How to Fix an Extractor Fan

Extractor fans are necessary for ventilation in your bathroom or kitchen. If your extractor fan is malfunctioning or is too loud, don’t be so quick to resort to purchase a new one. You might save some money by checking up on few things yourself.

Step 1 – Clean the Extractor Fan

Extractor fans work like a vacuum cleaner by filtering out the bad air from your house to outside. Consequently, similar to vacuum cleaners, dust and dirt can collect on the fans very easily. If your extractor fan appears to be non-effective or noisy, your first approach to fixing the fan should be cleaning it. In fact, it is crucial to clean the extractor fans regularly in order to prevent the fans from malfunctioning or even spread air pollution in your house.

Make sure to wear gloves and a face mask to avoid contact or inhalation of the dust particles from the fan. Before cleaning the fan, turn off the electricity and switch off the fused connections. Then, dilute a liquid detergent to 50% with warm water. Use a vacuum to clean off all the loose dust from the fan and use a tooth brush dipped in liquid detergent to clean the corners. Wash the entire fan with cloth and liquid detergent. Completely wipe the water off the fan with dry cloth. It is important that water does not contact any part of the electronic devices of the fan.

Step 2 – Check for Faulty Wiring

If the fan does not turn on or off by the switch, check for a faulty switch connections. Before checking for connection problems, turn off the fuse or the circuit breaker. Then, remove the cover plate from the switch. Tighten the screws on the switch. If there are wire nuts in the box, tighten them. Place the cover plate back on, turn on the fuse or the circuit breaker, then turn on the fan to see if the fan is functioning.

If your fan still does not work, don’t give up hope just yet. Turn off the fuse or the circuit breaker again. Remove the cover from the fan by unscrewing the screws. Take a mental picture of how the cover was placed on and don’t lose the screws. Remember that you have to reassemble the cover back on the fan. There is a small box under the fan cover. Check for any loose wiring and screws. Put the cover back on and turn the fan on to see if your fan is functioning.

Step 3 – Additional Assistance

If your fan still does not work, the fan could have problems ranging from a faulty motor to a faulty switch. Hire a professional to diagnose your broken fan. If you have a faulty motor, it is recommended that you just buy a new one. If you have a faulty switch, it is best that a qualified electrician do the job.