I hope someone here can help me identify this switch or an equivalent
one. It's from an old (late '70s) GE range hood. There are a pair of
pushbutton switches - one controls the fan - push once for high speed,
push again for low, push again for off. The light switch is similar -
push once for bright, again for dim, again for off. The light switch
has failed. It's a mechanical failure, it won't pop out any more. I
will replace it when I can find another of its kind.

This one is a Leviton brand. It looks like the push or rotary switches
I've seen on many light fixtures. I see some such switches referred to
as "canopy" switches. Engraved on the front copper face is:

UND.LAB.INC.LIST.
1A-250V
3A-125V
3A-125 V.A.C.-L
SA (in a circle)

Can anyone help steer me in the right direction? Pictures at:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

On 7/15/2018 5:15 PM, Nil wrote:
I hope someone here can help me identify this switch or an equivalent
one. It's from an old (late '70s) GE range hood. There are a pair of
pushbutton switches - one controls the fan - push once for high speed,
push again for low, push again for off. The light switch is similar -
push once for bright, again for dim, again for off. The light switch
has failed. It's a mechanical failure, it won't pop out any more. I
will replace it when I can find another of its kind.

This one is a Leviton brand. It looks like the push or rotary switches
I've seen on many light fixtures. I see some such switches referred to
as "canopy" switches. Engraved on the front copper face is:

UND.LAB.INC.LIST.
1A-250V
3A-125V
3A-125 V.A.C.-L
SA (in a circle)

Can anyone help steer me in the right direction? Pictures at:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

Looks like a standard 3 speed fan push switch
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/54...SABEgKB8PD_BwE

https://www.walmart.com/ip/ES15102-G...l13=&veh= sem

On 15 Jul 2018, BQ340 wrote in
alt.home.repair:

On 7/15/2018 5:15 PM, Nil wrote:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

Looks like a standard 3 speed fan push switch

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/54223/PLT-10038.html

https://www.walmart.com/ip/ES15102-G...itch/101963790

I would think it's a pretty standard switch, since it's not doing
anything very fancy. I would have liked to have found the exact
same brand and model switch but they're probably not made any more.
I see others similar to the ones you cite at amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Push-.../dp/B004PAWPR2

https://www.amazon.com/Satco-90-1679.../dp/B0042FAK5E

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010O67BXI

On 7/15/2018 4:15 PM, Nil wrote:
I hope someone here can help me identify this switch or an equivalent
one. It's from an old (late '70s) GE range hood. There are a pair of
pushbutton switches - one controls the fan - push once for high speed,
push again for low, push again for off. The light switch is similar -
push once for bright, again for dim, again for off. The light switch
has failed. It's a mechanical failure, it won't pop out any more. I
will replace it when I can find another of its kind.

This one is a Leviton brand. It looks like the push or rotary switches
I've seen on many light fixtures. I see some such switches referred to
as "canopy" switches. Engraved on the front copper face is:

UND.LAB.INC.LIST.
1A-250V
3A-125V
3A-125 V.A.C.-L
SA (in a circle)

Can anyone help steer me in the right direction? Pictures at:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

www.newark.com
www.digikey.com

Oftentimes such are OEM-specific so you have to find something that
meets function rather than specific 1:1 replacement.

It would be helpful if there were a Leviton part no besides the ratings;
what they show is you need something rated 3A @ 125VAC.

--

On 15 Jul 2018, dpb wrote in alt.home.repair:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

www.newark.com
www.digikey.com

Oftentimes such are OEM-specific so you have to find something
that meets function rather than specific 1:1 replacement.

It would be helpful if there were a Leviton part no besides the
ratings; what they show is you need something rated 3A @ 125VAC.

I see no part number, but you may be right about it being an OEM part.
"Leviton" is embossed on the plastic/Bakelite back, but "UND LAB INC"
is engraved on the metal, and that appears to be an actual company
name. I sent an email to Leviton, but don't really expect them to
respond. Meanwhile, I will cook wearing my miner's helmet.

On Sunday, July 15, 2018 at 7:37:18 PM UTC-4, Nil wrote:
On 15 Jul 2018, dpb wrote in alt.home.repair:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

www.newark.com
www.digikey.com

Oftentimes such are OEM-specific so you have to find something
that meets function rather than specific 1:1 replacement.

It would be helpful if there were a Leviton part no besides the
ratings; what they show is you need something rated 3A @ 125VAC.

I see no part number, but you may be right about it being an OEM part.
"Leviton" is embossed on the plastic/Bakelite back, but "UND LAB INC"
is engraved on the metal,

That's Underwriters Lab, which means it's UL certified. It has nothing
to do with who make it, which is Leviton. I seriously doubt it's a
custome part, it was probably a common Leviton switch at the time, no
need for anything fancy for that application. The key things are the
mounting hole size and that space is not tight behind it. In which
case you should be able to find one that fits. Hole is probably a
standard size, you could ream it out if need be I guess. It also
needs to be rated for 125V, 3A or higher.





and that appears to be an actual company
name. I sent an email to Leviton, but don't really expect them to
respond. Meanwhile, I will cook wearing my miner's helmet.

On 7/15/2018 6:56 PM, trader_4 wrote:
....

That's Underwriters Lab, which means it's UL certified. It has nothing
to do with who make it, which is Leviton. I seriously doubt it's a
custome part, it was probably a common Leviton switch at the time, no
need for anything fancy for that application. The key things are the
mounting hole size and that space is not tight behind it. In which
case you should be able to find one that fits. Hole is probably a
standard size, you could ream it out if need be I guess. It also
needs to be rated for 125V, 3A or higher.
....

It's not that there's anything special about the switch itself, it's
just that they're often not made except for OEM applications and thus
not available elsewhere as standard Leviton catalog item...

--

On 15 Jul 2018, trader_4 wrote in
alt.home.repair:

That's Underwriters Lab, which means it's UL certified.

Doh! Of course. I should have seen that.

The key things are the mounting hole size and that space is not
tight behind it. In which case you should be able to find one
that fits. Hole is probably a standard size, you could ream it
out if need be I guess. It also needs to be rated for 125V, 3A or
higher.

What about the spec "1A-250V"? Is that something I need to pay
attention to?

On 7/15/18 9:07 PM, Nil wrote:
On 15 Jul 2018, trader_4 wrote in
alt.home.repair:

That's Underwriters Lab, which means it's UL certified.

Doh! Of course. I should have seen that.

The key things are the mounting hole size and that space is not
tight behind it. In which case you should be able to find one
that fits. Hole is probably a standard size, you could ream it
out if need be I guess. It also needs to be rated for 125V, 3A or
higher.

What about the spec "1A-250V"? Is that something I need to pay
attention to?

Not unless you're switching 250 volts. The switch can handle 1 amp
at that voltage.

On 7/15/2018 7:37 PM, Nil wrote:


I see no part number, but you may be right about it being an OEM part.
"Leviton" is embossed on the plastic/Bakelite back, but "UND LAB INC"
is engraved on the metal, and that appears to be an actual company
name.

It is a company name. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. They don't make
anything, they test products to assure they meet certain specifications.

You may get lucky and find it at an appliance repair shop. Especially
one that has been in business for a long time and is an authorized GE
shop..

The Resolution:

I emailed Leviton and a local electronics parts store about identifying
the mystery switch. Leviton responded to say that they stopped making
industrial switches of that kind many years ago. I suspected that might
be true, as they seem to mainly be into residential light switches
these days. The local store never responded. I decided to take a chance
and I bought a switch from Amazon that seemed to be similar to some
suggested in this thread. It wasn't expensive.

I installed it today. It did sorta work, but the light was only off or
on, no dim setting, and you had to push the button 4 times to cycle
back to Off. It was adequate, but I didn't like the way it worked or
felt.

Then I opened up the old switch - not hard to do, just pry open three
metal tabs on the back. The mechanism inside is pretty clever - pushing
the button pushes a spring-loaded corkscrew-shaped tab that rotates a
little ratcheted wheel against the three wire's contacts. Each push of
the button advances the wheel one notch. It was obvious what the
failure was: the little spring had finally, after 40 years of use,
broken. I ended up cannibalizing a ballpoint pen for its spring, which
I cut to length. I thoroughly cleaned all the little parts, lubricated
it with a tiny dab of Vaseline, and reassembled it. Its click felt
right, so I re-installed it in the range hood, and it works fine! With
some luck it will last for another 40 years, and now I know it can be
fixed with a ball point pen.

So, all's well. Thanks to everybody for your thoughts and suggestions.


On 15 Jul 2018, Nil wrote in
alt.home.repair:

I hope someone here can help me identify this switch or an
equivalent one. It's from an old (late '70s) GE range hood. There
are a pair of pushbutton switches - one controls the fan - push
once for high speed, push again for low, push again for off. The
light switch is similar - push once for bright, again for dim,
again for off. The light switch has failed. It's a mechanical
failure, it won't pop out any more. I will replace it when I can
find another of its kind.

This one is a Leviton brand. It looks like the push or rotary
switches I've seen on many light fixtures. I see some such
switches referred to as "canopy" switches. Engraved on the front
copper face is:

UND.LAB.INC.LIST.
1A-250V
3A-125V
3A-125 V.A.C.-L
SA (in a circle)

Can anyone help steer me in the right direction? Pictures at:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

On Friday, July 20, 2018 at 12:16:58 AM UTC-5, Nil wrote:
The Resolution:

I emailed Leviton and a local electronics parts store about identifying
the mystery switch. Leviton responded to say that they stopped making
industrial switches of that kind many years ago. I suspected that might
be true, as they seem to mainly be into residential light switches
these days. The local store never responded. I decided to take a chance
and I bought a switch from Amazon that seemed to be similar to some
suggested in this thread. It wasn't expensive.

I installed it today. It did sorta work, but the light was only off or
on, no dim setting, and you had to push the button 4 times to cycle
back to Off. It was adequate, but I didn't like the way it worked or
felt.

Then I opened up the old switch - not hard to do, just pry open three
metal tabs on the back. The mechanism inside is pretty clever - pushing
the button pushes a spring-loaded corkscrew-shaped tab that rotates a
little ratcheted wheel against the three wire's contacts. Each push of
the button advances the wheel one notch. It was obvious what the
failure was: the little spring had finally, after 40 years of use,
broken. I ended up cannibalizing a ballpoint pen for its spring, which
I cut to length. I thoroughly cleaned all the little parts, lubricated
it with a tiny dab of Vaseline, and reassembled it. Its click felt
right, so I re-installed it in the range hood, and it works fine! With
some luck it will last for another 40 years, and now I know it can be
fixed with a ball point pen.

So, all's well. Thanks to everybody for your thoughts and suggestions.


On 15 Jul 2018, Nil wrote in
alt.home.repair:

I hope someone here can help me identify this switch or an
equivalent one. It's from an old (late '70s) GE range hood. There
are a pair of pushbutton switches - one controls the fan - push
once for high speed, push again for low, push again for off. The
light switch is similar - push once for bright, again for dim,
again for off. The light switch has failed. It's a mechanical
failure, it won't pop out any more. I will replace it when I can
find another of its kind.

This one is a Leviton brand. It looks like the push or rotary
switches I've seen on many light fixtures. I see some such
switches referred to as "canopy" switches. Engraved on the front
copper face is:

UND.LAB.INC.LIST.
1A-250V
3A-125V
3A-125 V.A.C.-L
SA (in a circle)

Can anyone help steer me in the right direction? Pictures at:

http://rednoise.vacau.com/temp/switch/

Good for you feller! People used to repair things instead of trashing them. Young people need to be taught how to use tools and fix things like when I was back in high school a half-century ago. There were shop classes when I was in school and boys knew how to fix their own cars in those days. I was always taking things apart when I was a kid because I wanted to know how they worked. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Fixit Monster

On 7/19/2018 10:16 PM, Nil wrote:
The Resolution:

I emailed Leviton and a local electronics parts store about identifying
the mystery switch. Leviton responded to say that they stopped making
industrial switches of that kind many years ago. I suspected that might
be true, as they seem to mainly be into residential light switches
these days. The local store never responded. I decided to take a chance
and I bought a switch from Amazon that seemed to be similar to some
suggested in this thread. It wasn't expensive.

I installed it today. It did sorta work, but the light was only off or
on, no dim setting, and you had to push the button 4 times to cycle
back to Off. It was adequate, but I didn't like the way it worked or
felt.

Then I opened up the old switch - not hard to do, just pry open three
metal tabs on the back. The mechanism inside is pretty clever - pushing
the button pushes a spring-loaded corkscrew-shaped tab that rotates a
little ratcheted wheel against the three wire's contacts. Each push of
the button advances the wheel one notch. It was obvious what the
failure was: the little spring had finally, after 40 years of use,
broken. I ended up cannibalizing a ballpoint pen for its spring, which
I cut to length. I thoroughly cleaned all the little parts, lubricated
it with a tiny dab of Vaseline, and reassembled it. Its click felt
right, so I re-installed it in the range hood, and it works fine! With
some luck it will last for another 40 years, and now I know it can be
fixed with a ball point pen.

So, all's well. Thanks to everybody for your thoughts and suggestions.


That's my kind of home repair solution. Good job!

On 20 Jul 2018, Bob F wrote in
alt.home.repair:

That's my kind of home repair solution. Good job!

Thanks! It all depended the spring inside the switch being like one I
had on hand. If I had had to shop around for some weird-ass size or
stiffness of spring, I wouldn't have bothered trying to rebuild it.
Luckily it turned out to be almost just like the one in a ball-point
pen. I opened up three different pens before finding just the right
one.

On 7/21/2018 11:19 AM, Nil wrote:
On 20 Jul 2018, Bob F wrote in
alt.home.repair:

That's my kind of home repair solution. Good job!

Thanks! It all depended the spring inside the switch being like one I
had on hand. If I had had to shop around for some weird-ass size or
stiffness of spring, I wouldn't have bothered trying to rebuild it.
Luckily it turned out to be almost just like the one in a ball-point
pen. I opened up three different pens before finding just the right
one.


I bought a packet of 2 springs a couple of weeks ago so I could cut one
shorter and bend a couple loops out 90 degrees, to replace a missing
sliding door latch spring on my recently acquired used minivan. I
couldn't find any springs at HD, but Lowes had a bunch of different ones
near the screen door parts. The alternative was $40 for the whole mechanism.