Repairing a Discontinued Robinhood Rangehood

When a Robinhood rangehood in an Armidale home stopped working, the owners were faced with a difficult choice. The model was no longer in production, and replacement parts were hard to find. They called John Crawford Appliance Repairs for advice.

The issue began with the rangehood’s touch-sensitive control panel. Only some of the buttons were responding, pointing to a likely fault in the switch module. We managed to track down a replacement switch – a rare part for this discontinued unit. Once fitted, the panel showed some signs of life, with more lights working, but the core functions of the rangehood still wouldn’t start.

We then had a conversation with the customer about whether to continue repairing or replace the unit entirely. But when factoring in the cost of a new rangehood – including cabinetry changes, electrical work, and installation – a full replacement quickly became an expensive option. Continuing with the repair made better sense.

On further inspection, the root of the problem was found: the main printed circuit board (PCB) had corrosion and damage to the soldered connections. Unfortunately, no replacement PCBs were available in Australia, which posed a significant hurdle.

To overcome this, we partnered with a local electronics engineer in the New England region. The PCB had suffered corrosion that had eaten away the metal rings around three connection holes, causing loss of continuity between some relays and the touch pad. The engineer was able to successfully repair the damage, restoring those connections and refurbishing the board.

After careful reinstallation, the fan speeds and core functions of the rangehood were fully restored.

This job took considerable coordination and effort, but it was well worth it. Choosing to repair instead of replace saved the customer both time and money – and kept a functional appliance out of landfill.

At John Crawford Appliance Repairs, we proudly serve Armidale and the wider New England region. With over 30 years of experience, we focus on practical, cost-effective repair solutions – especially when replacement isn’t the best option. If you’re in the Armidale area and dealing with a faulty or discontinued appliance, give us a call. We’re here to help.