Induction Hobs

Hi, I have had a pacemaker for a few years now, apart from the initial upset at having it fitted I am accustomed to it. Does anyone out there know anything about Induction Hobs, we have to have a new one this year and I would like to buy Induction as it seems to be quicker (we have no gas in our village so have to have electric) and better but have heard adverse reports about pacemakers, although I go through security at airports with no problem at all. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
Sue Gallagher

3 Comments

Induction Hobs..Cooktops in the USA................

by Tattoo Man - 2013-05-20 02:05:21


...........................my understanding is that Induction Hobs are completely safe..I have personally installed and operated them.

My guess is that you would have to actually lie on one to make the remotest difference. Pacemakers are made ,principally out of titanium and Induction hobs are desisned to work with ferrous-bottomed cookware.

Happy cooking !

Tattoo Man

I've used one - perfectly OK

by SaraTB - 2013-05-20 05:05:43

Hi Sue, although I live in the US, I'm a Brit. When we spend time in the UK, we usually rent a holiday cottage, and a couple of years ago we stayed in one with an induction hob. We cooked every night for a few weeks, and I had no issues at all: I'm 100% paced, so I'm sure I'd have felt it.

Some appliance showrooms have then, all connected up, so you could ask for a demonstration if you wanted to test it: in the unlikely event you felt any thing, you can simply step away from it, and all will return to normal.

As Tattoo Man says, you'd probably have to lie on the hob to feel anything. I think the notes in the manufacturer's manuals are classic 'cover your rear end' stuff: they can't be bothered to actually do the research and their liability people probably just tell them to put a disclaimer in there.

My experience with the induction hob was great, and if I couldn't have gas, would definitely get one myself.

Induction hobs and Pacemakers

by Selwyn - 2013-05-22 07:05:02

My hospital contacted St Jude for me, as I raised this question as the PM was being inserted.

I was advised to keep the PM at least 2 feet away from the active part of the hob.

For further information see:
http://intl-europace.oxfordjournals.org/content/8/5/377.full

Summary:
Patients are at risk if the implant is unipolar and left-sided, if they stand as close as possible to the induction cooktop, and if the pot is not concentric with the induction coil. Unipolar pacing systems can sense interference generated by leakage currents if the patient touches the pot for a long period of time. The most likely response to interference is switching to an asynchronous interference mode. Patients with unipolar pacemakers are at risk only if they are not pacemaker-dependent.

You know you're wired when...

You have a $50,000 chest.

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