us a call now and we can talk you through the options.

Filter that’s become blocked 

A blocked removable filter is possibly one of the commonest causes of an extractor fan not working. If you use oil a lot when cooking, such as deep-frying, the carbon in the oil can cause smoke and also clog the filter. 

Many models are designed so that the homeowner can replace the filter themselves, and they are disposable filters. The filters for the various models can be found easily online

For re-usable filters, cleaning the filter can be done with a coarse bristled brush and soap, and can make the filter as good as new. 

A damaged filter 

When the filter inside your kitchen extractor fan becomes damaged, it’s likely that it will need to be replaced.

The best kitchen appliance engineers will be able to do this for you. If you have appliance cover too, it means no unforeseen costs and a smoke-free kitchen! 

How do you fix an extractor fan? 

So do you need a reliable engineer to fix your kitchen extractor or can you do it yourself? 

Of course, it all depends on your DIY expertise and whether you’re happy to fix appliances. 

For most extractor issues, you can fix it yourself by replacing it (in replaceable filter extractors) or by giving it a good clean in re-usable filters. But if it’s an electrical or other problem it might be better to contact a specialist home appliance engineer, who can get it up and running swiftly for you. 

So if you’ve discovered that the problem with your extractor fan is that it needs a clean, then check out our handy tips below.

How do you clean an extractor fan? 

Blockages can be one of the chief causes of a malfunctioning kitchen extractor fan. So if you suspect the filter or any other part needs a quick clean, this is one way you can fix the problem yourself. 

Otherwise, it might be a job for an experienced appliance engineer.

Sometimes if you find your kitchen extractor fan isn’t working, one of the first things to do is to give it a clean. 

It could be something as simple as some kind of debris that’s got into the fan mechanism. Hair is also sometimes a likely culprit or as we mentioned earlier, fat deposits from cooking. 

The age of your appliance and whether it’s ceiling or floor mounted will also be a consideration before attempting to clean it. The older types are easier to clean, but if it’s a brand new extractor fan, maybe in a kitchen hood, then it is a job for an expert. 

Turn off ALL electrics when cleaning a kitchen extractor fan

If it’s one of the older wall-mounted or ceiling mounted and you are attempting to clean it yourself, then make sure you turn off all electrics to the fan. 

If your kitchen extractor is ceiling mounted, then you might need to check exterior walls or any ductwork to see if there might be some kind of blockage. 

So you can clean the fan more easily, remove the grille that’s covering the fan by undoing the screws. 

Once you’ve successfully removed the grille from the fan, you can use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dust or debris, and then wipe the fan with a damp cloth and a gentle household cleaner. 

And to finish on…

In modern times, we rely on the convenience and time-saving aspects of our home appliances. 

We’ve all experienced the stressful situation where our well-used kitchen equipment and other home appliances all seem to break down at the same time!

It can be hard to budget for these unforeseen circumstances, so don’t forget to head over to find out more about our home appliance plans here.