Hi, I've just replaced the Brian-Nutone Sv3255 Control Assembly in my residential Best brand range hood for the second time in two years (@ $200 ea). The design for this system allows grease from the stove top to get into the assembly, and causes the Slide Potentiometer soldered to the circuit board assembly to fail, disabling control of the fan speed. The pot is about 45 mm long x 8 mm wide, with a slide distance of 38 mm. The pcb is easy to access and there's plenty of room around the solders. I'm thinking that if I could just identify the slide pot, I could replace it myself, but I don't know how to identify or name it. I've tried emailing the vendor, but I can't get through to anyone who understands what I'm looking for. Just thought I'd try here for help. I have a picture of the assembly that points to the slide pot and a link to the new assembly on Amazon if that might provide a clue. Any direction from the community would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

https://a.co/d/bTBMRTZ

 

Remove the slide pot assembly- desolder it from the board, take photos.
Measure the pins and spacings.

I know... a lot of work, but this is the only way to even get close to a correct part.
Or... replace it with a rotary unit and drill a hole.
(this is why nobody fixes stuff anymore)

 

Are there any writing on the side of the potentiometer itself? Well, hard to see, but try it please.
If yes, then You're probably lucky. Try to copy it exactly either to google or here, and someone can decode it to You, and then You can buy a substitution part somewhere - You may also get advices for buying such a component.

 

OK, so had to snip it off. The pins and supports were too close together for me to work it loose. There are 4 support legs and 3 pins. The label on the bottom is B500K and 2102. Linear 500,000 ohms? I'm sure there's more to it. How or where would you order something like this?

 

That would make it a 500k ohm resistor with a "B" taper. Generally, a "B" taper is linear.
The 2102 seems to be a date code.
To be sure, measure the resistance with an ohm meter. Slide the control half way (to the middle), and the resistance will tell if it is linear or "audio" (logarithmic). Linear would be 50% of the full value in the middle. A Log taper would be way off that 50% value (depending on which end you measure from).

 

Here is a data sheet for the PTA series from Bourns.
bourns
Panasonic.
Panasonic
Each data sheet shows many different sizes. Each company has something close.

 

Wonderful. Many thanks to you and the rest of the community!