Hotpoint Fan running when offwhat to check
Not a fault. Hotpoint publish this as normal: the cooling fan can run for up to thirty minutes after the appliance is switched off.
Before you start
What this means
This is one of only two things Hotpoint UK publish about integrated microwaves, and it earns its place because the behaviour genuinely alarms people. Their answer is that most modern Hotpoint appliances have a cooling fan to prevent the controls getting too hot, that it can run for up to thirty minutes after the appliance has been switched off, and that during this period it may switch off and on, which is perfectly normal. The reason it exists is worth understanding, because it tells you when the behaviour would stop being normal. A built-in appliance sits in a sealed box of chipboard with electronics behind the fascia and a cavity that has just been at oven temperature.
When you switch it off, that heat does not disappear; it soaks outwards, and the hottest moment for the control board is several minutes after cooking rather than during it. So the fan runs on. It cycling off and back on is the appliance measuring, not hunting.
Two things would make this worth a second look. The first is a fan that never stops — not thirty minutes but hours, or from a cold start with nothing cooked — which points at a temperature sensor reading permanently high rather than at the fan. The second is heat you can feel: a cupboard door that is warm, a fascia that is uncomfortable to touch long after use, or the appliance cutting out during a cycle. That is a ventilation problem, and it is usually an installation issue or a blocked path rather than a fault in the appliance. Note that Hotpoint’s own wording for this answer talks about "the oven", on a page filed under integrated microwaves. Both of their two microwave articles do. The behaviour they describe is nonetheless exactly what a built-in microwave does.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Normal post-cooking cooling | Hotpoint’s own answer: up to thirty minutes of run-on, cycling off and on, to keep the controls below their limit. | Common |
| Residual heat after a long or high-temperature cycle | Grill and convection modes leave far more heat in the cavity than microwaving does, so the run-on is longest after those. | Common |
| Restricted ventilation keeping it running | A blocked grille, a greased-up filter or an undersized housing means the fan takes far longer to shift the same heat. | Occasional |
| Temperature sensor reading high | The one that is a fault. A fan that runs continuously from cold is responding to a reading rather than to heat. | Rare |
What to try yourself
Time it. Hotpoint’s figure is up to thirty minutes, so anything inside that after cooking is the appliance doing its job and needs nothing from you.
Note whether it started cold or after use. A fan that runs from a cold start, before anything has been cooked, is the version worth investigating.
Feel the cabinet around and above the appliance. Warmth is expected; a cupboard that is hot to the touch is a ventilation problem rather than a fan problem.
Clear the vents and clean the grease filter if the model has one, then use the appliance normally and time the run-on again.
If it never stops, isolate it at the breaker for a minute to see whether it restarts immediately on power-up. A fan running with nothing cooked, straight after a power cycle, is a sensor or control matter and worth reporting.
Do not block the vents to quieten it and do not remove a panel to disconnect the fan. Both leave a cavity that gets hot with nothing taking the heat away.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your Hotpoint microwave
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0
Time on site
5 minutes
Nothing. This is documented normal behaviour. Costs only arise if investigation shows a genuine ventilation restriction or a sensor fault behind a fan that never stops.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related Hotpoint fault codes
- FGet it checkedThe letter F and a number, with no explanation attached. Hotpoint call it a software fault and ask you to read the number out to them.Related: same brand
- F3E3Usually simple to fixThe food probe is not connected properly, or not making contact. The one fault code Hotpoint publish for a microwave in their own documentation.Related: same brand
Own a Hotpoint microwave? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions
Thirty minutes seems like a long time.
It is Hotpoint’s own figure, and it is an upper bound rather than a target. After a couple of minutes of reheating you will usually get a fraction of it. After a long convection bake in an integrated housing, the full half hour is unremarkable.
It switches off and then comes back on. Is that a fault?
No, and Hotpoint say so specifically: during this period the fan may switch off and on, and this is perfectly normal. It is thermostatic behaviour — the appliance stops when the measured temperature falls and restarts if heat soaking outwards pushes it back up.
Can I switch it off at the wall to stop the noise?
You can, and it is not the best idea. The fan is protecting the electronics from heat that is still in the appliance, and cutting the power removes the only thing moving that heat. If the noise is the problem it is worth checking the fan is not rubbing, which sounds different from an ordinary rush of air.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.