How to Fix a Noisy Vent Hood Damper?

Ever wondered why your best recipes only turn out when you cook alone? That’s true! Most people love having their kitchen all to themselves to concoct their culinary masterpieces. Frequent visits from the people or turbulence from a noisy kitchen appliance can invade your privacy as a chef, and vent hood dampers are at the top.

On a windy day, the rattling and clanking noise from the range hood can be the most aggravating. With all the banging noise, one would require a thick skin to put together your favorite meal, without googling ways to stop noise from the roof vent. Luckily, we have listed practical solutions to fix a noisy vent hood damper.

The cheapest way to fix a noisy vent hood damper is by gluing washers or coins on the metal flaps to increase weight. You can clad the flaps with weather-stripping tape or vinyl foam to muffle the impact. Using wind defenders or anti-gust vent covers also helps stop noise from the roof vent.

Why Vent Hood Dampers Get Noisy?

Metal hood dampers often clap against each other when the hood exhaust is operational – and that’s perfectly normal. However, if you hear vent hood dampers making abnormal sounds even when it’s switched off, it’s time to make some soundproofing arrangements. Here are five potential reasons why hood dampers get noisy:

Extractor Vents Rattle in Wind

Since most backdraft exhaust dampers are influenced by gravity, they sit still and aligned unless dominated by another force, e.g., wind. High wind currents pick up thin metal flaps that are mounted on the building’s facade, causing them to rattle against each other and emit loud banging noise through the vent ducts.

Though you might consider removing the hood dampers and eliminating the ruckus once and for all, vent dampers are critical for kitchen ventilation. Vent hood dampers preserve the indoor environment of a kitchen by retaining the conditioned air inside and blocking debris and insects from outside from wandering in.

Range Hood Damper Bangs in Rain

While windy weathers are more notorious, rain is also a sign of concern for noisy range hood dampers. You might hear dripping rainwater echoing throughout your ventilation pipes through the exhaust flaps on rainy days. Even though the trickling sound isn’t as loud, it is disturbing enough to steer you off from your recipe.

Clanking Fan Blades

Besides the gloomy weather conditions, faulty installation and lack of proper maintenance can also lead to loud banging. For instance, if you hear scraping metal, it’s often the fan blades sliding against the motor hub or shaft.

This usually happens when the fan isn’t properly mounted on the shaft during installation, or you dispositioned it while cleaning. If you’ve failed to keep up with the regular maintenance schedule, it could potentially lead to faulty bearings that produce grinding noise.

Loose Rubber Belts

Some range hoods feature a belt that connects the motor assembly to a pulley that controls the damper flaps. Over time, the rubber belt gets loose, creating a shrill squeaking sound when you operate the pulley. Replacing the worn-out belt with a newer one that fits properly is the ideal way to tackle the issue.

How to Fix a Noisy Range Hood Damper?

Before you hire an HVAC professional for inspection or to replace the hood damper, give yourself a go with the older version. Since most of these solutions ought to be performed from the attic, take safety precautions before climbing onto the ladder.

Add Weight to the Damper Flap

Damper flaps are usually made from thin metal sheets that get carried away quite easily with windy currents. Cladding the flaps with weight is an effective way to prevent them from clapping against the frame.

Most people prefer attaching washers or coins on the metal flaps since there’s no specific fixture to weigh them down. But if you want a more reliable solution, use wheel weights instead. Don’t worry, range hoods are powerful enough to flip the dampers despite the added weight.

Insert Foam Into the External Back Damper

If the hood dampers have become unbearably loud for your to work in the kitchen, this quick hack may help save the day. Cut thin pieces of weather-stripping tape or vinyl sheet with an adhesive backing. Stick the foam along the edges of each flap where it contacts the frame.

The foam will soak up the impacts, making sure the clapping flaps never turn into a banging noise. However, being a temporary solution, the rubber stripes might wear off with rainwater.

Install Spring Loaded Butterfly Damper

You might not find a better way to silence the noisy vent hood damper than installing spring-loaded butterfly dampers. The best part is that you don’t need to climb to the attic to infuse the dampers.

Simply infuse the damper better between the duct and range hood. Still, make sure you position it in a way that the butterfly flaps open externally. Some butterfly dampers come with rubber seals that prevent air leaks from either side.

Install Wind Defender

Unlike standard dampers, wind defenders feature a spring-loaded flap with weather-stripping tape clad up on the edges. They also have an additional wind guard flap on the inner side that protects them from harsh winds. However, being a pricier option, you might not find wind defenders everywhere. Nevertheless, people who have installed wind defenders consider them worth the money.