Help wiring a rocker switch

[SlimTidy]

I have a 25yr old Lopi pellet stove. Toward the end of last year the on/off rocker switch went bad. Unfortunately last year when I took the old switch off some of the wires pulled off the switch itself before I could see which wire was connected to which terminal. I have a service manual for the stove and I do see a wiring diagram for the switch but it doesn't specify which terminal each wire should connect to. Is it possible that it isn't important which terminal each hooks to and more important that you keep two pairs of wires together?

The switch has 4 terminals labeled 5b, 2a, 4b, 1a. I have 4 wires. green, green/white, brown/white and red/gray.

I attached the wiring diagram that I have if that helps.

Thanks for any help!

I posted this in another thread that was from last year but haven't gotten any responses. Thought maybe it was too old??

 

[heat seeker]

I'm pretty familiar with schematics, but this one is - challenging. I assume the items numbered 644 and 646 are switches? The numbering and positions are not those of switches. Perhaps integrated circuits? Do your switches have the terminals numbered? If so, this is easy - match wire color to number. If no numbers, a challenge arises.

On further inspection, I think this section of the diagram is of no use here. Can you post the pertinent section? Maybe this is why no responses...

 

[SlimTidy]

I uploaded the manual itself. My model is a 1993. I hope this helps.

I really appreciate the help!

 

[heat seeker]

Okay, this is not too complicated, but not that easy to explain. First of all, does the switch itself indicate which terminal is which? Look for tiny letters such as NO, NC, COM near the terminals. If none there, can you use an ohmmeter? Can you post a photo of the back of the switch? (Not necessary, but might be helpful.)

 

[SlimTidy]

Okay here is the back of the switch. It lists the terminals as 5b, 2a, 4b, 1a though.

 

[heat seeker]

This switch is actually two in one. It would be best if you could verify with a meter, but it appears to me that 4b and 5b are one switch, and 1a and 2a are the other.

Going by page 45 of your diagram, I'd say that the Red/White and solid Green go to the "a"s, and the Brown and Green/Yellow go the the "b"s. To make it clearer, The red/white can go to 1a, and the green to 2a. Brown can go to 4b, and green/yellow to 5b.

This switch is merely two single pole switches in one package, the a's being one switch, the bs being the other. This is all assuming that the wiring diagram is correct for your stove, of course.

 

[SlimTidy]

Is it typical for an on/off switch to be set up as two like that? I have a multi meter and could check for continuity if that would help??

 

[SlimTidy]

Okay so with the switch one way I get continuity between both 1a & 2a as well as between 4b & 5b. With the switch turned the other way I get no continuity on any of the terminals at all.

 

[SlimTidy]

Well I got it all hooked up but am having the same problem that I had last year that led to this.
As soon as you plug the stove in to the outlet the convection blower motor starts running but the on/off switch (even the new one) doesn't turn anything on. Jump all 4 wires together at once and everything works??

 

[heat seeker]

I wouldn't connect all 4 wires together - they are separate for a reason. I suspect either the startup timing block or the control box or a snap disc..

What do you mean by "everything works"?

If the convection blower comes on immediately, it could be the snap disc that senses the stove temp is shorted. That's the way my stove works, YMMV. Page 43 mentions a system snap disc, which might be the one that senses stove temperature. See problem 2 on page six, although the symptoms are different, the switch could be stuck or shorted, making the control think the stove is hot enough to put out heat, and running the convection blower.

Page 15 shows the convection snap disk with gray and red/white wires. Yours may be shorted - check with your meter. See page 17. I would check this first. The previous paragraph, upon further reflection, may not mean anything - I don't know the function of the system snap disc.

Good luck!

ETA: that is perfectly normal, the way your switch works.

ETA: you could try pulling one wire off the convection disc (stove unplugged!) and then try it again.

 

[SlimTidy]

Thanks so much for the help heat seeker! When I pulled the convection blower off to test the convection snap disk I could see that the snap disk itself had fallen from its housing that holds it against the fire box. I tested it and it is faulty. There was continuity between terminals and there shouldn't have been. I am going to order a new snap disk tomorrow.

For tonight I am going to deal with the fact that the blower motor is essentially always on while the stove is plugged in.

 

[heat seeker]

Glad to help, let us know how it turns out!