Question:
My neighbor just had a set of new garage door openers installed. The
remotes didn't work. Installer couldn't figure it out. Gave up and removed
openers.
Second guy with different openers had same problem but finally traced it
to the Kitchen Aid Superba gas oven (not microwave) since everything works
fine once the oven is unplugged. I think the oven is on a different
circuit than the openers. It seems to be putting out some frequency that
is jamming the remotes. The oven does not have to be on to jam, just
plugged it. Installer says he's never seen a problem like it.
What could cause an oven to do this?
Answer:
The only thing I can think of would be that the range's electronics are
so messed up that it is emitting much electrical noise into the house's
electrical wiring. Maybe the RF receiver of the garage door opener is
too sensitive to noise and can't decipher the signal from the remotes.
It sounds like the conrol circuitry of oven is emitting RF signal and
swamping the garage door opener's receiver. If it has pig tail antenna,
make it as short as posible and see. Or I know opener circuitry does not
have good shielding but first thing to do is to contact oven
manufacturer and FCC as well, I guess. Being a retired EE, I think I can
tackle like this if it were in my neighborhood but really it is oven
manufacturer's responsibility.
the garage door opener normally operates in a frequency band
which is also used for militrary and airforce communications, so the FCC
should be concerned about a consumer product radiating a strong signal
in that band. If they are doing their job, the FCC would at a minimum
research the certifications for the oven to see if the manufacturer did
the required testing.
