the lights on the timing unit are on but nothing happens when the oven is switchd on. Its unlikely that it is an element problem because none of them are heating up. Any help much appreciated.

Max Barrett, April 2010

Here's one way to safely determine if an element is faulty:

1) ISOLATE THE ELECTRICITY AT THE MAINS SUPPLY!
2) Disconnect the power supply cables from the element. There will be two cables connected, a live and a neutral.
3) Using a test meter, measure the resistance (in Ohms) across the element by attaching the two meter probes across it i.e. one probe on each of the two metal terminals at the end of the element where you disconnected the cables.
4) If the meter reads infinite resistance (often displayed as 'O/L'), then the element has blown and you require a new one.
5) If the meter reads a resistance, note it down and use the following basic equations to check if it's the correct value.

Ohms Law states: Voltage = Current x Resistance

where:

Voltage is measured in Volts (V).
Current is measured in Amps (A).
Resistance is measured in Ohms.

also

Power = Voltage x Current

where:

Power is measured in Watts (W).

Now let's work an example:

Refer to the oven manual to see what the elements power rating should be, e.g. 2500W (fairly typical).

Your mains voltage will depend on where you live. I live in the UK so my mains supply is 230V, so let's use that in our example calculation:

2500W/230V = 10.87A

This means that if my heating element is healthy, it should draw a maximum current of 10.87 amps.

Now we can calculate what the resistance of the element should be:

230V/10.87 = 21.16 Ohms

If the measured resistance is drastically different to the calculated resistance, the element is on its way out and should be replaced.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Jason Cornwall

Jason Cornwall, April 2010