Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood Repair Service
Hood not pulling smoke, exhaust fan dead or squealing, or kitchen doors hard to open? ALAS Appliance Repair repairs commercial kitchen exhaust hoods, upblast exhaust fans, fan motors and belts, and make-up air units for restaurants, hotels and senior living kitchens across Dallas–Fort Worth.
- Exhaust fans and make-up air
- Written quote before work begins
- After-hours emergency service
- 90-day repair warranty, 6 months for members
Business Profile
Book Kitchen Exhaust Hood Repair
Kitchen Ventilation Repair That Clears Smoke and Heat
A kitchen exhaust system has two halves: the hood and the exhaust fan on the roof pull smoke, heat and grease out, and the make-up air unit brings fresh air back in. When either half fails, smoke rolls into the dining room, the kitchen gets dangerously hot, or doors become hard to open from negative pressure. ALAS Appliance Repair has repaired commercial equipment in Dallas–Fort Worth since 2019. We find the actual cause, give you a written quote, and start the repair once you approve it.
We work on almost all commercial exhaust hood brands sold in the U.S., including CaptiveAire, Greenheck, Accurex, Halton, Gaylord, Loren Cook, Spring Air Systems and Avtec.
Common problems
What’s Wrong With Your Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood?
These are the exhaust hood problems we see most often in Dallas–Fort Worth businesses, with the causes a technician checks and a quick, safe check you can do before you call.
| Symptom | Common causes a technician checks | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Hood not pulling smoke or weak draft | Broken or slipping fan belt, failed exhaust fan motor, clogged grease filters, grease-loaded fan wheel, make-up air imbalance | Check whether the exhaust fan on the roof is spinning and the grease filters are clean.Possible causes a technician checks: Broken or slipping fan belt, failed exhaust fan motor, clogged grease filters, grease-loaded fan wheel, make-up air imbalance Schedule a diagnosis |
| Exhaust fan won’t run | Failed motor, broken belt, tripped breaker, starter or contactor fault, switch or control fault, thermal overload | Check the hood switch and breaker. If the hood lights work but the fan doesn’t, the fault is in the fan circuit.Possible causes a technician checks: Failed motor, broken belt, tripped breaker, starter or contactor fault, switch or control fault, thermal overload Schedule a diagnosis |
| Squealing, rattling or vibration on the roof | Worn or loose belt, misaligned pulleys, dry or failing bearings, grease buildup unbalancing the fan wheel | A squeal that starts at fan startup is usually the belt. Grinding usually means bearings.Possible causes a technician checks: Worn or loose belt, misaligned pulleys, dry or failing bearings, grease buildup unbalancing the fan wheel Schedule a diagnosis |
| Doors hard to open or smoke drifting into the dining room | Make-up air unit not running or undersized, negative building pressure, exhaust and supply out of balance | Notice whether doors whistle or pull shut. That points to negative pressure from missing make-up air.Possible causes a technician checks: Make-up air unit not running or undersized, negative building pressure, exhaust and supply out of balance Schedule a diagnosis |
| Make-up air unit blowing cold air in winter | Failed gas valve, igniter or flame safety control, burner problem, dirty filters, control fault | Check the make-up air unit’s filters and whether its heating section is enabled on the controls.Possible causes a technician checks: Failed gas valve, igniter or flame safety control, burner problem, dirty filters, control fault Schedule a diagnosis |
| Grease dripping from the hood or roof fan | Saturated grease filters, full grease cup or drain on the upblast fan, cleaning overdue | Replace or clean grease filters and check the grease cup on the roof fan.Possible causes a technician checks: Saturated grease filters, full grease cup or drain on the upblast fan, cleaning overdue Schedule a diagnosis |
| Hood lights or controls not working | Failed light fixture or bulb, switch, control panel or interlock relay | Check whether the lights and fan share a switch. A control panel fault can disable both.Possible causes a technician checks: Failed light fixture or bulb, switch, control panel or interlock relay Schedule a diagnosis |
| Kitchen too hot even with the hood on | Low exhaust airflow, make-up air not tempering, fan running slow, clogged filters | Check the filters first. Clogged filters cut airflow more than most people expect.Possible causes a technician checks: Low exhaust airflow, make-up air not tempering, fan running slow, clogged filters Schedule a diagnosis |
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood We Repair
Commercial exhaust hood repair for restaurants, hotels, senior living and other facilities.
Exhaust hoods
Wall, island and canopy hoods, including switches, lights and controls.
Upblast and utility exhaust fans
Rooftop upblast fans and utility exhaust fans.
Fan motors, belts and bearings
Motors, belts, pulleys, bearings and fan wheel balance.
Make-up air units
Supply fans, filters, gas heat sections, igniters and controls.
Grease filters and baffles
Grease filter and baffle replacement and fit.
Hood controls and interlocks
Hood control panels, fan speed controls and equipment interlocks.
Starters, contactors and wiring
Motor starters, contactors, overloads and control wiring.
Airflow balance
Balancing exhaust and make-up air so the hood captures smoke and doors open normally.
Repair or replace
Repair or Replace?
Belts, bearings, motors, starters, switches and make-up air burner parts are usually worth repairing. Replacement is worth discussing when a fan housing or wheel is badly damaged or the system is undersized for your cooking line.
Usually worth repairing
- A belt, bearing or pulley has worn
- A fan motor, starter or contactor has failed
- A make-up air igniter or gas valve has failed
- The fan housing and wheel are in good shape
Worth weighing carefully
- The fan housing or wheel is cracked or badly corroded
- The system is undersized for your cooking line
- The make-up air unit is at the end of its life
- Repairs keep repeating on the same fan
Not sure which way to go? Book a diagnosis
Urgent repair
Exhaust Fan Down During Service?
Without exhaust, smoke and heat build up fast and cooking under the hood may not be safe. These steps help while we diagnose the problem. After-hours and emergency service is available at an additional charge.
How it works
How Kitchen Exhaust Hood Repair Works
Call or book online
Tell us the type of hood and exhaust fan, whether you have a make-up air unit, and what the system is doing. Photos of the fan and make-up air data plates help us bring the right parts.
On-site diagnosis
A technician checks the exhaust fan, belts, bearings, motor, controls, filters and make-up air, so the real cause is found instead of guessed.
Written quote and approval
You receive a written quote for the repair. The diagnostic visit is billed separately, and no repair work begins until you approve the quote.
Repair and verify
We complete the repair, run the exhaust and make-up air together and confirm the hood captures smoke and doors open normally.
Related
More for Commercial Kitchens and Facilities
Other ALAS commercial services.
Learn more
Commercial cooking equipment repair
Ranges, ovens, fryers, griddles and steam tables under your hood.
Learn more
Commercial dishwasher repair
Dish machines, glasswashers and booster heaters.
Learn more
Commercial maintenance plans
Scheduled maintenance and priority service for restaurants, hotels, senior living and other facilities.
Where we work
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood Repair Service Area
ALAS provides commercial exhaust hood repair for restaurants, hotels, senior living communities and other businesses in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Lucas, Parker, Richardson, Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Coppell, Flower Mound, Southlake, Westlake, Colleyville, Keller, Grapevine, Argyle and Trophy Club, and across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hood Repair FAQs
The most common causes are a broken or slipping exhaust fan belt, a failed fan motor, clogged grease filters, grease buildup on the fan wheel, or a make-up air unit that isn’t supplying enough air back into the kitchen.
A failed motor, a broken belt, a tripped breaker, a starter or contactor fault, or a switch or control panel problem are the usual causes. A thermal overload can also shut the motor off after it overheats.
Squealing at startup is usually a worn or loose belt or misaligned pulleys. Grinding or rumbling usually points to failing bearings, and vibration can come from grease buildup unbalancing the fan wheel.
A make-up air unit brings fresh air back into the building to replace the air the exhaust hood removes. Without it, the building goes into negative pressure: doors become hard to open, the hood stops capturing smoke and the HVAC works harder.
Hard-to-open or whistling doors usually mean negative building pressure, often because the make-up air unit isn’t running, is undersized or is out of balance with the exhaust fan.
NFPA 96 sets cleaning frequency by cooking volume: monthly for solid-fuel cooking, quarterly for high-volume operations such as charbroiling or wok cooking, twice a year for moderate volume and once a year for low volume.
Busy kitchens often clean grease filters weekly or more often. Clogged filters cut airflow, let grease into the duct and fan, and make the kitchen hotter.
Fire suppression systems are inspected and serviced by licensed fire protection companies. We repair the hood’s fans, motors, controls and make-up air.
Most kitchens benefit from checking belts, pulleys and bearings at least twice a year, and more often for heavy-use kitchens. A worn belt is far cheaper to replace than a burned-out motor.
Yes. Our commercial service hours are 8 AM to 7 PM, and after-hours and emergency service is available at an additional charge. For an after-hours emergency, call us directly so we can arrange a technician.
Every call starts with an on-site diagnosis. The technician finds the cause and gives you a written quote for the repair. The diagnostic visit is a separate charge from the repair, and no repair work starts until you approve the quote.
Repairs carry a 90-day warranty, or 6 months for commercial maintenance plan members. If your equipment is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, check with the manufacturer first.
We work on almost all commercial exhaust hood brands sold in the U.S., including CaptiveAire, Greenheck, Accurex, Halton, Gaylord, Loren Cook, Spring Air Systems and Avtec. If you aren’t sure what you have, send us a photo of the data plate.
Yes. ALAS offers commercial maintenance plans for restaurants, hotels, senior living communities and other facilities. See our commercial plans page or call us to talk through your equipment.
We serve businesses in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Lucas, Parker, Richardson, Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Coppell, Flower Mound, Southlake, Westlake, Colleyville, Keller, Grapevine, Argyle and Trophy Club, and across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.