OTH microwave shooting grease into the air

dankoos

I have a Samsung microwave/range hood that vents to outside. We just remodeled kitchen and this is our first hood to vent outside and first micro over range. I installed the metal-like grease filters for the hood but not the charcoal filters as it said that was only for inside venting. However, we are finding quite a bit of grease is coming out the front vent. Yes, i did flip the fan motor for outside venting before installation. I also went outside and it appeared to be blowing out there. Should we put charcoal filters in anyway?

troubleseeker

With the blower rotated to the outside exhaust position, it should be physically impossible for the vent to be blowing anything out of the front(recirculating) vent. My suspicion is that the grease is from built up residue that is being softened by heat, now that there is no air flow through that section of the internal duct to cool it, and keep the existing greasy film solid. See if you can find any screws that are holding the front air grill on, so that you can remove it, and be able to have some access to the duct to degrease it.

dankoos

It doesnt blow much out of the front vent but enough u can feel a slight breeze. Taking that vent off is how u install the carbon pads, should i just go ahead and put those in?

troubleseeker

My goal would be to stop all the air coming from the front by finding out why the blower is not sealed in the "outside" venting position. The sheet metal on these things is pretty flimsy; perhaps something got bent a bit. I would unmount the unit, set it on the floor or table top, and plug it in to see if I can locate the leak. Maybe a few strips of foil tape will do it.

md2lgyk

OK, I'll bite. What is an "OTH microwave?"

Installing the carbon filters would not do a thing about this problem. As troubleseeker said, some of the ducting and sheet metal is pretty flimsy on most microwaves, and can easily be damaged/bent during installation. Ask me how I know LOL.

dankoos

Was supposed to be "OTR" as in "over the range".

md2lgyk

I know - was just messing with you LOL. Have you solved the problem?

dankoos

I am not going to take the microwave off of the wall. When we installed it, the drywall on the wall it is attached to was not yet installed (on the back side) so I was able to tape up (using foil tape) where the exhaust from the microwave attaches to the exhaust piping. I won't have that kind of access this time, so don't want to mess with it. I am very confident there is no leaking there. I had thrown away the carbon pad that came with it thinking I didn't need it, so I ordered one and will see if that fixes the problem. Since the front vent is where the exaust would come out if we had chosen to vent indoors, I have to figure installing that pad would solve the issue.

On a side note, even though this is a newer model of Samsung microwave/hood, their parts department shows these carbon pads as "no longer available". Gotta love that.

ddawg16

What are you cooking in there that gives off that much grease and oil?

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dankoos

Its not what we are cooking IN the microwave, its what we are cooking on the stove..which is anything w/ oil/pam/etc.

ddawg16

Oh, ok....I had to go back and re-read your original post...my ADHD was kicking in last night....

Yea...your going to be sucking up grease....I would put in those charcol panels. You don't want the vent tube to get lined with grease...potential fire hazard.

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Even Further

Sound like the microwave might be mounted to close to the cooking surface on the range. I agree with adding to the filter element.

Be aware Samsung microwaves are bad on reliability.

dankoos

Stupidly or smartly, we have a 5 year warranty. It is installed at the proper height along with the upper cabinets