Cooker & Oven Elements

In this short video we quickly explain How to test oven elements to see if it has blown or gone to earth, in other words, to see if it is indeed faulty or not.
Although this Repair Guide refers to Fan Oven Elements, the same principles apply to most Cooker and oven Elements. Fan Oven Element Not Heating? Fan Oven No Heat & Blowing Out Cold Air?

Fan oven elements fail when the element’s internal filament fails. This will sometimes short circuits to the exterior of the Oven Element, and can cause the fuse or trip to blow some times called the breaker. This will often leave a visible split or bulge on the element, (see photos below), but not always. Sometimes you may have noticed an electrical flash or sparks from the element.

The photos show fairly typical examples of a blown fan oven element. On some occasions however, there will be no visible signs of damage, this occurs when the internal filament has failed, but hasn't shorted through the silica insulation to the outer metal casing of the element. However, even if the element looks perfect it could still have failed or gone to earth!

If your Fan Oven Motor is running, and the Oven Thermostat light stays on, this USUALLY suggests that there is power to the oven element. The Oven Element has probably failed and become open circuit.

Once the Oven Element has been removed, it should be tested for continuity, insulation breakdown, earth leakage, and should be inspected visually for the above faults or tested with a meter a insulation tester is best, also known as mega.

Several factors can affect the life of a Fan Oven Element: Obviously the amount of use the oven gets is a big factor! Ensure that your Oven Door Seals are in good condition, and that the Oven Door is closing properly. Any gaps caused by worn door hinges or worn door seals will allow hot air to escape, making the fan oven element work much harder, to maintain temperature. Also make sure that your Fan Oven Motor turns freely, and is running constantly at its full operating speed.

If your Fan Oven Element heats up and then trips the fuse or trip, the oven element is probably faulty and breaking down to earth, once it gets hot. This may take seconds or minutes, or may just occur occasionally. The Oven Element should be tested for insulation breakdown and earth leakage faults with a mega (insulation tester).

Opening your oven door, to check cooking progress, should be kept to a minimum.

Consider turning the oven thermostat down before opening the door, but always remember to reset the temperature again!

Common faults that can greatly reduce an oven element’s life are: Worn and slow running Fan Oven Motors, worn oven door seals, worn door hinges, and opening the oven door excessively.