Cleaning oven exhaust fan

[Lee]

Have an electric fan oven which has an vent fan mounted above the grill element. In terms of construction it resembles a boiler fan, not surprisingly it is absolutely caked in burnt on grease. The bearings were free, but the fan blades were catching on the residue. I've managed to clean it enough that it rotates freely but I'd like to clean it more thoroughly. Problem is that it's an alloy housing, would leaving it in a bag with some ammonia solution be a Bad Thing? I guess Caustic is out for the same reason.

If it comes to it, a replacement fan is surprisingly reasonably priced, so it's not worth too much effort :)

[tabbypurr]

Boiling softens the crap so it can be scraped off, if you can remove the housing. Dishwasher also gets some off.

NT

[Lee]

I can remove the stator/frame and the top bearing from the housing but the fan is very securely press fitted to the rotor shaft and unfortunately I cannot remove the rotor or the lower bearing without destroying it :(

The rotor and fan would probably survive the dishwasher quite happily, but I don't think the bearing will :(

[tabbypurr]

I've put whole motors through a dishwaher before now as a last resort. They survived, but it's a small sample set. I expect wrapping the motor well in plastic would help. Maybe holding the fan over a kettle would soften enough, I don't know.

NT

[Thomas Prufer]

Ammonia will etch the aluminium.

Perhaps a aluminium wheel cleaner, for alloy rims on automobiles?

Most alloy wheels are alloy with a coat of paint, powdercoat, or whatever, but I'd expect a cleaner to not attack unprotected aluminium -- as it would be in scratched rim. Still, I wouldn't leave it on for long without testing it for a short period first...

Thomas Prufer

[Lee]

I forgot we have a steam cleaner...

I've had to put it back together for now - women and ovens, eh :) It's working nicely at the moment. Took nearly five years to get bad enough to be rattling, I guessing it won't take any where near as long for it to do it again...

I'll probably just replace it next time, but I will remember to chuck it in the dishwasher. Even if it's just for educational purposes :)

[harry]

White spirit?