Posted on January 04, 2017

Common Electric Hob Problems & Solutions

Has your electric hob stopped working? Our appliance engineers offer electric hob repairs at low prices and are here to help fix and service your appliances.

4 Common Electric Hob Problems & Solutions

An electric hob produces heat which you use to cook your favourite dishes; since its importance cannot be stated in mere words, let’s suppose you wake one morning to make some scrambled eggs when you discover that the hob is not producing any heat. There might be several reasons for that, but the most common ones are a damaged heating element or a tripping circuit. Let’s take a look at some expected issues that may arise and how you can correct them.

The Circuit Trips

If your electric hob trips, there’s no need to claim your electric hob insurance. It may occur due to an overloaded circuit or the power plug might be at fault. An overloaded circuit is one in which several appliances are connected to the same power outlet. In this situation, the current drawn might exceed the circuit breaker’s value, causing it to trip.

Unplug any extra appliances, reset the breaker, and try again. If the hob trips again, the breaker itself may have gone bad or the wire insulation might have come off. In both cases, you will need replacements.

A faulty power plug can be corrected by tightening any loose connections inside and cleaning it properly. The plug collects dust and soot with time which increases the resistance which generates more heat and thus, trips the circuit.

There’s No Heat from the Hob

This is quite a common problem in electric hobs where the hob stops generating heat. The hob consists of a high resistance wire known as a heating element that becomes hot when current is conducted through it. With time, the element weakens and sometimes breaks down, burns or gets shorted. When this happens, no current will flow and hence, no heat will be produced.

You can remove the element and check it for signs of distortions, breaks, and burns. If there are any, replace the element.

No Change in the Temperature

The temperature on the hob is controlled through a thermostat; if your hob’s temperature does not change when you change the temperature setting, there’s a problem with the thermostat. First, clean the contacts of the thermostat and check their continuity with a multimeter. If there’s a break, replace it.

‘E’ Keeps Being Displayed

Modern electric hobs contain electronic controllers, LCDs, and touchpads. If you encounter the letter ‘E’ continuously while using your hob, it indicates that a switch is being pressed. This may happen if there’s debris like soot clogged in the touchpad or on the hob itself. Soot is carbon and carbon conducts electricity; hence, if it is lodged between the switch and the circuit, the hob will deduce a connection and display an error code.

Clean the hob with a dry cloth. If you use a wet cloth, dry out the hob completely using a hairdryer before turning it back on. Furthermore, you can try resetting your hob, removing the power and plugging it back in. In worst-case scenarios, the touchpad might have to be replaced if there’s a short-circuit inside.