Cooker Hood Not Working - A Maintenance Checklist for Barnet Homeowners

Published October 2026 | Cooker hood not working common faults

This checklist covers the most common cooker hood faults - from clogged filters and failed motors to broken controls and poor extraction - and shows you exactly what to check, clean, and when to call a professional. Catching problems early is one of the most reliable ways for Barnet homeowners to avoid expensive appliance repairs and keep kitchen ventilation working properly year-round.

Quick Visual Checks Anyone Can Do

Before you call anyone out, run through these checks yourself. Most take less than five minutes and can pinpoint the fault immediately. Our engineers find that a significant share of cooker hood call-outs in Barnet come down to something the homeowner could have spotted with a quick inspection.

1. Check the power supply. Start here. Make sure the hood is plugged in and that no fuse has tripped in your consumer unit. If the circuit has tripped repeatedly, that points to an underlying electrical fault - don't just keep resetting it without investigating further.
2. Look at the grease filters. Pull the filters out (they usually clip or slide free) and hold them up to the light. A thick, dark coating of grease means they're restricting airflow significantly. Aluminium mesh filters can be washed; charcoal filters need replacing.
3. Check the fan speed settings. If the hood seems sluggish, confirm it's actually set to a higher speed. Controls on Bosch and Elica hoods can sometimes reset after a power cut, dropping back to the lowest setting.
4. Listen for unusual noises. Rattling usually means a loose panel, a foreign object in the fan, or a worn motor bearing. A high-pitched whine typically points to a damaged fan blade or a bearing that's starting to fail.
5. Check the lights. If the hood lights aren't working, try the bulbs first. Many modern hoods use sealed LED modules - on brands like Samsung and Hotpoint these are not user-replaceable and need a technician.
6. Inspect the external vent flap (ducted hoods). Go outside and check the flap. It should open when the hood is running and close when it's off. A stuck or blocked flap will cut extraction performance dramatically.
7. Look for grease inside the hood body. Grease that has passed through a saturated filter can reach the motor and cause overheating. If you can see thick deposits around the motor housing, the hood needs a thorough internal clean before you run it further.

Monthly Maintenance Tasks

Monthly maintenance is what separates a cooker hood that lasts ten years from one that fails after three. The majority of faults our engineers see in Greater London kitchens - particularly in homes where cooking happens daily - are directly linked to missed or infrequent cleaning.

• Clean the grease filters. Soak aluminium mesh filters in hot water with washing-up liquid, or run them through the dishwasher on a hot cycle. A degreaser spray helps with heavier soiling. Dry them completely before refitting. If the filters are beyond cleaning, replacements typically cost between 10 and 25 pounds depending on the model.
• Wipe down the canopy and exterior. Use a degreaser spray and a microfibre cloth, paying particular attention to the area directly above the hob. Grease builds up on surfaces you don't notice until they become a hygiene problem.
• Run the hood on maximum speed for 10 minutes. This clears condensation from the motor and ducting and is a practical way to catch noise or vibration issues before they develop further.
• Check that controls are responding correctly. Touch controls on modern hoods - especially on LG and Beko models - can become unresponsive when grease works into the sensor panel. Clean with a slightly damp cloth and test all speed settings and light switches.
• Replace charcoal filters if applicable. If your hood recirculates air rather than ducting to the outside, the charcoal filter absorbs odours. Saturated charcoal filters are one of the most common reasons for poor odour extraction - these need replacing every three to six months, not cleaning. Replacement filters typically cost between 15 and 40 pounds.

Annual Professional Checks You Should Book

Some aspects of cooker hood maintenance are best handled by a qualified appliance engineer. An annual check gives you a full picture of the hood's condition and catches problems that aren't visible from a basic inspection.

• Motor inspection and lubrication. The extraction motor is the most expensive component to replace - typically between 80 and 180 pounds for parts alone. An engineer can inspect the bearings, check for signs of overheating, and lubricate moving parts where applicable. Many motor failures are predictable: a bearing that starts to whine caught early can avoid a full replacement later.
• Full duct inspection (ducted hoods only). Grease builds up in the ducting over time, restricting airflow and - in severe cases - becoming a fire risk. An engineer should check the full duct run, particularly any bends or horizontal sections where grease tends to accumulate. Duct cleaning in the Greater London area typically costs between 80 and 150 pounds.
• Wiring and connection check. Any signs of scorching, loose terminals, or damaged cables at the appliance connection should be addressed by a qualified electrician. Don't ignore minor burns or discolouration around terminals.
• Extraction performance test. A proper airflow check - measuring how much air the hood is actually moving at each speed setting - shows whether performance has degraded. Many homeowners in Barnet don't realise their hood is running at a fraction of its original capacity until this test is carried out.
• Fan blade condition. Fan blades can become imbalanced as grease accumulates unevenly, causing vibration that stresses the motor bearings. An annual clean and balance check is sensible practice on any hood that's more than five years old.

Warning Signs That Need Immediate Attention

Some cooker hood faults shouldn't wait for a scheduled service. Common structural and mechanical issues such as damaged motors, blocked filters, or electrical faults can cause performance failures if left unresolved - and in some cases they become safety hazards. If you notice any of the following, stop using the hood and book a repair promptly.

• Burning smell from the motor housing. This means the motor is overheating - possibly due to a failed bearing, grease contamination, or a wiring fault. Stop using the hood immediately.
• Sparking or flickering lights that aren't a bulb issue. Electrical faults in the lighting circuit need attention from a qualified engineer before the hood is used again.
• The hood won't switch off. A stuck relay or control board fault can cause the motor to run continuously. This will burn out the motor if left uncorrected.
• Visible moisture inside the motor housing. This can happen on ducted hoods if the duct run has a dip that allows condensation to pool and flow back towards the appliance. Moisture and electrical components don't mix.
• The circuit breaker trips every time the hood runs. This points to an electrical fault in the hood itself - either a short circuit or a motor drawing too much current.
• Strong grease smell when the hood is off. Grease that has accumulated in the ducting to a significant degree can release vapour at room temperature. This is a potential fire risk that needs urgent attention.

Your Maintenance Schedule

Here's a simple calendar view to help you stay on top of cooker hood care throughout the year. The monthly tasks are the ones that prevent most faults - treat them as non-negotiable if you cook regularly.

If you're not sure when your hood was last serviced, a good rule of thumb is: if you can't remember, book a check. The Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool can help you identify common faults before an engineer visits, which saves time and in some cases makes a call-out unnecessary.

Checklist Questions

How do I know if my cooker hood motor needs replacing or just cleaning?

A motor that's noisy but still running is often grease contamination or a worn bearing rather than full failure. If the noise is a rattle or vibration, cleaning and rebalancing the fan blade may fix it. If it's a continuous high-pitched whine or grinding, the bearing has likely failed and the motor will need replacing. Motor replacement typically costs between 120 and 250 pounds including labour, depending on the brand - Bosch and Siemens tend to be at the higher end for parts. Most cooker hood problems are relatively easy to identify with a systematic check, and our engineers can usually give a clear diagnosis on the first visit.

Why is my cooker hood not extracting smoke properly even though the motor is running?

Weak extraction with the motor running is almost always one of three things: saturated grease filters blocking airflow, a blocked or partially collapsed duct, or a stuck external vent flap. Start by cleaning or replacing the filters and checking the vent flap outside. If that doesn't resolve it, the ducting needs inspecting - particularly if the hood is more than a few years old and has never had a duct clean. In recirculating hoods, a spent charcoal filter is the most common culprit. If the problem persists after cleaning the filters, use the Voltrade GoFIX tool to run a diagnostic before booking an engineer in Barnet.

Is it worth repairing an older cooker hood or should I just replace it?

It depends on the fault and the age of the appliance. For hoods under eight years old, most repairs - including motor replacement, control board faults, and fan blade work - are worth doing if the total repair cost stays below around 60 percent of a comparable replacement unit. For hoods over ten years old where parts are becoming scarce (common with older Hotpoint and Beko models), replacement is commonly the better financial call. Our engineers across Greater London will give you an honest assessment of whether a repair makes sense before any work begins - including an estimate of how much remaining useful life the appliance is likely to have.