Electric ignition gone on gas hob?

[Divegirl]

Hi,
Not 100% a DIY question, but hoping for some advice....
My main trip switch tripped last night. It took me some time to work out what had tripped it, but finally identified the culprit - my gas hob!
I presume it must be the electric ignition?
I phoned an electrician, who said I needed to call an appliance repairer. I phoned an appliance repairer who said he only did electric appliances and I need a gas safe repairer. They seem few and far between where I am...
My question is, now that I have isolated the electric (switched it off at socket above work surface), is it safe?
Can I just light gas manually with a clicky thing or match?
I don't really want to pay for expensive repairs as I'm looking to replace it later in the year anyway?
Many thanks

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As it is an electrical trip, there should be no issue or risk to igniting the hob, using a clicky thing!
Now with regards to the electric tripping, what device actually trips?
Is it the MCB/Fuse for the circuit?
Is it an RCD/RCBO?
As I doubt that the main switch would trip as this is an isolator, rather than a protective device.
I ask these questions as it may not be the ignition on the hob that is faulty, but possibly a connection or cable elsewhere on the circuit, logically you would be looking at the appliance flex, and connections at the outlet firstly, then at the hob terminals. As these are electrical connection and no invasive work is required regarding the gas parts of the system, I very much doubt that this would legally require a gas safe engineer only, to repair.

 

[ericmark]

I would unplug rather than just switch off as if due to earth leakage then the neutral pin can still cause it to trip many sockets don't switch the neutral. But I would personally be happy using a match or clicky thing.

 

[Divegirl]

Thanks both! I'm glad you understood what I meant by 'clicky thing'
As you can probably tell, I'm no expert, but it was the main switch in the fuse box which tripped. All of the other switches are labelled (lights, water heater, smoke detector, sockets etc) and remained 'on'.
Good point about unplugging it. I took the drawer out underneath the hob and it just looks like it's plugged in using a conventional plug rather than hard wired?
Come to think of it, shouldn't that have tripped the 'socket' switch too in that case?
Oh no, worried again now... Would it be best to get an electrician to check?
Many thanks

 

[JohnW2]

As you can probably tell, I'm no expert, but it was the main switch in the fuse box which tripped. All of the other switches are labelled ...

What does this 'main switch' look like - what is written on it, and does it have a 'test button'. A photo, were that possible, would help.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Divegirl]

Hi John, I'm not at home at the moment, but can take a photo later if that helps? I just think of it as the master switch in the middle? It has 3 positions - on (up), tripped (middle) and off (down). Yes, it has a 'test' button above it.
Sorry, I know my explanations are a bit rubbish....
All of the other switches are smaller and are just 'on' or 'off', but have labels underneath saying what they are for eg Cooker

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's an RCD.

The hob ignition could be faulty, or it could be the wiring. Try something else in the socket. Had any major spillages on the hob recently?

As you are replacing it in a matter of months you could easily leave it unplugged and use matches or a lighter.

 

[JohnW2]

Hi John, I'm not at home at the moment, but can take a photo later if that helps? I just think of it as the master switch in the middle? It has 3 positions - on (up), tripped (middle) and off (down). Yes, it has a 'test' button above it.

Fair enough. That's probably an RCD, being used as the 'main switch'. Do I take it that there is just one of those, and that it switches off all the circuits? A photo would certainly confirm things for us.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Divegirl]

Thanks both.
Yes, I suspect my mum was cleaning it and sloshed a lot of water down the hob! I was fairly convinced it was 'just' the ignition switch, but getting myself worried now...

I'll definitely post a picture as I'm trying to recall exactly what it looked like. There is only one of these switches (but there were two red switches on the RHS?) I was going to say it turns everything else off, but now I think about it, although it turned the TV, kettle, cooker etc off, the lights were still on?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes, I suspect my mum was cleaning it and sloshed a lot of water down the hob!

It may start working OK once it's dried out. Might be worth trying running all the burners for a while to give it some help.

I was going to say it turns everything else off, but now I think about it, although it turned the TV, kettle, cooker etc off, the lights were still on?

Traditionally lights were not put on the RCD, so what you describe is perfectly to be expected.

 

[Divegirl]

Brilliant. I'll try that when I get home. Thanks

 

[Divegirl]

As requested, this is my unit. It was the red switch in the middle which 'tripped'. Many thanks

 

[JohnW2]

As requested, this is my unit. It was the red switch in the middle which 'tripped'. Many thanks

Thanks - as expected then, an RCD. In that case, your mum's over-enthusiastic cleaning could well have caused it to trip - so good luck with the 'drying out'!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Divegirl]

Good news! I did as ban-all-sheds suggested; lit all the burners, left them running a while. Then turned the power back on. Success! No trip and the igniter is now working again!
Thanks for all your help and advice.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

NP.

You owe me one illegal act.