Touch-control ranges and pets.

[paulg]

This topic has come up before but I cannot find the thread.
Previously there was a discussion about pets and appliances, particularly pets turning on smoothtop ranges equipped with knob-less touch-control. I am particularly sensitive to this subject as I am a CFEI and worked for a company that made electric ranges. I was involved with product safety.
We do own a smoothtop range with touch-control. In the past, I DID see with my own two eyes, our cat jump on the counter and sit down on the unlock button. The cat actually was able to unlock the range. When the range beeped, it startled the cat who then walked onto the burner button, activating that too. The burner did not turn on as one has to touch the burner button once more. I removed the cat before he could start the range.
I came up with my own remedy. Will explain that later.
Then came the reports of a hundred or more house fires in Korea due to cats turning on ranges equipped with touch-control. Very concerning.
Well, the other day I went over to my late MIL’s house to check in. A cousin, and retired fireman is moving in. He has two cats.
He pulled me over and asked what to do as the cat had unlocked the smoothtop range. They own a different brand than I. Our two range brands are not related and are from two wildly different manufacturers.
He observed the cat putting its paw on the unlock button and the range unlocked. I went over to the range and put my finger on the unlock pad. The range unlocked rather quickly.
We experimented with his range to see what would unlock it. He picked up a metal saucepan by the handle and touched it to the unlock pad. The range quickly unlocked.
And so it appears that in some ranges (his and mine) you don’t need a warm finger to unlock the range, just merely present some CHANGE to the unlock pad / button. I don’t know if the smoothtop is designed to detect a change in temperature or capacitance.
So today I decide to make bacon in my Westinghouse Baconer. I plug the Baconer far down the counter but mindlessly placed the plastic package of cold bacon on the range top. BEEP BEEP BEEP and the range is unlocked using cold bacon.
Experimented some more. I could unlock the range with a metal spoon. Again, I am unsure whether it is a capacitive or temperature change which is triggering the unlock function.
… And so I write this dissertation for this reason. Many people think that pressure on the unlock pad by a warm finger is the only way to unlock a touch-control range. With at least our two brands this appears to not be true. In our experience, an ABRUPT CHANGE presented to the unlock pad is what unlocks it.
Unfortunately I do not have the schematics for either range so I cannot definitively tell.
My remedy for the range was sort-of two-fold. We actually had two ranges. The first range was rather easily tripped by the cat. I came up with a cover for the touch-control pads. It worked. However I will not mention here what I used as I think it was not the best idea after all even though it did work.
The first smoothtop range failed and we replaced it with the same brand but newer model. This one is more resistant to unlocking so I don’t feel the need to cover the touch pads.
I suggested to my cousin that he concocts a cover for his touch pads but one that doesn’t touch the pads at all. He’s a very good tech and seemed to understand the value of doing so. He is also considering putting a circuit-breaker under the counter to kill power when the range is unused.
In my case, I now pull the breaker to the range when on vacation. It will likely be the last touch-control range I buy.
Whew! Comments and questions welcome.

 

[vacerator]

Lock out

the controls! My buddy's siamese cat used to walk accross his Kitchen aid slide in range an turn on the oven.

 

[combo52]

Touch control range safety

First of all I wouldn’t live in a house where cats get on the kitchen countertop, but that’s a whole Nother topic.

Anyone with any range should be able to turn on all four burners on high and the oven to 500° and go to work With no danger of a fire.

You should never keep flammable things on top of range or in an oven or extremely close to the burners humans are just as likely to accidentally turn on an oven or burner.

Working with appliances for over 50 years I’ve never had a customer tell me that the cat turned on a smooth top touch controlled appliance, I know it’s theoretically possible but it takes two distinct movements within a certain period of time do so , the Ranges they have in South Korea did not have the safety design built in that we have here in the US.

John L

 

[mattl]

Got to agree, no cats on the counter-ever! Walk through a litter box then the countertop, yuck.  Induction is the answer, no pot no heat no matter what the setting is.

 

[paulg]

As I explained…

I DID lock out the controls. The point of my report is that I witnessed the cat unlock the range (which takes three seconds alone), then select a burner. One more touch with the paw and the burner would be activated.
Yes, cats CAN do this, and that is the point of my report here. The cat was just about to perform the THIRD and final motion when I took him off the range.
Home animals are unpredictable. I think some range manufacturers didn’t do a good enough job to prevent accidental activation.
Some people would say that a knob range couldn’t be activated because you have to push in the knob and turn it. However, dogs are known to perform that task with bad result.
I disagree that a range can be turned on fully with no risk so long as nothing is on the burner. Radiant heat can ignite adjacent items over time.

 

[combo52]

Solid element and smooth top ranges

Both have built-in temperature limiting devices so it’s very unlikely the radiant heat would set anything on fire, if they’re properly installed there shouldn’t be anything flammable near enough to them, the biggest danger is if somebody has a silly over the range microwave that’s half plastic that would probably be eventually damaged, but they will turn on their exhaust fan automatically to protect themselves.

Absent minded consumers leave burners and ovens on all the time very seldom causes any problem.

I’ve seen many people leave all four gas burners on high trying to heat a house without any problem as well.

But it’s always good to be cautious if you have cats that jump on the countertops put something over the controls, and always keep flammable stuff away from any kitchen appliance toasters toaster ovens etc. etc.