Kitchen Extractor Repair and Maintenance Tips You Need to Know

When your kitchen extractor, a ventilation system designed to remove smoke, steam, and cooking odors from your kitchen. Also known as hood vent, it's not just a convenience—it’s a safety device that prevents mold, grease buildup, and poor indoor air quality. Many people ignore it until they see black grime on the walls or smell last night’s dinner three days later. But a broken or clogged extractor doesn’t just smell bad—it can damage your home and make your kitchen unhealthy.

The extractor fan, the motorized component that pulls air out through a duct. Also known as range hood fan, it’s the heart of the system. Most last 10 to 15 years, but in homes with heavy cooking or poor duct design, they often fail sooner. Common problems include loud grinding noises (bad bearings), weak airflow (clogged filters or ducts), or the fan turning on but not pulling air (motor failure). You don’t need to replace the whole unit for these issues—often, cleaning the grease filter or unblocking the duct fixes it. If the motor’s dead or the housing is cracked, that’s when replacement makes sense.

Then there’s the kitchen ventilation, the full system including ductwork, exhaust outlets, and airflow design. A lot of people think if the fan spins, the ventilation works. But if the duct is crushed behind the wall, or ends in the attic instead of outside, you’re just recycling grease and moisture into your home. That’s why mold shows up on ceilings near the stove, even if you clean regularly. Proper ventilation means the air leaves your house entirely—not just moves from the stove to the cupboard.

Fixing a kitchen extractor isn’t always a job for a pro. Many issues can be solved with a screwdriver, some degreaser, and 20 minutes. But if you’re dealing with electrical faults, damaged ducting, or no airflow despite a working fan, it’s time to call someone who knows what they’re doing. You don’t want to risk fire from grease buildup or carbon monoxide from a poorly vented system.

Below, you’ll find real guides from people who’ve been there—how to unblock a clogged fan, when to replace the motor, why servicing matters more than you think, and what happens if you just ignore it. No fluff. Just what actually works.