Extractor Fan Not Working? Common Causes and How to Fix It

When your extractor fan, a device designed to remove moist air, smoke, or odors from kitchens and bathrooms. Also known as extraction fan, it plays a quiet but vital role in keeping your home healthy and mold-free. stops working, it’s not just annoying—it can lead to damp, bad air, and even long-term damage. These fans are simple in design, but when they fail, the problem often isn’t the motor itself. More often, it’s something you can fix without calling a technician.

Many people assume a broken extractor fan, a device designed to remove moist air, smoke, or odors from kitchens and bathrooms. Also known as extraction fan, it plays a quiet but vital role in keeping your home healthy and mold-free. means replacing the whole unit. But in most cases, the issue is a clogged filter, a loose wire, or a failed switch. If your fan is making noise but not spinning, it’s likely the capacitor. If it’s completely silent, check the power first—many fans are wired through a light switch, and that switch may have failed. A dirty or blocked vent pipe is another common culprit, especially in older homes where grease and dust build up over time. These aren’t complex repairs, but they do require safety awareness. Always turn off the power at the circuit breaker before touching anything.

Some fans stop working because they’ve been overworked. If you cook heavily or have a large bathroom with no other ventilation, the fan runs nonstop and burns out faster. Replacing a fan with a higher-capacity model can solve recurring issues. But before you buy a new one, check if the problem is just the motor or if the housing is corroded or cracked. A damaged housing won’t be fixed by a new motor—it needs full replacement. And if you’re in a rented property, your landlord is usually responsible for repairs, so document the issue before doing anything.

What you’ll find below are real fixes from actual repairs—no theory, no guesswork. We’ve collected posts that show exactly what goes wrong with extractor fans in UK homes, how to diagnose it step by step, and which fixes actually work. Whether it’s a noisy kitchen fan, a bathroom extractor that won’t turn on, or one that runs then shuts off, you’ll find the answer here—no jargon, no fluff, just what you need to get it running again.