As the wires inside a cooker elements get hotter, they expand; when they cool, they shrink back down. This repeated expanding and shrinking can cause damage to the wire over time, meaning that your oven may eventually break for no apparent reason. Elements can also break if they overheat.
The most apparent signs the heating element is broken are visible damages. Take time to check your oven and remove the heating element to inspect it thoroughly. While you're at it, be on the lookout for burns, blistering, or cracks. If you notice one or some of these signs, it's time to have it replaced.
Constant Burner Repairs
This issue is most common in gas cooktops when an ignitor goes bad, but electric cooktops can also wear out their heating elements. Sometimes you just need to replace the ignitor or similar heating element.
Inconsistent temperature: Fluctuating or inconsistent oven temperatures during cooking can be a sign of a failing heating element. Visible damage: Look for any visible damage such as cracks, blistering, or burn marks on the heating element. No heat: If the oven isn't producing.
It could be one of two things: either the element has shorted out and needs to be replaced or the electrical connection inside the unit is overheating. Either way, this is a hazardous situation and should be fixed as soon as possible by a professional.
As an estimate, most cooker elements should last for about 5 years. Of course, this is dependent on the health and overall quality of your oven; the better your oven, the longer its parts should last.
If air pockets develop in the tank, often due to a failure to bleed out the tank completely before filling it up, the element may be burning itself out without enough water. As a result, the heating element could be failing faster and more frequently than it should.
If you have oven issues, it's worth investigating the heating element as a potential culprit, but a broken heating element doesn't always signal the end of your oven's life. Spotting the signs of a faulty element early allows you to fix the issue with a simple replacement, saving time and money.
The heating element will stop working. The sparking ceases after a few seconds. There may also be a "burning plastic" odor at this time. We recommend that you not use the oven if the bake or broil element fails.
As well as being one of the easiest D.I.Y appliance fixes out there, fixing your oven element yourself can save you a lot of money compared to booking a repair or buying a new cooker.
Range or Stove, 13-15 years:
Gas stoves last longer than their electric counterparts by 2-5 years, on average. Good everyday care will help extend the useful life, such as cleaning the stove after every use and regularly checking the burners.
Oven baking elements come in a wide variety of patterns which can help find a match. However, for all elements, there are differing wattages, even if they are similar in shape, size, or turns. You certainly don't want to overload a connection or underpower the element's performance.
To test the element, you must measure its resistance. Switch the multimeter settings to measure resistance and place the nodes on the two screws. A functioning heating element should read between 10 and 30 ohms. The heating element is broken if the meter reads 1 or 0.
Heating elements endure stress from frequent use, leading to wear and tear over time. Continuous heating and cooling cycles can weaken the elements, eventually causing them to break. Solution: Regular inspections can help identify any signs of wear before they result in a complete failure.
The most common problem with oven elements is when the oven light and fan come on but the oven element won't heat up at all. This is the classic sign that the element needs replacing.
If your lower oven is not turning on at all, but the upper oven is working fine, then a blown fuse is likely to be the culprit. A blown fuse will happen suddenly and is more likely if your oven has experienced a power surge or you've used a very high-temperature setting, like a self-cleaning setting.
Common Causes of Oven Element Failure
If your oven element is several years old and used frequently, it may simply be at the end of its lifespan. Electrical problems are another common cause of oven element failure. Poor connections, faulty wiring, or power surges can damage the element.
The lifespan of an oven heating element can vary depending on various factors such as usage patterns, maintenance, and the quality of the element itself. On average, a heating element in an oven can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years.
Many electric ranges, wall ovens and countertop ovens have two heating elements, a baking element at the bottom that provides heating for most settings and a broil element at the top that generates high temps for tasks like searing meats, melting cheese and toasting breads.
there are a few reasons Why Oven Elements Break
A harsh scrubbing or a bump with a pan can sometimes damage the delicate coil. Electrical Issues: A power surge or a faulty connection within the oven can also cause the element to burn out.
Several factors can contribute to a malfunctioning heating element: Faulty wiring, often due to age or poor installation, can disrupt the power flow, causing your furnace to underperform or stop working altogether. Corrosion, a common issue in older systems, can also impede the heating element's functionality.
In general, all resistance heating alloys have a practically unlimited life below 600°C provided they are not exposed to any chemically, mechanically, or electrically damaging conditions.