Kitchen Exhaust Fan, circa 1953

[wireman]

Hey folks,

We just redid our kitchen; but kept the ol' circa 1953 Signal Exhaust Fan. It still works pretty well after nearly 70 years! The orig. circular grille though is encrusted with that many years of grease, etc. Tried to replace it with a newer, white one, but the bars holding the new one together prevent it from sitting tight to the ceiling. Love the old "Signal" medallion the held the old grille up, so wanted to utilize that if possible.

The orig. is chrome; would not mind reusing it IF I can get it clean and looking decent. Any ideas to either replace the orig. or clean all that gunk without marring the finish?

Been checking out the site for at least 15 years. I figured if anyone knew the value of old household mechanical stuff and how to revive it is the folks here.

It was rather cool, that when they redid the kitchen in the late 60's, they put the original 1954 Frigidaire 30" range (SEAFOAM GREEN!) next to the washer and dryer in basement. Probably for canning and/or entertaining in the rec room. It was replaced with a top-of-the-line 1969 40" Frigidaire. Looking back, should've tried harder to find parts rather than replace it 15 years ago with a rather builder-grade 40" Frigidaire. It wasn't 1/2 the the stove the 1969 was.

I was all for bringing up the 1953 from the basement when we redid things; my hub wanted the convenience (with luck, more saleable when we retire) smooth cooktop range with microwave over it.

Thanks folks! Appreciate any feedback you might have.
Duane

 

[combo52]

Cleaning a Chrome Fan Grill

A quick spray of oven cleaner will clean up the grease nicely, the aluminum name plate in the middle will be etched by oven cleaner so if you want to preserve it cover with masking tape will using the oven cleaner on the grill.

 

John L.

 

[circlew]

As an alternative to oven cleaner, you might use Dawn Professional Heavy Duty Degreaser. I've had very good results with it. Wear rubber gloves, as it may irritate your skin.

 

[jeb]

I would try ammonia. Spray it down well then put into a plastic bag for a few hours. I have done this with stove burner rings and had great results.

 

[wireman]

Thanks, folks!

I might try the ammonia first; think we have some of that on hand. Yeah, John L., I was concerned harsh cleaners might damage the logo. I'll try some vinegar and/or dishsoap with a toothbrush on that.

Duane

 

[sfh074]

You might ....

look to see if the logo could be removed. May be a nut on the back that would allow you to pop the logo off before cleaning the cover.

 

[wireman]

Thanks, folks!

I might try the ammonia first; think we have some of that on hand. Yeah, John L., I was concerned harsh cleaners might damage the logo. I'll try some vinegar and/or dishsoap with a toothbrush on that.

Duane

 

[ozzie908]

Why not put it in the dishwasher with some delicate detergent ?

 

[turbokinetic]

If I were faced with that, I would first try to remove and preserve the center medallion.  That would be irreplaceable and really makes the fan look nice. Those details are tricky to preserve, but worth it in my opinion!

 

I would use Zep Industrial Purple Degreaser. This is similar in nature, chemically, to oven cleaner in that it is an alkali. I suggest it because it's something I always have on hand. It is a liquid so you can put it in a shallow plastic pan and submerge the fan grille in it for a longer time than the oven cleaner would remain in place before running off or drying.

 

With the center medallion removed it can soak.  The degreaser will be harmless to steel and chrome even if left in the solution overnight or longer. 

 

Normally things fouled with kitchen grease come out looking exceptionally well since the grease has formed a corrosion barrier throughout the years. It will probably look factory-new. The only thing NOT to do is scrub it hard which can dull it.

 

Sincerely,

David

 

[eronie]

What does the fan blades an motor look like?
Bet their coated too!

 

[wireman]

Soaking as we speak...

WHEW!

Forgot how strong smelling ammonia can be... It is soaking in a bag in the laundry tub as we speak. Seems to be dissolving the crud nicely...

The medallion is affixed to the screw that holds the grille up; looks to be aluminum with red paint vinegar and dish soap cleaned that up; it had very little grease on it compared to the encrusted grille.

Luckily, Eronie, underside of the blades (look to be aluminum) look OK... the housing and backside of the blades: YIKES! Not even going to open that can of worms! Half pondering if the grease helped lubricate things to keep it running all these years! It won't be used very often in the future; we just don't fry much of anything. Perhaps 2x a year, hub makes tostones, deep fried green plantain, a Puerto Rican specialty. Might turn it on for that.

I did let it run for several hrs. after the tile was installed to clear the heavy fumes from the mastic. It performed flawlessly; I did keep a eye on it to make sure it wasn't overheating. It'll be more decorative than functional.

If I cannot make the grille look decent, I may try to paint it with some Rustoleum Hammered Silver. Had good luck with that on some other metal things.

Again, really appreciate all the input; you folks know your stuff!

Duane

 

[wireman]

Ta DAAAAA....

Hardly perfect, but it looks pretty good. The ammonia just ate that grease away. A bit of careful scraping , and a light touch with a Brillo pad removed the old paint.

As for the crud on the interior of the fan housing, I'll leave that to someone with more fortitude than me!

Again, thanks folks! It really looks so much cooler than it would've with the bland white grille.

Happy Appliance Hunting!
Duane

 

[combo52]

Looks Great

It was worth saving, it fun to restore things to keep your home from just looking like every other house that was remolded from Home Depot.

 

John L.

 

[sarahperdue]

Well done!

That white replacement just wouldn't do. Now, aren't you glad it didn't fit!

Sarah

 

[circlew]

Looks very nice!

 

[thomasortega]

Have you considered a steam cleaner?

It can make wonders, specially on tiny crevices that nothing else can fit.

In 10 or 15 minutes I'd leave it looking like brand new, never used.