Hood Speed Control and Switch Bank
| What it is | The bank of contacts behind the control strip that decides how much of the supply reaches the blower. |
|---|---|
| Where it sits | Behind the control strip on the front edge of the hood |
| How it fails | Every setting gives one speed, or one setting does nothing |
| Checked with | Continuity through each position, then voltage out to the motor |
| Price | Quoted after the $89 visit |
What the switch bank actually switches
Nothing in that strip drives the blower on its own. Each position closes a path, either straight through to the motor or into a board that does the heavy switching one step later. Hoods are wired both ways. The two behave differently when a single position dies: a directly switched hood loses that speed and keeps the others, while one running through electronics can lose everything at once.
One speed on every setting
The complaint that brings us out is a hood that runs, but runs identically however it is set. That narrows things quickly. Air that never changes means the motor is receiving one fixed feed no matter which contact closes — a bridged or welded switch, a loose common wire behind the strip, or an output stuck on. What it does not mean is a failing motor: a motor turning and pulling is doing its part.
Continuity first, board second
Meter on the switch bank, power off, each position checked for a path that appears only when that position is chosen. A contact reading closed on every setting has answered the question by itself. Where the switching is clean, the next reading is taken downstream, on what leaves the control when each speed is called for. Boards are condemned here far less often than owners expect.
What putting it right costs
This one has no published band. Wolf Repair Los Angeles puts a figure on it after the diagnosis, as one number covering the part and the labour, and nothing is ordered until you have agreed it — (310) 626-4008.
A flat $89 buys the call-out and a full diagnosis, and that $89 is deducted from the repair once you have approved it.
Follow-ups
Can a failed speed control leave the hood stuck on full?
Yes. Where the contact carrying top speed has welded shut, or a board output stays energised, the blower keeps pulling whatever else you choose. It is loud rather than dangerous, and the hood can be left off at the breaker until someone comes. Wolf Repair Los Angeles proves the switching before ordering a part, on (310) 626-4008.
Is the speed control the same thing as the display board?
Not always. On a simpler hood the buttons are the switch: they carry the current themselves, straight out to the blower and the lamps. On a hood built around electronics the buttons only place a request and the board does the work. Two different parts, two different prices, and telling them apart comes first.