electric cooker hood

[Newby2]

Hi
When I turn off my electric cooker hood in the kitchen, sometimes I can see a small spark at the switch (marked in the photo). The original switch cover is missing so the red switch is exposed. Should I be concerned and how I can rectify it?

I was thinking about replacing the cooker hood. Can I do it myself (I'm terrible at DIY) or an electrician job?

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[jj4091]

A small occasional spark at the switch is not a major issue, it may cause the switch to fail eventually but there is no urgency to do anything.
It looks like the recirculating type of hood & is probably just screwed to the underside of the cupboard if you are thinking of replacing it. There should be a means of isolating the supply before disconnecting the hood but if you are as bad as you seem to say then it is always best to call a professional in ( an electrician should be able to do it ).

 

[danechip]

Looking at the grease to the left of it, could be as simple as a dirty switch. Having the cover missing isn't helping matters. If you are adamant on replacing the 'hood', I would be tempted to squirt a bit of WD40 in there to degrease it by sliding it from 0 to 3 and back a few dozen times. It will eventually build up with grease again though.

 

[ericmark]

Looking at the grease to the left of it, could be as simple as a dirty switch. Having the cover missing isn't helping matters. If you are adamant on replacing the 'hood', I would be tempted to squirt a bit of WD40 in there to degrease it by sliding it from 0 to 3 and back a few dozen times. It will eventually build up with grease again though.

WD 40 burns, and the switch sparks, yes power off WD 40 may clean the switch, but you would need to leave it a long time to ensure it has all evaporated before power is turned back on, so I would say DON'T use WD 40 my risk assessment is it is too dangerous. Switch cleaner will not burn, but may melt the plastic, so always test first.

 

[danechip]

Would switch cleaner remove grease though rather than corrosion?