Unless you appliance repair are cooking outdoors, odors and fumes from cooking will often become a problem. Cooking bacon, for instance, may release a very appealing odor. However, it also releases a great deal of vaporized grease which can create a greasy coating on many items. On some occasions an even worse situation, a grease fire, can even occur.
Fortunately, vent hoods can greatly alleviate many of the problems that may arise when cooking indoors. In addition, vent hood lights can make cooking easier by providing good lighting for the stove-top. Sometimes, however, you may have a fan not working. Perhaps your hood may just not be moving enough air.
Some types of regular maintenance need to be performed by the homeowner. Obviously, the light bulb must be replaced when needed. Be certain to use the proper appliance bulb for replacement. If you can buy a cfl or an LED type appliance bulb these will require less frequent replacement, but may eventually need cleaning. Try to keep any bulb cover in place, being sure to replace if missing. This is a good reason to be sure to use cfl or LED bulbs when possible. Any good appliance repair shop should have these bulbs or any other vent hood parts that you may need.
If you find that you need a new vent hood motor, it may be a good time to find a good home appliance service shop. Some homeowners are comfortable doing such type of work, but for most homeowners professional help is appropriate. If you attempt to replace a fan motor you must be careful to ensure that the power to the hood is properly disconnected by shutting off the circuit breaker. Simply turning off a power switch may still leave power to the vent hood. Some electricians may feel comfortable working on a hot circuit, but this is a dangerous practice and there should be no need to do so for your vent hood.
GE Hotpoint vent hoods are known to be reliable and should require few repairs if properly installed and maintained. It is reasonable for a moderately competent homeowner to install or replace an unvented hood, but installing or replacing a vented system should be left to a professional unless the homeowner is used to doing this type of work on a regular basis. Even experienced handymen may want to leave a vented hood installation to a specialist.
A vent hood installation project may require drilling through an exterior wall, which can be a serious job if the wall is brick or concrete block stucco. Some older homes may even have asbestos containing shingles or other finishes, requiring special hazmat precautions. It is possible to run into special bracing on some older homes, even wall-ties connecting opposite walls on some four-square houses. Perhaps your simple vent hood repair may turn into a major project if you discover the need for other work. A good professional may discover such problems for you and if they are a local business they probably know who to recommend for any needed work.