Kitchen Extractor Fan

[nemo2000]

In my kitchen there is an Xpelair extraction fan at least 30 years old. Cat No: GXC6 Product No: 00063AW.

Recently it has developed a fault whereby it will run for a while, then stop for while then restart for a while etc. The run-time and intervals vary considerably - for example it may run for >30mins before stopping or it may stop after just a few mins, it may do this just once or twice in (say) 30 mins or several times within 15 mins etc.

I wondered if perhaps this was symptomatic of a faulty thermal cut-out, although I can't see any evidence of one inside the unit - there appears to be just the terminal block for the mains cable and the switch operated by the pull-cord.

Any ideas please as to what the problem might be?

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Ours sometimes in the past, wouldn't come on, you had to give the cord a few pulls.

Like ours, it might just need a good clean.

As you say, the cord just operates a simple push button switch. There's not a lot to them.

Give the whole fan a good clean, they are easy enough to take out if working on them in situ for a period of time is difficult, particularly the blades.

If you can get hold of some Servisol switch cleaner, give the switch a go with that, but isolate it first. It's what I did, it's been OK since.

 

[nemo2000]

From what I can tell the cord pulls a crank which (1) pushes the shutters open and (2) depresses a micro-switch to switch on the motor.

I did have a problem some years ago when the crank needed to be (re)bent a little to engage with the switch, but that does not seem to be the problem now as it always (fingers crossed!) comes on when the cord is pulled.

I did wonder also if perhaps one of the conductors in the flex was broken and maybe moved occasionally with vibration from the fan, but it seems to be fixed too firmly for that.

 

[Doghouse Riley]

Yes the shutter actuating mechanism can get bunged up with grease. What you could do is take off the cover and temporarily bypass the switch and see if it will run for a time without stoppiing.