If the label admonishes it then why do it?

Main Entry: ad·mon·ish
Pronunciation: \ad-Ëmä-nish\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English admonesten, from Anglo-French amonester, from Vulgar Latin *admonestare, alteration of Latin admonçre to warn, from ad- + monçre to warn  more at mind
Date: 14th century
1 a: to indicate duties or obligations to b: to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner
2: to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement to

Thanks so much for the vocabulary lesson. I think of admonish in the negative term, based on all the references in the linked page appears to be the more common usage.

More importantly, my response was not meant to be a wise-@ss remark but rather to respond to the question the way I initially read it, though apparently incorrectly: "it says not to clean the fan blades, but where are they?"

Here is a link that might be useful: admonish

THE FAN ONLY NEEDS CLEANING IN BRANDS CALLED VENT-A-HOOD OR ZYPHER AND KOBE WITH OIL CUPS. VENTS THAT HAVE FILTERS NEED ONLY TO CLEAN THE FILTERS

Guadalupe - You failed to mention those with baffles. Evidently Prestige requires cleaning of the fan, as does at least Wolf's baffled hoods. To quote their manual:

"Clean ventilating fans frequently.
Grease should not be allowed to
accumulate on fan or filter."

Oh, darn, I was so excited to see 4 responses to my very real question and then opened it up to find, instead, a squabble over my questionable word choice. So, please allow me to rephrase:

There is a very large label inside of my Prestige UIB40-S2 range hood insert that reads "clean frequently all grease laden surfaces as well as fans and filters". I do indeed frequently clean the baffle filters. But, I've never cleaned the fans because I cannot figure out how to do so. The draw seems to be working less well as of late so I had been wondering if the fan blades needed cleaning. After turning off the circuit, I ran my hand along the edge of an exposed blade and felt a grimy build up so that prompted my question on how to go about cleaning the fans. Anybody out there know anything about this?

Guadalupe, would you let me know on what you base your information that the fan needs cleaning only in the brands you mention?

FYI, I left a message at number listed on the Prestige website but it has not been returned and I've tried their phone number at various times of the day but no one ever answers -- just vm. Sort of wondering if they are even in business anymore.

Many thanks.

pielady - For what it's worth:

- As explained, my initial post was not intended to start a squabble but a legitimate (if ill-conceived) response to your query.

- Posts that have several responses seem to prompt more readership. So look on the bright side, maybe we've done you a favor.

- There do not seem to be a lot of Prestige owners out there, which is why I took the time to search out anything I could find about Prestige, but there's not much out there.

- For the same reason I took the time to look at other brands and find that, contrary to another poster's claims, many seem to require cleaning of the fan itself.

- Your member page places you in MA. It's getting cooler out up there. Can your lessened effectiveness perhaps be attributable to more closed windows? To me that would seem more plausible than grease-laden fan blades.

- I haven't quite figured out where Prestige ends and Signature begins, or where Signature ends and Bluestar begins. But what seems clear is that Bluestar's hoods are rebadged Prestige, so why not call them and ask. Rumor has it Matt Schutte is extremely responsive, and I'm sure he'd appreciate your good press after providing excellent customer service.

Sorry that I haven't been more informative, but at least I took interest. And with that I'll sign off this thread.

BUMP!!!

Yes, I suppose that the lowered temperature and windows might have something to do with the draw of the range hood but this is now our second fall using the Prestige insert and I didn't notice a slow down last fall (of course, the fan blades were a one year cleaner back then). Putting performance aside, though,..what about fire hazard? Isn't that a good reason to clean with some frequency? If anybody can shed some light on this topic, would appreciate hearing from you! Thanks. (And thanks, too, YaThink re: the BlueStar tip. I might try that next)

Prestige requires cleaning of the filters only

"Prestige requires cleaning of the filters only."

In which case Prestige needs to quit accidentally placing stickers on their hoods that say to clean the fan.

"Guadalupe, would you let me know on what you base your information that the fan needs cleaning only in the brands you mention?"

All too often he doesn't offer basis for answers. Which I find very unfortunate because it makes it very difficult to determine which of his apparent insider information is valid and which is not.

Well, today "Luke" from Signature Marketing Group left me a voice mail that simply stated that I could clean my filters in soapy water or in a dishwasher (which I already do, regularly) and wipe down any greasy surface with soap and water, which I, likewise, have done wherever those surfaces are accessible.

But he did not address my actual question which was how to access and clean the fans which the Prestige label -- affixed right there underneath the fans -- says to do.

So I called back and left another voice mail and asked my question again and will let this forum know what answer I receive from the manfacturer and/or distributor. If the label is in error -- if leaving the grime on the fans won't affect performance or increase fire risk -- then I would like the company/distributor to tell me so. If the label is correct -- if the fans do need to be cleaned as stated -- then I would like the company/distributor to tell me (or tell my duct cleaning company or my contractor) how to access the fans so that that can be accomplished.

If the label is right undermeath the fans, then presumably they're accessible and can be cleaned with soapy water. Or am I not understanding something?

There is a label right underneath the fans. It says to clean the fans. But, the fans are not accessible.

When I say "fans" I mean the fan blades. You can see and touch the outer edges of them (with circuit disconnected, of course) but you cannot access the whole of them to "wipe" with soapy water because they are mostly covered. The covers at first appeared removable (to me/my duct cleaning company/my electrician) but on closer inspection were not.

Because the parts of the fan blades that you can see/feel are now coated with an oily build up, it seems likely that the whole fan (or, fans, as there are two of them) ought to be cleaned per the label. Accordingly, the company has been asked, twice now, to clarify. We await their response.

Very interesting, I'm looking to purchase a Prestige based on recommendations here so will check this thread to find out what happened. Thanks.

If I could do it over again, I absolutely would purchase all my kitchen and laundry appliances based first and foremost on the customer service reputation of the manufacturer. I learned that lesson years ago with cars and computers; funny I did not apply it to a group of appliances whose sum purchase price far exceeded the cost of my first new car.

That said, after a week of trying, I finally caught up again with 'Luke' from Signature marketing (I had to call them again; they weren't exactly hurrying to return my vm) who said that by "fans" the label is referring to the outside casing for the fans...that they consider that a part of the fan. I then asked whether the noticeable grease build up on the fan blades themselves was "ok" to leave alone (not that I've much choice since they are inaccessible) and his response was that if ever there was a fire down on the range I should turn off the fan because that would just draw the fire up into the ducts. ?!?! Since I've no other options I guess I will just wipe down everthing I can wipe down, continue to run the filters through the dishwasher and keep my eye on the blades' build up. If it gets markedly worse, I suppose I can always look into a getting a custom made unit installed in place of the Prestige -- at least that way I would not have to rebuild the custom cabinetry around it. And here I thought I could just get on with my life post house remodel...

pielady - don't take this the wrong way, but I think you're overreacting - if the hood didn't have the sticker you wouldn't even have worried about cleaning fan blades that you have no way of accessing. Guadelupe is right, hoods with baffles don't require you to take the blower apart to clean them. Relax and enjoy your hood.

Weissman, you are right: if there hadn't been a warning label I wouldn't have worried. But they stuck one in the hood and I did. If it isn't an issue they need to change the wording on their label.

So I guess you wouldn't have gone with a Prestige if you had another chance? Is there any other variable speed hood manufacturer that someone can recommend more than Prestige? Thanks.

Well it looks like I might have to back off my previous assertion a bit. I just read through several manuals (Dacor, Viking, DCS, Broan Elite, Wolf) and found something interesting:

Every brand had a statement in the warning section stating something like: "Clean ventilating fans frequently. Grease should not be allowed to accumulate on fan or filter."

Some repeated this statement in the cleaning section but only Broan gave specific instructions: "Remove the filters in order to access the blower. Vacuum blower to clean. Do not immerse in water."

Now I would hardly think that vacuuming would degrease the blower, which leads me to the conclusion that the fan warnings are nothing more than legal CYA. In fact the wording in all but one was so identical that my guess is it's taken from NFPA or similar.

That said, if it were me I would still want to hear this directly from the mfr. Although, who knows what they'll say, again for CYA reasons.

It is my understanding that you only need to clean the whole fan on the following Vent a Hood, Kobe (oil Cup Model) and Zepher.

All hoods with Baffles or mesh filters do not need the motor cleaning, clearly one can isolate the power and clean the motor casing if desired.

As for the potential of fire in the hood due to grease build up, i would ask two questions

1) Has any one EVER read thread a posting from someone who actually had a fire in the hood or duct work ?
2) Has anyone EVER known anyone who had a fire in the hood.

I was a fireman for 15 years and in that time i NEVER went to a house fire where the hood was the cause of the fire or for that matter on fire. Unlike chimney fires from coal or would burning stoves for heating we would have a least 1 call per day on average in the winter.

Fires in hoods due to grease build up in a residential situation is a none issue IMO.

Clean Baffles or filters regularly clean the motor casing if you have the desire to do so.

My apologies to the OP for not answering his/her question, but I have to address Guadalupe's and Trevor's posts. Re Guadalupe, I am really tired of Guadalupe's obsession--compulsion--for criticizing VAH every chance he/she gets. Guadalupe is always on the warpath over VAH and it's really annoying. Although there are both proponents and critics of VAH on this website, and I understand both sides, Guadalupe's criticisms are irrational. The primary reason I myself chose a VAH over a traditional baffle system is fire safety that arises from the ability to access and clean VAH's surfaces, its "squirrel cage" and fan system.

For Trevor, I think your post was irresponsible. To use this Forum as a statistical sampling of kitchen fires makes no sense. People on this forum are much more careful and aware of every aspect of their kitchens than the general public; hence the reason they are on this forum in the first place. Also, your experience as a fireman does not jibe with the National Fire Protection Association's statistics:

According to the National Fire Protection Association, "Cooking equipment fires are the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries. These fires accounted for 40% of all reported home structure fires in 2005 and 36% of home civilian injuries."

From VAH:
"Vent-A-Hood's Magic Lung® blower circulates at 1550 RPMs to liquefy the grease in its reservoir for safe removal and cleaning. Because of this centrifugal action, it is the only product on the market that will not allow a live flame to pass through. The system's sealed blower housing creates a pressure barrier, lowering the risk of an attic or wall fire. In 70+ years of manufacturing this system, Vent-A-Hood® has never received a report of an attic or wall fire when the Magic Lung® blower has been in use."

To the OP, again, sorry for the digression. I did check a Use and Care manual for your exhaust, and found the cleaning instructions, as I am sure you know, both terse, and not in sync with the sticker instructions on the Prestige fan itself.

>>>Cooking equipment fires are the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries.

I have no doubt that there are a lot of fires caused by things near the range catching fire, but this doesn't say anyting about fires in the vent hood. Do you have any information on that?

Shannonplus2

People on this site are members of the general public. no matter how much research you put into choosing your appliances does not prevent you from letting a pan boil over

I was merely pointing out that fire which has been mentioned twice in this thread as well as others is not likely to be a an issue. I also note that your post you state you selected VaH because of fire safety issues, further your paste from the VaH brags about no fires for 70+ years

my experience jibs perfectly with the findings of the National Fire Protection Association As per your posting "COOKING EQUIPMENT fires are the leading cause of home structure fires" ...........Hoods are not classed as cooking equipment

My apologies if my post upset you.

I think fan's blades should be cleaned, so I hope the OP will hear back from Prestige on how to do so. My town's website has a fire safety page. Along with its admonishments (ahem) to clean your clothes dryer vent pipes, have chimney cleaned, never leave a fire in a fireplace unattended, and the like, it says, "Remember to check the exhaust fans that are in your house. Any build-up on the fan blades can cause the fan to slow down. This eventually will cause the motor to heat up, stop turning and start a fire. Please remember to clean the fans regularly."

This is the OP.

To Juliet3: "Prestige" never got back to me but I did get through to "Signature Marketing Group," the distributor. Look at my Oct 27 22:04 entry above for the distributor's comments.

Putting aside fire issues, I would be very interested to hear from any hvac engineering types as to whether there is reduced performance when the fan blades get a gunk build up. (Meanwhile, I will experiment with more make up air to see if that helps improve my hood's draw; thanks YaThink for that observation)

Hi Pielady,

Your post inspired me to throw my prestige baffles in the dishwasher - had been on my to do list. :)

I have an inline blower so there's no fan I can reach. But I don't find any grease up inside the hood when I wipe with a paper towel (and with power shut off). I do find grease inside the bottom slots the baffles rest in - we have a grill and do steaks and burgers, so I do find a fair amount of grease, but the baffles seem to collect it all. Any chance your baffles aren't seated securely? How much grease are you finding on the fan case?

Hey! An actual Prestige owner! How do you like your hood?

I'm very happy with it, especially with its ability to pull smoke out. When we moved we threw out our old outdoor grill so, for now, the Bluestar grill has been our only way to grill steaks, chicken, burgers,etc. In our old house I had a Gaggenau grill (electric) and a Gaggenau downdraft. After setting off the smoke detectors one too many times, we stopped using it except for just a few non-smokey things like grilled shrimp. So, it took up counter space and wasn't very useful.

The first time I used the grill and the Prestige fan/hood in our new house, I watched over it like a mother hen, for fear the smoke would not be contained. But, it was! In the past year, I only had one time when I set off the smoke detectors - I was stir frying and the oil in the wok got way too hot before I got started. Although I had told the builder the distance the hood should project, it ended up being an inch or 2 less, because of the island trim and the thickness of the tile.

The fan is noticeable when it's on but is pretty quiet - you can easily talk with it on.

Bottom line, we're easily able to use the indoor grill in our new house - probably use it once or twice a week - without fear that the house will get smoky.

Thanks for the response, deegee. Sounds like a nice setup. What's the cfm of your inline (I assume in the attic?) blower?

To deegeegirl - baffles are seated properly. Build up on fan blades is enough that a Q-tip rubbed a edge of fan blades comes up gross but we're still only talking about a thin coating like if you sprayed a pan with PAM. My fans are right there in the unit so are much closer to cook top vapors than remote blowers would be.

lambic - 1200 cfm.

Pielady
You probably can remove the fans to clean them if you want to. I am speaking from limited experience, but I can do it on my hood and I am assuming other squirrel cage blowers aren't too different. It won't be particularly easy and you will need some tools but they will come off. If you look into the blower from the side you should see the motor shaft protruding through the back of the fan itself. The fan will be connected to the motor shaft some way, either by a hex nut, or a collar with a allen screw into it (like my hood.) Or the back of the blower could be mounted to the motor shaft by a screw in which case you won't see the shaft, just the screw head. Grab the fan with your hand (hand protection would be a good idea-old gloves or a towel)to keep it from rotating and use the appropriate tool to remove the screw or nut. After removing the screw or nut, the fan should just slide out. As I said not easy, and you may have to bend in a few odd directions but do-able if this really bothers you. I haven't done mine yet. After a couple of years the fan seems to have a very light brown tint and don't seem to need it yet. While you have the fans out, it would probably be a good idea to wipe out the inside of the housing where the fans live.

I would also say from the sound of it (your Q-tip test) you don't have enough build-up to slow the fans. You may want to check if you back draft damper is opening all the way (that's part of the vent cap on the wall or roof.)