My Vent-A-Hood is not working.

November 13, 2018

Trouble shooting kichen exhaust systems in commercial kitchens:

This motor compartment let grease and hot air in – both hard on rubber fan belts by causing belts to slip and dry rot of the rubber. Loose, cracked, and slipping belts cause the fan to be inefficient. A fan belt should be able to bend in half backwards without cracking.
Broken belts are the most common cause of a grease hood not working properly. You may be able to hear the motor run when you turn on the grease fan switch. This belt broke because the motor and fan pulleys were out of align. We recommend changing fan belts after every hood cleaning.
Grease exhaust fan switches sometimes are accidentally not turned back on after service. Always turn the grease fan switch off at the fan when servicing a grease fan belt to avoid someone in the kitchen below accidentally turning it on and causing injury. These switches are located on the exterior of the grease exhaust fan or inside the motor compartment.
Many grease exhaust fans are not installed or wired properly. NFPA 96 requires fan to be on hinges and electrical wiring be ran outside the duct in waterproof conduit. This grease fan has a hidden electrical hazard waiting to happen. Be sure you see electrical wiring on the exterior of the fan before tipping or removing the fan from the duct.

Electrical electrical wiring should NEVER be ran inside the duct. This grease fan also has a hidden electrical hazard waiting to happen. When the fan is removed from the duct, this conduit can cut the electrical wires, short out, and cause a fire in the grease duct. Be sure you see electrical wiring on the exterior of the fan before tipping or removing the fan from the duct.

Other reasons why a Vent-A-Hood is not working properly:

Check the electrical circuit breaker. It may be tripped or bad. If bad, call an electrician for service.
A fan not working because the electrical wire inside the breaker box was loose. Call an electrician for service.
If the grease fan hums or buzzes but does not start, the brushes on the electrical motor may be bad. Call an electrician for service.
The fan switch may be bad or have loose wires. Call an electrician for service.
A very common problem just after fan motor replacement is that the 220 volt motor is running backwards. Back pressure makes it seem like the fan is working at the roof, but in the kitchen the exhaust system is functioning very poorly. Call an electrician for service.
A loud clank noise may mean a chuck of rubber is missing from a fan belt or a fan bearing is bad. The top bearing is easily removed and replaced. The bottom bearing is very difficult to remove. Hydro-Clean has a specially designed tool to remove this bottom bearing.