Cooker hood electrics stopped working

[CatAndHisKit]

I wonder if I can avoid calling an electrician (hoping PJ can help)!

Hood stopped working this evening - neither the lights nor extractor works, seems sudden. I recently replaced the two bulbs that we use (two other ones expired ages ago but we don't need them(, one of the bulbs couldn't be fitted back very tight into the ring - the glass cover was a litlte wobbly, possibly that was contributing?

It seemed to coincide with the strong gusts of wind outside - it extracts to the side of he house and when it's gusty the sound 'rattles around'in the hood.

Finally because my mum is stayng and she cooks a lot - the lights and extactor have been on very frequently, and nore so than in the summer as kitchen isn't hugely light and we use the hood lights a lot when cooking.

Is it a short curcuit and fusehas blown? Is it anything to do with the general house fuse box -that's in the cellar so not keen to be going there if not, or can it be corrected on the wall where the switch is?

Any other solutions? TIA

btw

this rarely happens, but with LED bulbs, if they are extra-low-voltage (e.g. fed from a power supply unit or "transformer" rather than straight off the mains) and it is DC, then they may only work one way round. I.e. think of the two pins as a "left" and a "right" and they have to match the polarity of the socket. So sometimes they will start working if you take them out and half-turn then round.

This can also happen on some LED car bulbs but, as I say, fairly rare.

it doesn't happen on larger LED bulbs that run on mains voltage because they have a tiny control circuit in the base of the bulb.

It doesn't happen on halogens or old-style incandescent lamps.

Have you slid the chimney up/down to see if there is a connection in there?
The fuse in mine went after a bulb blew and the socket was in there. It's tricky to get to though!

Hi, Mine. Interesting - how do you slid it up and down? it looks like a solid metal hood without any sliders, do yo umean take the extractor panels off? I did that and there's a motor in the centre.

PJ they aer the right bulbs because as I mentioned I've changed the two of htem and the lights/hood worked for a few weeks. I did come across these before (mainly in floor lamps with a small glass shade), often actually, but they aer old fashilned probably. This is a 10yr old appliance.
It does sound like the vonnection wires burntout - as you suggested earlier, or do you not think that anymore? And if it's a buitnout I was asking if that's possible and inexpensive for an electrician to repair, or not? At least this info would hlp! thanks for taking time.

argh! sorry again for so many typos!

If it doesn't slide, there should be external screws holding it on, mine has a section which I can slide upwards into a piece above.

wow I've found the fuse, mine and PJ!

Thought I'll see how to slide it, so climbed high on ladder and it's just inside the top of hood on the wall but was too low to be able to notice from the first ladder rang which I did before!

Well that's good! the question is, do I change the fuse (which I"ve never done before) - and which one to buy? or is it the burnt out wire and it wouldn't help?

and yeah it's not an easy access for changing the fuse! have togo up on the cooker surround and then dip over a sharp top edge of the hood! but I'm happy that there are diy possibilities now !

The fuse should tell you what rate it is - usually 13 amp I think for that (happy to be corrected).
You can buy them at your supermarket or hardware store.
Just remember to turn off the power before you go poking about too much!

mine, would I need to turn off 'downstairs lights' at the general fuse box (there is also 'long kitchen' switch there - so who knows!) or is it enough to turn off the appliance FSU switch?

A cooker hood doesn't need a 13A fuse. 3A would be ample but 5A would do.

13A fuses are Brown.
3A fuses are red

These two will suffice for most things you will find in your house. Other ratings are available and are coloured black. Being able to see the fuse rating at a glance is one of the numerous advantages of the world's finest plug and socket system which we are privileged to use.

The 13A brown fuse is suitable for loads up to 3kW, which is a lot, such as tumble-driers and powerful fan heaters.

The specification is in British Standard BS1362

@CatAndHisKit

Fuses must not be replaced or removed under load, as there may be a flash/spark that can cause damage or fright, so you must turn off the power first. A switched FCU can easily be turned off. Unswitched you should turn off the circuit at the consumer unit.

A cooker hood or other appliance fed from a lighting circuit does not need an FCU because the circuit is already fused down to quite a low level, but one might have been fitted for use as a switch. Appliances often say in the insatructions that they must be provided with an isolating switch, for safe maintenance.

Thanks PJ - I've enjoyed your ode to British fuses!
The hood fsu does have a switch - so can yo confirm that it's enough to turn off the switch (now on with red colour showing like all the other ones in kitchen) and don't need to turn off the general downstairs/kitchen lever?

Is it likely to be enough to change te fuse, or do you still think that the wire may be burnt out, presumably it's safe to try and turn on after the fuse change IF the wire is burnt?

Yes

Maybe

Yes

You might be able to get a battery-operated fuse tester, but most people just put in a new one and see if it works. Electricians would use a multimeter.

We had a similar thing happen. Luckily there is an appliance repairman down the street so we called him up to take a look and it turned out to be the fuse. £20 and job done, no electrician needed.

thanks, PJ. Will get a new fuse.
Fooferella, did yo utry changing the fuse yourself, or too nervous? that would cost even less.

Well, I'v tried to access the fuse but came across a ridiculous issue of not being able to get to it!
Apart from poor access (over the hood but dipped in so have to dip over the sharp edge of hood to do this, and have to reach for it from table top at an odd angle) - it's an older model of FCU where there is a small screw holding the actual fuse compartment (lower edge of it).
I spent AGES unscrewing it, firstly I didn't have the right screwdriver so it was slow due to using swiss knife attachment. The little screw drawer got released a bit but no further. I'venow bought the right size screw, thinking that maybe the screw is very long and it needs faster and lengthier effort. But doesn't seem to help - screw turns but stays 'in' rather than coming out. The drawer with fuse has moved further out but stull not enough to see the fuse. I've tried gently pulling at it and gently prising it with a knife, but as I haven't done it before I don't know whether I should use more force!
Obviously don't want to break it and the plasting drawer is quite delicate around the edges and that's where I can apply force - but there must be some trick to it?
Or is it the case that I need to unscrew for ages again so that the screw releases something more.

so frustrating!

the little screw may drive out the fusefolder "drawer" as you turn it. Post a pic if you can. The fuse itself may push upwards to remove, once the drawer has come partly out. The drawer does not actually detach, as a precaution against loss.

MK is a very popular make, or it might be Crabtree or Volex.

it looks like MK models seen online - too dark there atm to take picture.

Yes I was expecting it to slide out - but after all the unscrewing effort it's still not out enough! I don't know if it got stuck and needs prising out (but risk of damage to the plastic) or do you think it takes that long to unscrew (15min+!)? I saw that new models have no screw and are prised open with a knife by pressing along the edge, on youtube it looks very easy - just a light push.

Here any light pull doesn't do much but poss as it's old it's so stiff. It's just moved out a few millimeters and not going further. Is it supposed to slide open easily, or is it normal to have to apply force half way, that's my issue.
I assume if there is any damage to fuse compatrment, the whole thing may become unusable.

when you can get a pic, I'll see if I've got a similar one I can try it on.

www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK1040.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=315107931576&placement=&kw=&network=u&matchtype=&ad_type=&product_id=MKK1040&product_partition_id=297072075353&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt5GY04v93wIV7ZztCh0WFwYEEAQYASABEgJrJ_D_BwE

it's definitely that one, with the rounded corners and the tapering front plate?

I just gave one about 30 half-turns of the screwdriver (not a knife!) and the drawer comes out about 4mm.

it probably didn't need so many.

When it stops coming out any more thescrew has probably done its work.

the draw can then be prised out (I used a screwdriver)

It comes about half an inch out.
If it has never been opened before it is quite stiff.

The fuse is removed by poking something into the hole in one of the ends of the drawer and the fuse comes out of the other end.

Unlike most fuseholders it is not "lying in a drawer" but inserted in a hole moulded side to side of the drawer.

Ah right, thank you for the effort! I suspected that it needs to be prised out as the screw 'did its work'! I have got the right screwdriver as I mentioned but it didn't add to any progress already made.

Could you tell me how exactly did you prise it out please? from the top edge (centre or a corner?) or the edge by the screw, or from the side? Just worried that the thin edges may get damaged. Though possibly it won't be a big deal...
Hope it was easy to push back in. Good to know what to expect re fuse position - I'll try tomorrow morning when light is good.

you can see him taking the fuse out at about the 5-minute point on utube

The ones without a screw are a different brand. MK design has changed over time, but the earlier Logic range also had a screw. The one shown here is same as latest current model, I think - Logic plus.

I have some in package, marked part no K330 which is thicker on the front plate but looks very similar. May be a couple of years older.

You could probably prise it out with the handle of a teaspoon, but an insulated screwdriver would be better practice. It is designed so that when the drawer is open, it would be very difficult to touch any live part, and the fuse is disconnected as the draw opens, and the switch cuts power to the fuse, but it's best not to poke metal objects into electrical parts.