mG field levels when appliance is off?

Thread Starter

ThirtyWest

Joined Jul 15, 2017
150
Recently I came into having a little EMF meter and starting checking all sorts of things.

I happened to notice my oven (30 years old in-wall stacked duo) has a large B field (mG) value —while the oven is off.

I know there is a static field because of the lines powering the oven, but without the oven actually on, why would there be any readings?

The reading is taken right in front of the knobs that control the ovens and drops off dramatically as you move the meter toward the oven racks or the surrounding walls.

any help is always appreciated.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
Without knowing more about the oven/stove we can only speculate.

It's POSSIBLE the knob is some sort of active electronic control. It may have a constant power source ready for when someone turns the oven on. It may have a timer feature to allow you to set a "Cook Start Time" or a predetermined cooking time. But it's all speculation.

Or it may simply be the fact that you're putting your meter near a power source.
 

Thread Starter

ThirtyWest

Joined Jul 15, 2017
150
Thanks. I’ll see if I can dig up data on it. It’s quite analog. The only timer is an old twist style that buzzes.

when you say “near a power source” what did you mean?

if it’s only reading when near the knobs then that would mean current was flowing. I could try working it backwards to see how much current. But as you said, unless something is demanding current it shouldn’t read 45mG.
 

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Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
45mG is a magnetic field measure. Is there anything permanently magnetized (intentionally or not) on/in the oven?
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
There is also a digital clock, which must have a power supply. If that supply is mains powered there is probably a transformer present.
 

Thread Starter

ThirtyWest

Joined Jul 15, 2017
150
@LesJones, it probably does and is not just a springloaded timer...but, if the timer isn't on then there's no current flowing.

@Alec_t, there are the racks and a few pans in there but no permanent magnets--nothing that would produce such high readings without a current passing. Besides, the reading was about zero when i moved the meter down there. I hadn't considered a transformer for the clocks. It's not really "digital"...it's an analog flip clock, but i wouldn't be surprised if there was something drawing largely.

I need to poke around and see if there is a Watt value based on which parts are running or not...like a 4 burner electric stove might show.


I've had disproportionately high electric bills than my neighbors so I've been checking the house wiring. I'm wondering if this thing is somehow drawing without actually warming the oven. ? (just conjecture at this point)
 

Thread Starter

ThirtyWest

Joined Jul 15, 2017
150
I can't locate any specs for the oven online so I put a ticket in with GE to see if they can dig something up.

But, 24mG @ .3m gives me something like 3.5 amp. The unit has 9kW and 7kW for the lower and upper halves but i'm not sure which is 120 or which is 240...both are considerable amps. I'm not sure you'd need 3.5 amps to running that old clock and timer. Then again, i'm not familiar with how those things were wired.
 
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