Stove top hood controls
 

Raining all weekend so it's project-palooza. The touchless controls for my stove hood were going wonky so I ordered a new control set. What they sent didn't work so I took the button box apart and cleaned it (lot of oil) and it started working. But not working.

Control box not mounted, held in your hand
Springs work fine
Button plate works fine. In fact button plate you can get your finger close but doesn't touch a button and it actuates on and off

Box mounted, that is held in place in the hood
Springs (no button plate) don't work
Buttons don't work

Box just touching the hood, nothing works

It's a plastic box.

Any ideas? Seems very odd.

New controls on top, old with separate button plate below. No idea what the circuit board is for, I don't have one.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1622317346.jpg



Holding my old control box. Only springs. Works fine.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1622317346.jpg



With the plate, works fine
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1622317346.jpg



Held in place in hood. No button plate. Doesn't work. I started the fan at level 1 before holding it up.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1622317346.jpg



Just holding the box against the underside of the hood. Doesn't work.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1622317346.jpg

Some kind of magnet or electrical interference caused by being near the hood?

Yeah, is the hood properly grounded with an EGC? (if you don't know the term, it's equipment grounding connector in electrician's speak, the green wire. But it has to show connectivity.)

I have a fridge in the garage that leaks enough current that it zings you if you're in bare feet on the concrete. The grounding circuit in my garage is deficient. (Working on it installing a new sub panel and separate ground rod.)

Good question Milt, I am assuming it isn't. I'll check later today. The controls have worked for 10 years or so.

The hood itself is just mounted to the wall. There's no ground from the hood to a building ground. The fan is a standard plug that is in a floating outlet i the rafters that is bridging the wire from the breaker box to a wall out next to the stove. it's 3 wire grounded of course.

get rid of it and re-purpose some old flip switches from a Jag

When electronics work by touching or holding them it is typically a capacitance issue.

Your body is acting as a capacitor.

Hence the ground.