Zanussi Oven packed up?

[Brigadier]

Hello All,

Zanussi ZOB383X.

Clock working, fan appears to be working, but no light, and no heat.
Just stopped.
Could it be a fuse? If so, where!
My tea (lasagne) is in there, not cooking, and I have had nothing to eat all day!

Help!!!!!!!!!

Edit: fan appears to NOT be working.
Also, little indicator light does not come on, when any cooking mode is selected.
It appears that only the clock works!

 

[Echo the husky]

I expect the oven selector switch has burnt out. If it has, ditch the oven and get something else as the replacement switch will burn out as well as the contacts are far too small for the current flowing though them.

It is a commonly used switch now, used by many manufacturers, the build quality of the switch is disgusting, and a designer has sat down and removed as much metal from the switch as possible, which gives the contacts a life of 1-2 years max.

 

[Brigadier]

Thanks Echo

Surely it's cheaper to replace a flawed switch (at a few pounds) though, than to replace the entire oven (which, given the commonality of said switch) means that I might get the same flawed switch again, only this time for a couple of hundred quid? Albeit, in a clean new oven!
A bit confused

 

[Echo the husky]

Yes you are correct, I only say to replace the oven as the new switch will fail in the same way as the old one in a year or so. I don't believe the manufacturers should keep receiving money by using parts that are not fit for purpose. Do check it though. Dismantle the top casing of the oven to access the switch, you will also need to undo the front control panel to get to the fixings that hold the switch in. Undo the switch from the front panel so you can look at the under side of the switch. Some of the switches have open contacts others have a clip on cover that needs to be removed to see the contacts.

If you have a small mirror you can slide it under the switch to see the underside, this will save you having to dismantle the front panel to inspect it. If it has gone the burning/melting is usually obvious. The symptoms you describe are exactly what I have experienced when this switch goes.

If it is that and you do swap the switch, don't forget where each of the wires go! And check none of the wires/wire terminals have been heat damaged. If a terminal is damaged you will need to cut it off and fit a new spade crimp.

The staff at the appliance shop I used to work in are getting sick and tired of these switches causing them grief, they are failing in the new appliances they are selling, usually just out of the guarantee period, this not surprisingly leads to unhappy customers.

Let us know how you get on, if you get stuck!

 

[Brigadier]

Cheers Echo

Took a few piccies of the offending article before we went out for tea tonight (curry - benefit of having no oven ); it does look like one of the terminals has melted.

IMAG1083

• Brigadier
• 7 Mar 2016

Better get ordering!


Edit: in case of any confusion, I took the spade crimp off the melted terminal, to get the piccie - it was attached when I took the oven casing off.

 

[Echo the husky]

Good work! The wires look ok (they are heat resisting after all). Check the terminal on those blue wires isn't tarnished. If it is, cut it off and replace it. Check they all fit snugly on the new switch.

 

[Brigadier]

Ta!

 

[Brigadier]

Well,

Just this second replaced the switch with a zanussi original part and, not a click. Nothing.

Clock still works, but everything else - fan, light, everything, is dead as a dodo.

If the clock didn't work, I'd swear it was a fuse. But I've had a root around, and can't see anything resembling fuses.

Bugger.

Any ideas from this point? Could a blown element kill everything?

 

[Echo the husky]

Have you set the time on the clock?

 

[Brigadier]

No - please don't tell me it's something as daft as that!


To be honest, we've had many a power cut over the last few years, so I can't see that making any difference (as in, swmbo must have used the oven with the clock unset, at some point).

Can't hurt to try it though - will report back (after I've cooked and eaten my tea: on the hob)!

 

[Echo the husky]

The oven won't work if the clock is not set.

 

[Brigadier]

Well chuff me all ways come Sunday!

It worked!

Echo - if I could thank you more than once, I would!

 

[Echo the husky]

Great work! Glad you got it sorted!

 

[Brigadier]

Just a random thought......

Given that the selector switches burn out on the main incoming live (due to being too flimsy for the current), would it be a better idea to bypass that terminal altogether, and wire in a high-load on-off switch instead?

 

[Echo the husky]

The correct way would be to fit a high current relay, switched with that contact. I wouldn't recommend modifying any appliance though, as the safety of the appliance could be compromised. Although this appliance went wrong, it did so in a way that was safe. It may also be difficult to locate parts suitable for the high temperatures found in ovens.