sparks from live terminal on Oven Element

[slab]

Hi
I bought a replacement oven element 8 months ago for my Belling Oven (model XOU252). The element has been working fine but today it stopped working. The rest of the oven is fine. I turned off the mains and took the back off the oven to check the element connections. The 'live' terminal of the element has corroded meaning that the live wire has fallen off. When i reconnect the live wire, the element works BUT i can see small sparks at the point of connection with the live wire. I guess that this is what has corroded to live terminal.

Are the sparks due to the debris of the corroded metal, or have the sparks created the problem in the first place. If so what do you think has caused it?
Wiring problem?
Thanks

 

[JohnD]

the fault you describe is typical of a connection that has not been made tightly enough. If the connection was dirty, corroded or not tight enough, it will have made a poor, high-resistance connection. This will overheat due to the high resistance, which will burn away the two connected points and make the connection still worse, thus getting even hotter and even more burned.

Sadly, this excess heat also damages the wire or connector, so that it is softened and will not make a good connection in future. You have to cut off or replace all the heat-damaged part, which will be dark, and replace with new, bright metal, and connect it tightly.

 

[slab]

Thanks for the advice John D.
I cleaned up the terminal and used a new 'crimp connector' at the end of the wire. It now works fine.