Frequently Asked Hood Questions The hood lights burn out often. Excessive vibration will cause standard incandescent bulbs to fail early. Replace with rough service bulbs. Another cause is poor contact with the brass tab in the bottom of the light socket. This will cause the bulb to overheat at the point of contact. This is usually a small amount of solder at the base of the bulb. This solder may melt allowing air to enter the bulb. Once air replaces the inert gas in the bulb the tungsten element oxidizes and the bulb fails. You can tell this has happened by the smoky grey deposits inside the bulb Adjust the tab in the light socket so that it is about 1/4" above the bottom of the socket. Loose wires in the light socket may also result in bulb failure. The stainless is rusting. Stainless steel doesn't rust under normal conditions. Stainless gets its non corrosive properties from the chromium in the alloy. The chromium atoms form a passive surface film over the base steel very much like the paint protects your car. Once this layer is removed the base metal is exposed to the moisture in the atmosphere and rust forms. Chlorine in any form combines with the chromium and removes this protective layer and exposes the base metal and rust will occur. NEVER use any chemicals that contain chlorine near any stainless. This includes any cleaners, acids to clean quarry tile or brick, and some detergents. Even the vapors can attack stainless steel. Never use steel wool to clean stainless. Particles of the steel wool will get trapped in the grain of the stainless and these steel particles will rust. The grease doesn't drain into the collection cup. There could be something in the grease trough that is preventing the grease from draining. Remove filters and check the trough. Grease troughs should be cleaned frequently to remove any solid sediment that accumulates restricting the flow of grease. Water is collecting in the light fixtures. This water is entering the fixture from above. The glass globe is gasketed and if it is on tight water cannot enter form below. The probable cause of this is the duct is leaking. Look at the top of the hood above the ceiling and if you see puddles of water and grease on top of the hood, the duct has a leak. If the duct in not insulated you will probably see some areas, especially in the corners, that look wet. How do I clean the hood? Only use mild detergents to clean stainless. DO NOT use any cleaner with chlorine. Use a soft rag. DO NOT use any abrasive pads or steel wool. How often should I clean the filters? Filters should be cleaned as often as necessary. Clogged filters don't work efficiently and are more difficult to clean. Where heavy charbroiling is done you should clean every day. If you are only baking you may only need to clean weekly. What's important is to set up a schedule and clean accordingly. Grease is leaking outside the hood or collecting in the light fixtures. There is probably a leak in the duct allowing grease to collect on top of the hood and it is draining into the fixtures. Check the top of the hood above the ceiling. Any puddles of grease or water indicate there is a leak in the duct. Is ETL the same as UL? Yes, both are Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories that test, certify and inspect products for safety and performance for manufacturers. The standard to which our hoods are tested is UL 710, Exhaust fans are tested to UL Standards UL 762 & UL 705 . You can visit this link for a comparison.