Cooker Hood Not Working in Worcester - Common Faults and What to Do

Published September 2026 | Cooker Hood Not Working Common Faults

We asked our engineers the questions homeowners ask most.

We asked our Appliance Repair engineers the questions Worcester homeowners ask most about cooker hoods that have stopped working or started playing up. Whether your fan has gone quiet, your lights have cut out, or your extractor is making a noise you've never heard before, here's what our team hears on the doorstep every week across Worcester and the wider Worcestershire area.

Why Has My Cooker Hood Suddenly Stopped Working Completely?

A total loss of function usually points to one of three things: a power supply problem, a blown fuse, or a failed control board. Start with the obvious stuff first before assuming the worst.

Check that the hood is still getting power. If it's wired directly into a switched spur, test the spur with a plug-in tester or try a neighbouring circuit to confirm the ring isn't dead. Open your consumer unit and look for a tripped MCB - a motor surge, which can happen when a fan is on its last legs, is a common cause of a tripped breaker. Reset it once and see if the hood comes back on. If it trips again immediately, don't keep resetting it - there's a fault that needs investigating.

If the hood is plug-in, check the fuse in the plug. Most cooker hoods in domestic kitchens use a 3 amp or 5 amp fuse - swap it for a new one of the same rating and try again.

Still nothing? The fault is likely inside the unit itself. On most Bosch, Hotpoint, and Beko models, the most common internal culprits are a failed capacitor on the motor circuit or a dead control board. A capacitor is a cheap component - typically a few pounds for the part - but it needs an engineer to test and replace it safely. Our engineers use the Voltrade GoFIX diagnostic tool to log fault codes before touching a single component, which saves time and avoids unnecessary parts replacements.

The Fan Motor Is Running but There's No Suction - What's Causing That?

This is one of the most common calls we get from Worcester homeowners, and the answer is almost always one of two things: a blocked filter or a blocked and disconnected ducting run.

Cooker hood filters - particularly grease filters - are designed to trap airborne fat particles before they reach the fan. When they're clogged, air simply can't pass through efficiently. On extraction hoods that vent outside, the ducting itself can also become obstructed. Birds occasionally nest in external grilles, and on older properties across Worcestershire we sometimes find that the ducting has partially collapsed or been kinked during a kitchen renovation.

Remove the grease filters and hold them up to a light source. If you can't see clearly through the mesh, they need cleaning or replacing. Metal mesh filters are typically dishwasher-safe on a low-temperature cycle. Charcoal filters, used in recirculation models, cannot be cleaned and must be replaced - usually every three to six months depending on how much frying and high-heat cooking you do.

Check the duct outlet at the wall or ceiling if you can safely access it. A flap valve that's stuck shut will kill suction entirely even when the motor is spinning freely. This is particularly common in kitchens that haven't had the hood serviced in several years.

My Cooker Hood Lights Have Stopped Working - Is That a Separate Fault?

Yes, in most cases the lighting circuit is completely independent from the extraction motor, so a lighting fault usually won't affect the fan and vice versa. You can often rule out a major electrical issue by checking which function has failed.

The most common cause is simply a blown bulb. Many older cooker hoods use halogen capsule bulbs rated at 20W or 28W, and these have a limited lifespan. Replacements are widely available and cost less than five pounds each. LED retrofit bulbs are a worthwhile upgrade if your hood's fitting is compatible - they run cooler and last significantly longer, which matters in a hot kitchen environment.

On newer models, including many Samsung and LG range hoods, LED strips are integrated into the hood's PCB and can't be replaced individually. If the LED module fails on one of these units, you're typically looking at a board or module replacement. Our Worcester engineers have seen a fair few of these on higher-end kitchen installations, and replacement LED modules for premium brands can cost between 40 and 90 pounds for the part alone, before labour.

If you've changed the bulb and the light still won't come on, the fault is likely in the switch contact or the lamp holder itself. Both are repairable and usually not expensive jobs.

Why Is My Cooker Hood Making a Loud Rattling or Grinding Noise?

A rattling noise and a grinding noise are usually two different faults, so it's worth identifying which one you're dealing with before assuming the motor is gone.

Rattling is most often caused by a loose component - a grease filter that isn't clipped in correctly, a screw that's worked loose on the outer casing, or a piece of debris caught in the fan housing. This is the less serious of the two. Switch the hood off, remove the filters, and check they seat properly when refitted. If the rattle continues with the filters removed and the hood running briefly at low speed, there's likely something inside the fan housing that needs clearing.

Grinding, on the other hand, typically means the fan motor bearings are wearing out. You'll often notice it gets louder over time, or that the fan sounds laboured at lower speeds. A worn motor bearing will eventually cause the motor to seize entirely. On popular models like the Hotpoint HHEP or the Bosch DWB series, motor replacements are generally available as a service part and typically cost between 80 and 160 pounds including fitting, depending on the specific model and availability.

Don't ignore a grinding noise. A seized motor can trip your electrics repeatedly and may overheat if left to run.

The Controls on My Cooker Hood Have Stopped Responding - What's Wrong?

Touch controls and push-button controls fail in different ways, and knowing which type you have narrows the fault down considerably.

On models with physical push-button or rotary switches, the most common faults are worn switch contacts or a failed PCB relay. Push-button switches take a lot of use in a busy kitchen and the contacts inside them can oxidise or simply wear out over time. A single switch can sometimes be sourced and replaced for around 15 to 30 pounds, or the whole switch panel replaced for 40 to 80 pounds depending on the model.

Touch-sensitive control panels are more complex. If none of the touch zones respond, the fault is often in the control board itself rather than the surface panel. One thing worth checking first - some models lock the controls after a period of inactivity or if a certain button combination is held accidentally. Check your manual or search the model number online before assuming a component failure. It's a surprisingly frequent cause of unnecessary callouts.

We see a lot of Beko and LG integrated hoods in Worcester kitchens, and both brands occasionally have firmware-driven quirks where a reset - usually by cutting power at the spur for 30 seconds and restoring it - clears a locked control panel entirely. Worth trying before booking an engineer.

How Do I Know If My Cooker Hood Needs New Filters?

The grease filter is the first line of defence in any cooker hood, and it needs regular attention. On a typical family home cooking most evenings, grease filters should be cleaned every four to six weeks and inspected for damage every six months.

Signs that a grease filter needs replacing rather than cleaning include:

1. Visible holes, tears, or distortion in the mesh
2. Discolouration that doesn't clear after a hot wash
3. The filter feels flimsy or has lost its structural rigidity
4. Suction is noticeably poor even after cleaning

Metal grease filters cost between 10 and 35 pounds depending on size and brand. Avoid cheap unbranded replacements - they're often thinner and allow more grease to pass through to the motor, which causes bigger problems down the line.

Charcoal filters are only fitted in recirculation hoods - those that don't vent to the outside. They're not cleanable. Once saturated, they need replacing. A saturated charcoal filter won't cause the hood to stop working, but it will make it significantly less effective at removing cooking smells. Replacements typically cost between 15 and 40 pounds and should be changed every three to six months in a regularly used kitchen. If you're not sure which type of filter your hood uses, the model number printed inside the hood will confirm it.

My Cooker Hood Keeps Tripping the Electrics - What Should I Do?

A cooker hood that repeatedly trips the consumer unit needs prompt attention. Don't keep resetting the MCB and hoping it clears - repeated tripping puts wear on the breaker itself and can indicate a fault that's getting worse.

The most common cause is a failing motor drawing excessive current. This often happens when the capacitor that helps start the motor is deteriorating. As it fails, the motor struggles to start, draws a spike of current, and trips the breaker. Replacing the capacitor typically costs between 60 and 100 pounds all-in and often resolves the issue entirely.

Other causes include a wiring fault within the hood itself - damaged cable insulation, a loose connection causing an intermittent short, or moisture ingress around the terminal block. Hoods positioned close to steam-heavy cooking areas in Worcestershire homes sometimes suffer from condensation working its way into the wiring enclosure over several years, particularly in kitchens without adequate ventilation to the outside.

If the tripping started after a power cut or surge, the control board may have been damaged. A diagnostic check will confirm whether that's the case before you spend money on parts.

Can a Cooker Hood Be Repaired or Is It Cheaper to Replace It?

This is the question our Worcester engineers get asked more than any other, and the honest answer depends on the specific fault, the age of the hood, and what a replacement would cost.

As a rough guide:

1. If the repair cost is more than 50% of the replacement cost of an equivalent hood, replacement usually makes more financial sense.
2. If the hood is less than five years old and the fault is a single component - motor, capacitor, control board - repair is almost always worth it.
3. If the hood is ten or more years old and showing multiple faults, replacement typically offers better long-term value.

Standard built-in chimney hoods from brands like Bosch, Hotpoint, and Beko sit in the 150 to 400 pound replacement range new. A motor replacement typically costs 80 to 200 pounds all-in. A control board might be 70 to 150 pounds including parts and labour. Single component repairs on mid-range hoods are almost always worth doing.

Premium island hoods and integrated models are a different calculation. Replacement costs can reach 600 to 1,500 pounds or more, which shifts things significantly in favour of repair even when the repair bill is substantial.

How Much Does Cooker Hood Repair Typically Cost in Worcester?

Pricing varies depending on the fault, the brand, and whether parts need to be ordered in. Here's what Worcester homeowners are typically paying for the most common repairs in 2026:

• Diagnostic visit and assessment: 50 to 80 pounds (often deducted from the repair cost if you proceed)
• Capacitor replacement: 60 to 100 pounds including parts and labour
• Motor replacement: 100 to 200 pounds depending on the model
• Control board replacement: 80 to 160 pounds
• Filter replacement (grease or charcoal): 20 to 60 pounds including fitting
• Bulb or LED module replacement: 25 to 70 pounds

Labour rates across Worcester and Worcestershire typically sit between 50 and 80 pounds per hour for appliance repair, with most standard hood repairs completed within one to two hours. If a part needs to be ordered, expect a return visit, which can add to the overall cost. Getting a clear written quote after the diagnosis is done is important - any reputable engineer will confirm pricing before proceeding with work.

How Often Should a Cooker Hood Be Serviced to Prevent Faults?

Most cooker hood manufacturers recommend a check every one to two years for hoods in regular domestic use. In practice, the majority of Worcester homeowners don't look at their hoods until something stops working - but a bit of routine maintenance goes a long way toward preventing expensive repairs.

An annual service typically covers:

1. Cleaning or replacing the grease filters
2. Checking the ducting for blockages or physical damage
3. Inspecting the motor and fan blades for grease build-up
4. Testing the control panel and lighting circuits
5. Checking all fixings and electrical connections

Grease build-up on fan blades is a particular problem in kitchens where frying and high-heat cooking is common. A motor caked in grease has to work harder, runs hotter, and fails sooner. It can also become a fire risk over time, which is worth taking seriously. Doing the filter cleaning yourself monthly and booking a professional check every year or two is a sensible balance for most households.

Cooker hood faults range from minor issues you can tackle yourself - like a blown bulb or a blocked filter - to more involved repairs that need a qualified engineer with the right diagnostic equipment. If your hood has stopped working anywhere across Worcester or Worcestershire, getting a proper diagnosis before ordering parts or buying a replacement will almost always save you time and money in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth repairing a cooker hood that is more than 10 years old?

It depends on the fault. If a ten-year-old hood needs a single low-cost component like a capacitor or a filter, repair makes sense. If the motor and control board have both failed, replacement is usually better value - especially when equivalent new hoods from brands like Bosch or Hotpoint are available in the 150 to 300 pound range.

Can I clean my cooker hood grease filter in the dishwasher?

Metal mesh grease filters are typically dishwasher-safe on a low-temperature cycle, but always check your model's manual first. Charcoal filters used in recirculation hoods cannot be washed and must be replaced - usually every three to six months. Putting a charcoal filter in a dishwasher will destroy it.

Why does my cooker hood smell even when it's running?

A smell coming from a running hood usually means the charcoal filter is saturated and needs replacing, or that grease has built up on the fan blades and is burning off during use. Both are maintenance issues rather than mechanical faults. Clean the fan blades carefully and replace the charcoal filter, and the smell should clear within a few uses.

How long does a cooker hood motor typically last?

With regular filter maintenance, a cooker hood motor in typical domestic use commonly lasts between eight and fifteen years. Motors that run with blocked filters fail significantly sooner because they're overworked. Keeping filters clean is the single most effective thing you can do to extend the life of the motor and the hood overall.