Broken Electric Oven

Robert

Robert

Robert

Soldato
Joined
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We have a bosch oven/grill and bigger main oven, I think it's about 9 years old. Recently we've started to notice that things generally.get toasted in the back of the oven (such as pizza) yet the front half is much less booked.

I'm going to see if I can check the fan - if it's bust are ovens generally economical to repair?
 
I have no idea how to fix it but our oven had the door seal perish -Our Zanussi was a total PITA to fix so in end we bought a new one- It was 10yrs old and the difference between new and old is chalk and cheese -We are glad we changed as I am sure the new one uses less electric and keeps hot because it's insulated better.
Only problem is because of thicker insulation the inside is a 1" narrower than old one and you can't get two oven tray side by side - we had to buy new smaller ones.
 
Robert said:
We have a bosch oven/grill and bigger main oven, I think it's about 9 years old. Recently we've started to notice that things generally.get toasted in the back of the oven (such as pizza) yet the front half is much less booked.

I'm going to see if I can check the fan - if it's bust are ovens generally economical to repair?
Click to expand...
A fan motor should be as simple as going in through the rear/side, disconnecting a couple of wires/screws and swapping the unit. Is it built in? If so, things such element and and thermostat tend to be easily done from the inside, while the unit is still fitted, needing to bring the entire thing out to get to the back of it.

Surely you can tell if the fan is still working?
 
Robert said:
We have a bosch oven/grill and bigger main oven, I think it's about 9 years old. Recently we've started to notice that things generally.get toasted in the back of the oven (such as pizza) yet the front half is much less booked.

I'm going to see if I can check the fan - if it's bust are ovens generally economical to repair?
Click to expand...
I've replaced elements and fans in an electric oven without too much drama. Low cost repairs that can extend the life of your appliance. Sounds like your fan has gone - open the door and see if it is turning!
 
Robert said:
We have a bosch oven/grill and bigger main oven, I think it's about 9 years old. Recently we've started to notice that things generally.get toasted in the back of the oven (such as pizza) yet the front half is much less booked.

I'm going to see if I can check the fan - if it's bust are ovens generally economical to repair?
Click to expand...

I replaced the heating element (the fan one, the fan and the rest of the oven including the other two elements worked) in my Bosch series 8 recently. £52 for the part from Bosch and then I had to take the oven out, remove the top and back, then replace the element and reassemble. Works perfectly.

I've worked with 450V DC before for tube amps, so this was relatively simple. This is with the top and back off:

4a0GlSV.jpg
 
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Most likely a heating element. I've helped fix a few electric cookers/ovens with the ol' man in the past to replace elements, fans, hob rings etc and arguably the most difficult part is stripping them down and getting to the failed part.
If you're competent with a multimeter, screw drivers and you can get parts for it (and they're cheap enough), then it might be worth investigating.
 
It used to be my job for 27 years.
It sounds like the element has stopped working.

Do this VERY quickly,
Put your hand on the back of the element, switch on and see if it warms up, if it doesn't it's broke.
Let it cool down and try the front of the element or flick your hand on it very quickly to see if it's working.
YES THIS IS HOW WE TESTED OVENS & HOBS IN A FACTORY AND NOBODY GOT HURT.
 
If it’s the element it doesn’t take long for an experienced person to change it. Had a couple done in places I rented and it took no more than half an hour.
 
Stu999 said:
If it’s the element it doesn’t take long for an experienced person to change it. Had a couple done in places I rented and it took no more than half an hour.
Click to expand...

and can be done from the inside.

Turn off at wall
Loosen element screws
Bring element forward
Now this is the tricky bit because you don't want the wires going back in the cooker so we used crocodile clips to hold the wires in place and remove the element.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
and can be done from the inside.

Turn off at wall
Loosen element screws
Bring element forward
Now this is the tricky bit because you don't want the wires going back in the cooker so we used crocodile clips to hold the wires in place and remove the element.
Click to expand...

You’d have thought.. bosch series 8 fan element has three screws that screw from the back not inside hence needing to take the back off. Also the connectors also don’t have a plug at the back.
Easy enough.
 
Turn the oven on and from cold the fan should be spinning quickly.

Sounds like the fan isn't spinning as fast as it should pushing the hot air around the oven......this is bad....elements do overheat and pop!

As everyone has mentioned, easy to fix if a small pain to pull the unit out. We had a sticky fan (Bosch) that popped the element. Ordered replacement, fitted it easily, took apart the fan assembly at the back and re-greased the rod. Pretty easy 20 minute job for a first time.
 
Things I would check

Do you preheat, today's cost for energy have changed the way people use appliances. Give a fan oven 15 minutes to preheat and conventional 20 to 25. Not till the light goes out.

Does the door shut fully and is the seal good, fan ovens heat from the back (generally) and this could affect cycle times.

Is the fan running and at full speed, easy enough to replace.

Is the element distorted in anyway, it's working because your complaint is colouring more at rear, ovens that use more than one element in fan mode (looking at you rotitherm) will behave differently, take longer to get to temp etc.

Odd one but have you changed bakeware, you need gaps front rear left and right.
 
Mr.Cookie said:
Do you preheat, today's cost for energy have changed the way people use appliances. Give a fan oven 15 minutes to preheat and conventional 20 to 25. Not till the light goes out.
Click to expand...

I am interested what is the reason for this? Just so it heats up properly?

I must admit I used to all the time but I don't as much anymore, although I don't tend to use the oven to hot roast things often I usually only put it about 150c
 
Looks like the thermostat. He put a temp probe in and set it to 100 but it carried on heating and when he lowered the temp to 50 the temp light stayed on.
 
BUDFORCE said:
I am interested what is the reason for this? Just so it heats up properly?

I must admit I used to all the time but I don't as much anymore, although I don't tend to use the oven to hot roast things often I usually only put it about 150c
Click to expand...
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This is my very poor attempt that I use to explain to my customers.
But basically thermostats are liquid or gas expansions vessels the phial which is in the cavity is connected to the stat on control panel via a hollow tube and as whatever is in phial heats up it expands until the set temp is reached (or not in roberts case) then cutting supply to element, as it cools and contracts it gets to a point it turns supply back on so elements are either on or off, the cavity takes time to heat up but the thermostat phial which is usually in the back top section will heat up quicker. The longer you leave the oven preheating the smaller the cut in/cut out.
 
The reason for preheating is a lot simpler than that - if something is specified to cook in 20 minutes at 200 degrees, it's a non linear situation if you put it in at 25 degrees. How much longer does it need at 25 then 50 then 80 then 120 then 175?

So for accurate cooking times (and safely cooked food) you need to preheat to a known range.
 
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