Why Are The Buttons On Your Induction Stove Are Not Working

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Fred's Appliance
October 5, 2020
Oven Repair

Induction stoves can be a great — and child-safe — tool in the kitchen compared to other cooktops. The stove only produces heat when it comes in contact with an induction appropriate pan bottom. That means curious hands don’t lead to burnt fingers, even if they happen to press the right buttons to turn it on. However, if your induction stove comes with touch pad buttons instead of knobs, it can be particularly frustrating when you go to turn them on and nothing happens. Touch button are not the same as physical knobs and can have different problems that prevent them from working. If you are perhaps more familiar troubleshooting the old knobbed cooktops of old, here is what you should be checking if your induction stove is not working and you suspect it is the buttons.

Before You Start

While there are some innocent causes of the touch pad buttons on your induction stove not working, you should be aware that if the problem may require any disassembly at all, you will want to shut off the power. There is a chance of electric shock when disassembling an induction stove when left connected to the power, so it is crucial that you prioritize your safety.

Check the Child Lock

One of the first problems that should always be checked for with this particular issue is the child lock. Induction burners are meant to be the child-safe option for stoves in the home. However, while they prevent accidental burns, having a child accidentally turn on the stove is a waste of energy. As such, induction stoves all come with a form of child lock for the buttons so they cannot be accidentally activated.

In most models, the child lock will look like a padlock or a key on your control. It may even have an indicator light that it is engaged. However, if you cannot find it right away, your owner’s manual will guide you on your specific model of induction stove.

Touch Sensitivity Interference

How clean is the touch pad on your induction stove? If the answer is “not very,” you will want to both clean and dry it before trying to use it again. The main downside to a touch pad controls is that they can be rather easily obscured by outside factors. Liquids in particular can prevent them from activating appropriately. You can tell pretty easily if there is grime on your touch pad that is interfering with the sensitivity, so you should know if it needs cleaning or not.

Try a Cold Reset

The cold reset can fix this issue as well as a number of induction stove issues. The reset was put in place due to the fact that there is the potential for the stove to become stuck on or off. Like most electrical appliances, the appliance will reset the parts that can be reset after enough time without power.

If your induction stove may be stuck in the off position, you simply need to turn off electricity at the main breaker for at least 30 minutes. This will be enough time for most models to perform a cold reset on itself. This is something that can work, but may not work either. However, it is relatively harmless to try.

Malfunction Touch Pad Buttons

When it comes to actual physical malfunctions with your induction stove’s touch pad, your first suspect will rightly be the buttons themselves. Ideally, a touch pad is designed to function for the maximum lifespan. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes they become damaged and stop working. Sometimes the whole touch pad becomes faulty. The touch pad is usually on single whole part. This means you simply need to consult your owner’s manual to find the appropriate replacement and how to remove it. You will then simply need to install the new model.

Defective Circuit Board

While the touch pad on your induction stove has its own parts, mostly they are designed to withstand the wear of being pressed occasionally over a lifetime. If your induction stove buttons are not responding at all, it could be possible that the circuit board in your stove has gone faulty. If this is the case rather than the parts more specific to the touch pad, you will likely see some other signs. Before the circuit board completely cuts out, there will likely have been a few inconsistencies with the function of the stove. Perhaps a burner didn’t work, certain buttons stopped working first, or even the display was having problems. Regardless of what happened, malfunctions can be early warning signs that the circuit board is going faulty on you.

Reaching the circuit board is different in many kinds of induction stoves. However, in most induction stove models, the circuit board is located right underneath the touch pad. In order to reach it, you must remove the touch pad buttons and you will find the board underneath. You may notice that it is bent or has scorch marks. However, sometimes malfunction manifests in no physical signs at all. Once you have reached the circuit board, replacing it is simpler than you would expect. Take note of where the wires are connected and disconnect them. You will then need to remove some mounting screws and the board will come right out. Connect the wires to the new board that is the appropriate replacement for your induction stove, secure it down, and reassemble your induction stove. Your touch pad and the induction stove as a whole will work as designed.

Need Help?

Are you still having problems with your induction burner? Do you think you know what’s wrong, but don’t feel confident in your ability to repair it? We can help with that. If you are having any appliance problems and need the help of a professional, contact us today. The professionals at Fred’s Appliance Repair can help you get all your appliance problems — no matter how simple or complex — fixed up quickly so you can get back to your uninterrupted everyday life.

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