Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Re: Hygena cooker hood circuit board
Cheers K. All points noted. I still think that a 3 amp fuse is a better safeguard than a strip of PC material which made a HUGE bang when it blew, whereas a 3 amp fuse will blow in a “contained” manner. The small lamps in our houses all have 3 amp fuses don’t they? So why rely on a strip of PCB as a safety device? Also to say that the 13 amp fuse is one of the safety devices I cannot agree. A friend some years ago had a small table lamp bulb short and blow its fuse. The fuse in the plug was a 13 amp one. It went off with a horrendous bang and illustrated that 13 amp is not suitable. The burnt mess at the back of our PCB also illustrates that it was also not a good item to regard as a safeguard.
All the above IMHO of sourse.
Regards
PeteRe: Hygena cooker hood circuit board
Hi K
Point taken regarding the lights not designed to be used for long periods. If I could obtain a new PCB, I would still wire in a 3 amp fuse. If you consider what I have done, I cannot agree that I have created two circuits – merely extended an existing one. There is still only one power input to the hood unit. I have just taken the feed to the lights from the switched side of the microswitch, thus divorcing the PCB light control. Upon your advice, we will now turn off the power supply on nightly retirement and not leave the lights on for long periods. Regarding the microswitch, I have had one of these to bits years ago and, correct me if I am wrong, but with the mechanical lever design I can’t see how one could fail in a way that would make the connection.
Our PCB failed when we pulled the hood out to switch the lights on. One of the bulbs had internally shorted. Now this may well have been the result of leaving the lights on for long periods, but the point I’m trying to make here is that I would not be willing to replace the PCB each time a bulb decided to blow the board when a simple 3 amp fuse is quicker and cheaper to replace.
I hope you understand my position and if you consider it necessary I am more than willing to delete my posts.
PeteRe: Hygena cooker hood circuit board
Hi Kwatt
Thanks for your reply. I fully realise that you are giving advice in good faith. However, I still cannot understand why a circuit is designed so that in the event of an internal bulb failure a strip of circuit board blows out. How can this be possibly considered a safe standard? In the case of the microswitch failing, I do not see that a hazard as my light circuit is now protected with a 3 amp fuse. We often leave the lights of the hood on during evenings as this gives a nice lighting for the kitchen area. With regards to warranty, our unit is now well over ten years old (probably why we cannot obtain the correct PCB)
With regard to others reading my post, I would expect that most of the users of this forum have a good knowledge of electrics and those who have not will seek professional advice. However, let me state for the record that I posted my solution mainly to highlight my opinion of the inadvisability of a light circuit being fed by a 13 amp fuse thus putting the PCB in jeopardy. I stand by this opinion.
PeteRe: Hygena cooker hood model PPL2422
Well, sorted it all now. Removed complete assembly, took it into the workshop and stripped out the electrics. Snipped the pink wire from the circuit board. Soldered a new wire to the microswitch output ( the tag with the blue wire on) fed this wire through the sleeving after pulling the pink one out. These wires then were extended out with the input wiring. Put it all together again, and wired in a fused supply socket with a 3 amp fuse in, next to the on/off supply socket in the cupboard above the hood, after refitting the hood assembly. Result? Fan still works, governed by the microswitch as before. Light comes on every time the hood is extended, and not affected by the seperate switch (who cares!) Now if a pesky bulb decides to commit filament suicide, only a 3 amp fuse to replace. Chuffed with the result.
I still can’t work out why the manufacturers feed the lights through a circuit board which is fed from a 13 amp fuse. It is a wonder that when the bulbs fail by way of an internal short, wiring doesn’t catch fire. Fair enough, the circuit board strip burns out but to my way of thinking it is a poor design which could easily be solved by having a low current fuse somewhere in the assembly. If I ever move I will be checking any future-owned hood for this set-up, and if necessary at least fit an in-line 3 amp fuse in the light feed.
FWIW
PeteRe: Hygena cooker hood model PPL2422
Had a proper look, it is an APL2422 after all. Looking at the spares list, however, the picture of the switch shows it as a small square item. Now puzzled. Help!
PeteRe: Hygena cooker hood model PPL2422
Cheers NWAR – I was sure it was PPL but I was having to almost stand on my head to see it. It is the slimline jobbie – I’ll have a better look once I get back home tonight. Mind you, the switch panel looks like it is a bit more than a tenner’s worth. It is the one with the rotary switches; fan switch multispeed, and the light switch off, manual or auto ( goes on with hood pulled out, or did!…) and the PCB about 3 inches in length, now with a blackened bit on.
Pete
