COOKER CUT-OUT TRIPPED - CAN I TEST SENSOR?:

[RONCHAM]

The thermal cut-out tripped on my fan-assisted double oven cooker. It turned out the element had also failed - although I thought the cut-out would be designed to trip before this happened?

What would be the likely sequence of events to cause both these things to occur? Would it be the thermostat heat sensor failed first? - and is there any way to test it?

Could I (very briefly!!) bypass the cut-out to at least find out if the element and fan work or is there a safer way to check?

I'd appreciate any advice.

Regards.

 

[flameport]

Likely - element fails internally, shorts to the metal outer covering causing a substantial fault current which destroys the thermal cutout.

Cutout and element can be tested using any multimeter set to continuity. If there is continuity between the two terminals then they probably work, if none then they definitely do not.

 

[conny]

Continuity between terminals is not an indication it is working.
You also have to test if there is a short to earth. If there is then you have a potentially dangerous situation if you turn the appliance on, especially if you have by-passed the thermal sensor. It is there for a reason and omitting it from the circuit is highly unadvisable.

 

[RONCHAM]

Thanks for all the advice and the safety warning which I will pass on to my son. I must admit I assumed the thermal cut-out was purely to guard against an overheating situation but I now appreciate the result of a substantial fault current.

I did read elsewhere that a functioning cut-out usually - but not always - shows continuity. My cooker has two ovens and two cut-outs - the one in the working oven does have continuity, the other does not, which suggests it has definitely failed.

Can the thermostat heat sensor be safely tested, either in place or if removed? I'm thinking that (if removed) it could be heated in some way whilst continuity is monitored?

Regards.