How Long Do Kitchen Extractor Fans Last? Lifespan, Costs, and Maintenance Tips (2025 Guide)

Most kitchen extractor fans (range hoods, cooker hoods) last 10-15 years. Some run for 20, others fail at 6. The difference isn’t luck-it’s heat, grease, ductwork, and how you use it. If you want the honest answer plus what you can do today to add years, you’re in the right place.

• You came here to get a straight number on lifespan-and whether yours is near the end.
• You want to know what quietly kills fans early so you can stop it.
• You need a simple maintenance routine that actually works and doesn’t take all Sunday.
• You’re weighing repair vs replace and want real cost ranges.
• You want quick checks to tell if a fan is underperforming (and why).

Stick with me. I’ve repaired and replaced more hoods than I can count. The patterns are boringly consistent-and very fixable.

• TL;DR
• Typical service life: 10-15 years; budget recirculating units: 5-10; premium ducted hoods: 12-20.
• Biggest killers: grease-clogged filters, poor ducting (long runs, flex duct, too many bends), high heat, and running it on max all the time.
• Easy wins: clean metal filters monthly, swap carbon filters every 3-6 months if recirculating, run the fan 5 minutes before and 10-15 minutes after cooking, and fix bad ductwork.
• Repair vs replace: under 10 years and a single failed part-repair. Over 12-15 years with multiple issues-replace.
• Costs (parts + labor): motor £120-£300/$150-$350; control board £140-£320/$170-$380; full replacement installed £280-£1,200+/$350-$1,500+ depending on style.

How long they last-and what really changes the number

If you just want the headline: Consumer Reports’ latest appliance lifespan lists put range hoods around 14 years on average, and the National Association of Home Builders’ component study pegs them in the same ballpark. In day-to-day service, I see three tiers:

• Budget recirculating hoods (no duct): 5-10 years.
• Mid-range ducted hoods with decent metal filters: 10-15 years.
• Premium ducted hoods with efficient motors and good baffle filters: 12-20 years.

That’s the bird’s-eye view. But why does one fan die in 7 and another hums along past 15? Four variables run the show:

1. Usage hours and heat. A motor rated for tens of thousands of hours can still cook itself early if it lives above a 6-ring gas hob and you sear nightly. Running on max speed constantly adds heat and vibration. A smarter way: use medium most of the time; max only for serious smoke.
2. Grease load. Grease is an insulator and a glue. It clogs filters, coats the blower wheel, and traps heat in the motor. It also adds weight to the fan wheel, so the motor works harder for the same airflow. A 2 mm film of grease on the wheel can bump motor load by double digits.
3. Ductwork quality. Airflow hates resistance. Long runs, crushed flex duct, too many elbows, or a small duct reduce airflow, which raises internal temperatures and noise. That shortens motor life and annoys everyone in the kitchen.
4. Build and parts. EC/brushless motors and metal housings last longer. Shaded-pole motors are cheaper and run hotter. Baffle filters beat foam meshes for both capture and cleanability.

There’s also environment. Seaside homes see more corrosion. Tenants sometimes remove filters “for more suction,” which just floods the motor with grease. And if the hood wasn’t sized right (too small, too low a CFM/l/s), it runs harder more often.

Quick rule of thumb you can use: If your cooking style is light and the duct is short and straight, expect the upper end of the range. Heavy fryers with long flex runs live at the lower end.

To put some numbers to it, here’s what typically lasts how long-and what it costs when it doesn’t:

Standards and best practices that back this up:

• Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) certifications focus on tested airflow and sound. Units that actually meet their rated flow at higher static pressure tend to run cooler and last longer because they aren’t straining through bad ducting.
• Consumer Reports (2023-2024) and NAHB life-expectancy lists put the average life around the mid-teens. That aligns with what techs see in the field.
• UK Building Regulations, Approved Document F (2021 with updates) set minimum airflow targets (e.g., 30 L/s near the hob or 60 L/s for general extraction). A hood that can meet those with proper ducting usually doesn’t need to run on full blast as often, which helps longevity.

One more practical lens: hours. If you run your hood 1 hour a day, that’s ~365 hours a year. Over 12 years, ~4,380 hours. Even basic motors are designed for well above that in ideal conditions. It’s almost never raw hours that kill a hood. It’s heat and grease.

SEO note you care about more than I do: if you landed here searching for kitchen extractor fan lifespan, the short answer is 10-15 years, with real, simple ways to hit the top of that range below.

How to add years: the 20-minute maintenance plan and smarter usage

This is the part everyone skips because it sounds like work. It isn’t. Do this, and you’ll likely add 3-5 years:

1. Turn it on early. Start the fan 5 minutes before cooking. Captures the first wisp of steam and keeps the motor cooler.
2. Use the right speed. Medium for most cooking. High only for smoky sears. Lower speed = less heat and vibration.
3. Keep it running after. 10-15 minutes after you finish lets residual moisture and odours clear without maxing the motor.
4. Clean metal filters monthly. Hot water, degreasing dish soap, soft brush. Dishwasher is fine if the manufacturer says so. Skip bleach-it pits aluminium.
5. Swap carbon filters every 3-6 months (recirculating only). If you cook a lot of curry or fry, plan on 3 months. Mark the calendar.
6. Degrease the blower wheel every 6-12 months. Unplug, remove cover, wipe the wheel vanes with a degreaser. Big, easy win most people never do.
7. Inspect ductwork yearly. Look for crushed sections, loose joints, excessive elbows. Replace flex with smooth rigid duct where possible. Keep the run short and straight. Use the manufacturer’s minimum diameter (often 150 mm/6 in for higher-CFM hoods).
8. Check the wall/roof cap damper. It should swing freely and not stick. A stuck damper spikes backpressure and noise.
9. Mind the clearance. Keep the hood mounted at the recommended height (often 650-750 mm / 26-30 in above electric; 700-800 mm / 28-32 in above gas-check your manual). Too low cooks electronics; too high loses capture.
10. Seal what matters. Ensure the duct joints are taped with foil HVAC tape (not cloth duct tape). Leaks pull grease into the cabinet and reduce flow.

Want a dead-simple checklist you can print?

• Weekly: Wipe the hood body and controls. Sticky buttons trap grease.
• Monthly: Wash metal filters; quick visual on the blower wheel.
• Quarterly: Replace carbon filters (recirculating); check damper movement.
• Yearly: Inspect/upgrade ductwork; clean inside housing; check for loose fasteners.

How to spot trouble early:

• New noise (grinding, whining, or rattling) = loose blower wheel, worn motor bearings, or a foreign object. Fix now to avoid a motor burn-out.
• Less suction than last month = clogged filters, greasy wheel, or blocked duct. Start with the filters-90% of the time that’s it.
• Fan shuts off randomly or won’t start after heavy cooking = thermal overload tripping from heat. Clean the wheel/filters and check the duct; continuous trips often precede motor failure.
• Lights flicker or fail often = LED driver heat stress or a poor connection; switch to lower-heat LED bulbs if still on halogens.

Two pro tips that feel small but matter:

• Don’t run it filter-less “to get more power.” It just sprays the motor with grease and ruins it faster.
• Use a back-burner when you can. Capture is better under the hood canopy, and the fan runs easier.

If you’re a heavy home cook or you love wok hei, consider a hood with higher capture efficiency and a baffle filter design. You don’t need a jet engine. You need a hood that pulls evenly across the cooking area and a duct that lets it breathe.

Repair vs replace, costs, and quick troubleshooting

Here’s the honest framework I use when advising clients:

• Under 7 years old with one clear failure (switch, light, single motor)? Repair.
• 8-12 years with good bones (decent build, proper ducting) and the first big failure? Repair if the part + labor is under 40-50% of replacement cost.
• 12-15+ years with flaky controls plus noise or weak suction? Replace. You’ll spend less long term and get quieter, more efficient performance.

Real-world cost guide (2025):

• Service call/diagnosis: £60-£120 / $80-$140.
• Motor replacement: parts £70-£260 / $90-$320; labor 1-2 hours.
• Control board: parts £90-£220 / $110-$260; labor 0.75-1.5 hours.
• Switch pack: parts £15-£45 / $20-$60; labor 0.5-1 hour.
• New hood installed (ducted, under-cabinet): £280-£650 / $350-$800.
• Chimney/island hood installed: £650-£1,200+ / $800-$1,500+.

Decision cheat-sheet:

• Symptom: Loud grinding. Quick check: make sure the blower wheel set screw is tight and the wheel isn’t rubbing the housing. If tight and still noisy, bearings are likely shot → motor replacement.
• Symptom: Fan runs but doesn’t pull. Clean filters, then inspect the blower wheel. If clean, look for a blocked or disconnected duct or a stuck outside flap. If all clear, the motor may be weak under load.
• Symptom: Dead controls after a greasy boil-over. Disconnect power, open the panel, and check for grease on the board. If contaminated, replacement board is the right fix and a warning to improve filtering.
• Symptom: Trips thermal after 10 minutes. That’s heat. Reduce speed, clean filters/wheel, and fix the duct restrictions. If it still trips, the motor is on its last legs.

Can you DIY? If you’re comfortable with a screwdriver, a multimeter, and turning off the breaker, many hoods are DIY-friendly. Motors, switches, and lights are common swaps. Control boards are doable if you label connectors and don’t rush. Anything involving hardwiring in a new duct run or cutting cabinetry-consider a pro.

Not sure how oversized or undersized your hood is? Here’s a simple sizing sanity check:

• Electric hob: target 150-300 CFM (70-140 L/s) for typical 600-900 mm cooktops; more for big griddles.
• Gas hob: target 250-400+ CFM (120-190+ L/s), especially with high-BTU burners.
• Duct size: 150 mm (6 in) for higher flows; avoid stepping down. Every elbow “costs” roughly 1.5-3 m (5-10 ft) of straight duct in resistance terms.

If you’re in the UK, check that your hood can hit Building Regs Part F extraction rates in the real world with your actual ducting. If you’re in North America, look for HVI-certified ratings. Both are boring details that keep your fan running cooler and longer.

Mini‑FAQ

• Do recirculating hoods last as long as ducted? Usually not. They run warmer and filters clog faster. Expect the bottom half of the range unless you’re religious about filter changes.
• Is a noisy hood always dying? No. Loose filters, wobbly blower wheels, and bad duct caps cause most noise. Bearing howl-a distinct metallic whine-means the motor is near the end.
• Can I upgrade the motor for more life? You can replace like-for-like. Swapping to an EC motor usually isn’t feasible without a matched control system.
• How often should I replace LED modules? They should last 5-10 years. Heat kills them. If yours burn out early, check clearance above the hob and consider a module with a better heat sink.
• What about island hoods? They often need more airflow for the same capture because they lack a back wall. That means they may run harder unless sized right and installed at the proper height.

Next steps if you’re diagnosing today

1. Time check: How old is the hood? Under 10 years-lean repair. Over 12 and cranky-price replacement.
2. Performance check (2 minutes): With a paper towel, see if the hood holds it firmly at low/medium. If it only sticks at high, you likely have dirty filters or poor ducting.
3. Noise check (1 minute): Is it a rattle (loose), a hum (normal), or a howl (bearings)? Rattle = tighten and clean. Howl = motor.
4. Heat check: After 10 minutes at medium, touch the housing near the motor area. Warm is normal. Hot to the touch suggests airflow restriction.
5. Quick clean: Wash filters today. If suction improves, you just bought yourself another year.

What I tell friends who cook a lot: buy a hood with a proper baffle filter, keep the duct at 150 mm/6 in or larger with smooth, short runs, and treat cleaning like brushing your teeth. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the whole game.

Credibility notes so you can trust the numbers: Consumer Reports’ recent life expectancy lists keep range hoods around the 14-year mark. The NAHB life expectancy tables align. HVI performance standards reward designs that actually move air in the real world; those units run cooler and live longer. UK Part F doesn’t talk about lifespan, but hitting its airflow figures with good ducting means the motor isn’t suffocating-so it lasts.

Bottom line if you’re skimming on your phone between chops: plan on 10-15 years, keep the filters clean, let the thing breathe, and don’t cook the motor with max speed every night. Do that, and replacing a hood becomes a choice you make-long after you’ve got your money’s worth.

• kitchen extractor fan lifespan
• range hood life expectancy
• cooker hood maintenance
• replace vs repair extractor fan
• filter replacement schedule

Written by Wesley Goodwin

I'm Wesley, a seasoned expert in services, specializing in appliance repair. I spend my days fixing everything from dishwashers to washing machines, ensuring they run smoothly for my customers. Writing about appliance repair topics is not only a professional interest but also a personal passion. I enjoy sharing tips and insights to help others understand and maintain their home appliances. Whether I'm hiking the nearby hills or lending a hand with a tricky repair, I aim to bring reliability and satisfaction in all I do.