Daft question re cooker hoods

[Iwishitwouldgetwarmer]

Would you be able to tell if your cooker hood is working ie if you went outside when it was on would you see the smells etc coming out of the vent?

Daft question I know but I can't honestly tell if mines working.

Mine is quite noisy when it is on, so it is very obvious that it's doing something. If you cook something with a lot of steam, or burn something and get smoke, you'd see that coming outside, but I don't think you'd see it in more normal operation. Though you might be able to smell what was cooking.

I'm not sure you see the air being vented, but you can definitely smell what we're cooking in the garden.

Thanks for your replies.

It is noisy when it's on but I can't see anything coming out of the vent. I'll go out and check again when I cook something really smelly.

If I cook something that generates steam I still have to open the window or they get steamed up which is making me think it's not working.

When the extractor is on and I'm cooking something on the hob I can see the steam being sucked upwards and out of the room.

Also, outside I can see the flaps on the vent blowing outwards.

maybe it has been fitted as a recirculating (=useless) hood?

Have you still got the instructions?

The windows should not get misty especially if you turn the speed up.

When did you last clean the grease filter? It could be clogged.

Invite a disgusting smoker into your home and let them hold their stinky fag under the hood. All the smoke should be sucked outside.

From what everyone is saying it doesn't sound like it's working. It was in when I bought the house 2 years ago. I've managed to get the vent off and the filter out. It does look clogged so I'll get another and try again.

Piglet - Unfortunately I don't know any smokers (disgusting or otherwise!]. I'll have to lool next time I cook a curry.

Try switching it on with the vent open since you've already taken the filter out - you ought to feel at least some air movement if you put your hand under the fan, and a cooling effect - not nearly as much as if it was blowing the air at you instead of sucking, but it should be noticeable. I've just opened mine up - you reminded me I hadn't change the filter for a while - and you can definitely feel air movement, even on the lowest setting (mine has 3 speeds).

If that feels ok, then try replacing the filter and see how you get on - if there is no feel of air moving, it may be just plain not working.

Just climbed onto kitchen cabinets to have a look and the tube isn't even attached to the cooker hood. It's just lying loose on the top of the cupboard. It's pretty grimy and scruffy up there.

I've put it back where it should be and switched it on. There's cold air on my hand when I put it next to it. I can't tell if it's blowing though so maybe it is sucking. I'll get some filters for it and have a try.

By the dirt on top of the cupboards it does look like it's been extracting and depositing in on them! Oh well lovely job for me!

To clean them I mean

It's meant to be sucking - sorry if what I said was misleading. I just meant its not as cold feeling on your hand.

The tube not being connected does rather explain it . The tops of kitchen cupboards are usually pretty manky IMHO (or maybe that's just my kitchen...) you'll need some serious grease-lifting stuff. I just got some Cif EasyLift Kitchen to do the tiles behind my hob, if you like strong chemicals rather than vinegar and bicarb.

if you pull the hose off again, you might (if it goes straight through the wall) be able to hold it up and peer out, you may be able to see the grille or flaps and a bit of daylight.

With the hose still off, turn the fan on and see if air is blowing out through the spigot. If it is blowing out of the spigot and the hose is clear, it should work OK.

Many hoods have a rear-facing spigot and an upwards facing spigot, the rear-facing one is used when the duct through the wall is directly behind the hood.

If the hose is a reasonable fit on the spigot, you can wrap duct tape or something to form a good seal and keep it in place. You will have to degrease well first. I find once the surfaces are extremely greasy and dirty, you need to scrub with Flash or similar, wiping will not do.

If the hose is not a good fit, you can get an adaptor. The hose and spigot are usually 100mm or 105mm diameter (about 4 inches). The flexible hose should preferably fit to, or push inside, a rigid round plastic duct through the wall.

Yay it's working. I did as Piglet suggested and stuck my head over the top of the cupboard and turned it on. It was like a wind tunnel up there. I've now got rather a fetching sideways combover with the gust of air!. I put the tube in the hole and nipped outside and can feel the air coming out.

Thanks to all for your helpful advice. Much appreciated.

I'm wondering why the hose came off, you don't want it happening again.

Sometimes there are small holes in the spigot and you can retain the hose by putting small screws or plastic rivets in, sometimes people use a plastic cable tie, very tight, and sometimes people use duct tape.

It's hard to believe anyone would be such a numbskull as to leave the hose unfitted.