Do you suspect your oven element is faulty, but want to be sure before ordering a replacement? The symptoms may well point to the element needing replacing, however the best way to make sure would be to test the part with a multi-meter (& megger).
*Disclaimer - Before conducting any tests, please ensure your appliance is turned off and isolated from the power. If unsure, please consult a professional.
Element Faults
There are typically two electrical faults that occur with oven elements:
- Oven not heating. If everything else on your oven appears to be working - the lights and fan etc are coming on - but there is no heat, then chances are the element has failed. In this instance, we would be testing the element for continuity. Simply put, this means does the element provide a continuous circuit for the electrical current to pass through, therefore allowing it to heat up.
- Oven tripping. When your oven trips a circuit breaker on your consumer unit, it could be due to a number of components in the appliance, however the most common culprit is an element. Depending on at which point during the operation of the oven it trips, could shed more light on to what is causing it, however to be sure we would want to test for earth leakage.
How To Test Using A Multi-Meter
In both instances, to have more confidence that you are replacing the part you need to, we can test for these faults using a multi-meter (& ideally a megger).
(Please note: process may vary slightly depending on your device - please consult instructions)
- Oven not heating - continuity.
When we are testing an element for continuity, we are testing the resistance of the electrical circuit, measured in ohms (Ω). To conduct the test; set your meter to the ohms (Ω) or continuity setting, insert your red lead into the terminal with the corresponding Ω or continuity symbol, and the black lead into the common (COM), and connect your probes to each of the terminals of the element. The ohms reading we can expect to get will vary slightly depending on the wattage of the element being tested, however typically a domestic oven element will be between 20 - 60 ohms (Ω) depending on the wattage.
A reading in this range means your element is allowing the electrical current to pass through as it should, and would heat up when connected.
A faulty element may show a reading of ‘0’ or ‘OL’, depending on your meter.
- Oven tripping - earth leakage.
When testing an element to see if it is the cause of your electricity tripping, we are testing for earth leakage. This would be due to a fault with the elements insulation, or often because some damp has gotten into it, and would require the element to be replaced.
There are two ways to test for earth leakage (note: elements may only show faults when testing hot):
- Set your meter to the ohms (Ω) or continuity setting, insert your red lead into the terminal with the corresponding Ω or continuity symbol, and the black lead into the common (COM), and connect one probe to a terminal of the elements, and the other to the fixing plate of the element (or casing of the oven if still fitted to appliance). A good reading would show ‘0’ or ‘OL’. (Please note: this is not the most accurate test, but can be done with all multi meters. It will detect significantly faulty elements, however will not detect slight insulation faults).
- (Test will only be available on multi-meters with a megger) To conduct this test, set the meter to the ‘insulation’ setting, and insert your leads into the ‘insulation’ and ‘mA’ terminals. Connect one probe to one of the spade connectors on the element, and the other to the fixing plate of the element (or casing of the oven if still fitted to appliance). Pressing or holding 'test' outputs the selected voltage through the element, testing the insulation.
This shows a resistance reading of greater than (>) 650MΩ - which indicates a perfectly working element - as no current is escaping the circuit and leaking to earth. Elements showing a lower reading than this may still work perfectly as it's not enough to trip your RCD, however readings of approximately 100kΩ or less may be enough to trip. Remember, insulation may deteriorate when hot, so testing the element then will give a more accurate reading.
Conducting these tests should allow you to confidently order a replacement part, knowing your existing part is faulty. Visit Element Replacement to order your replacement today!