Chimney Not Working? 10 Common Problems and How to Fix Them

If your chimney is not working, the first question to answer is whether it failed suddenly or faded gradually. Sudden failure points to an electrical or component fault. Gradual decline is almost always grease build-up choking the airflow — which is a cleaning job, not a repair. Work through the list below before calling anyone out.

Key takeaways

• Gradual loss of suction → cleaning problem, usually filters or duct.
• Sudden stop → power, capacitor, motor or control board.
• Several faults are safely fixable yourself; the electrical ones are not.
• Always switch off at the socket before touching filters or the collector.
• Stuck? Call 9088855524 — we diagnose on site and quote before starting.

Start here: sudden or gradual?

The ten faults in detail

1. Suction has gradually got weaker

The most common complaint by a distance, and usually not a motor problem. Grease has built up in the filters, the blower housing and the duct, narrowing the path air can take. Clean or replace the filters first. If that only partly helps, the duct and blower need a professional deep clean — those are not reachable from the kitchen.

2. Completely dead, no sound at all

Check the obvious before anything else: is the socket switched on, has the plug worked loose, has the MCB tripped? Test the socket with another appliance. If power is confirmed and the chimney is still silent, stop — the fault is internal and needs a technician.

3. It hums but the fan does not turn

Classic failed-capacitor symptom. The motor is receiving power but cannot start rotating. Occasionally the blower is seized with hardened grease instead. Either way this is a service job — do not keep switching it on, as a stalled motor overheats quickly.

4. Grinding, rattling or knocking

Three usual causes: the mounting has loosened and the unit is vibrating against the wall; debris or hardened grease is unbalancing the impeller; or a bearing is worn. Switch off and check the fixings are tight — that one you can do. Bearing noise needs a technician before it destroys the motor.

5. Oil dripping from the hood

Usually the oil collector is simply full, or the filter is saturated. Empty and degrease both. If it continues, the duct may be sloping back toward the unit so condensed oil runs the wrong way — an installation fault worth correcting, because that oil ends up in the motor.

6. Lights not working, fan fine

Often just a blown lamp. Some models take a standard replaceable bulb you can fit yourself; others use an integrated LED assembly that needs a technician. Switch off at the socket before looking.

7. Touch panel unresponsive

Grease creeping behind the panel is a common cause, and sometimes a careful clean of the surface restores response. If not, the control board has likely failed. Do not open the unit yourself — on most models that voids warranty coverage on affected parts.

8. Auto-clean button does nothing

Either the heating element or the control board. Neither is a home repair. If the chimney is otherwise working, it is not urgent, but you will need to clean manually until it is fixed.

9. Smoke escapes past the sides of the hob

Not a fault — a specification or installation problem. Either the chimney is narrower than the cooktop, or it is mounted too high (roughly 65–75 cm above a gas hob is right). Extra suction will not fix a chimney that is simply not over the smoke.

10. Noisy but not extracting much

The motor is working hard against a restriction. Clean the filters, and if that does not resolve it, the duct is likely partly blocked. Left alone this is the route to premature motor failure.

Why this happens faster in Kolkata

Kolkata’s long humid season keeps deposited cooking oil tacky rather than letting it dry and flake away. Tacky grease holds dust, and the combined layer restricts airflow noticeably faster than the manufacturer’s generic service interval assumes. Add frying, bhaja and mustard-oil tempering and the accumulation is quicker still.

The practical consequence: most chimney “faults” here started life as deferred maintenance. A scheduled AMC costs a fraction of a motor replacement.

What you should not attempt

Anything involving opening the housing, the motor, the capacitor or the control board. Beyond the electrical risk, an unauthorised repair can void manufacturer coverage on affected components — including the motor, which carries lifetime warranty on Kutchina chimneys.

Written by RS, RS Appliances / GITA, the authorised Kutchina dealer and service partner in Kolkata.