Oven and Stove Maintenance
Services, Installations and Repairs to all types of Ovens and Stoves in the Perth Area
How to Diagnose Common Problems with your Oven
If your oven had no display and is not working at all, check the power supply. You could do this by plugging in a known working gadget such as your kettle. If the kettle, in this instance, doesn't work, check the fuse box or mains box. If there is power at the designated outlet, then it indicates a problem with the oven - for example it may be the terminal block at the back of your oven.
You may also need to check the thermal cut-outs at the back (inside), the oven. These get tested with a multi-meter and should show a short-circuit (a reading of less than a couple of ohms) if they are functioning normally. If the thermal cut-outs are functioning properly, then this probably indicates a fault what the main circuit board in the oven. It is rather difficult to prove a fault with the board, so it is better, in most circumstances to just replace the whole board.
If the display on your oven is flashing, and some parts are working normally, such as the grill, but the main oven wont turn on, it may simply be that the clock needs resetting. This fault may be the result of a previous power cut. A quick fix in this case would be to simply reset the clock.
No heat from the elements in the oven could mean that the elements themselves are broken. These can be tested with a multimeter (low resistance setting), by simply placing the probes of the multimeter onto the terminals of the element. You should get a reading of less than 100 ohms. Anything significantly higher than this will indicate the presence of a fault.
Noise from the cooling or circulation fans could indicate worn out bearings on these. In this case you would simply replace the relevant fan motor.
If your oven has a temperature indictor light, you can use this to determine whether the fault lies with the element or the thermostat when your oven isn’t heating up properly. When you first turn the oven on, this light should come on and then go off once the oven has reached the desired temperature. If there is a problem with the element, the light will never go off because the oven will never reach the correct temperature. On the other hand, when you turn the thermostat on and the light doesn’t come on at all, this would certainly indicate a faulty thermostat and it would need replacing by a qualified technician.
From a maintenance point of view, once you have finished cooking, turn your oven right down to its lowest temperature for just a couple of minutes. The circulation fan would then help to get rid of any heat left in the element, which prevents it from overheating. This lengthens the life of the element.