Which element? Fan, grill or bottom?
A modern electric oven typically has two or three heating elements: the fan element (the ring around the fan at the back), the grill element (across the top) and, on some models, a base element (concealed under the oven floor). Diagnosis starts by identifying which function has failed.
- Oven bakes badly, grill works — fan element
- Grill won't heat, oven bakes fine — grill element
- Nothing heats at all — element failure is unlikely; more likely a control-board or wiring fault
Visual inspection
Turn off the power at the wall. Open the oven, remove the shelves and, on fan ovens, the rear panel (usually held by four screws). A failed element will often show a visible break — a small burnt-out gap in the coil. If the element looks bulged or has a bright silver splash mark, it has definitely failed. Not all failures are visible, though.
Testing with a multimeter
Isolate the oven at the wall. Disconnect the two spade terminals from the element and set your multimeter to Ohms (Ω). Touch the probes to the two element terminals. A healthy element reads between 20 Ω and 60 Ω depending on wattage. A reading of "OL" or infinity confirms the element has failed.
Safety: Never work on an oven without isolating it at the fuse box or wall socket. If you are not comfortable working on 230 V AC equipment, call a qualified electrician.
Replacing the element
- Isolate the oven at the wall.
- Remove the rear panel of the oven cavity (fan ovens) or the top panel (grill elements).
- Note or photograph how the wires are attached — the two spade terminals are usually interchangeable, but on a few models they are not.
- Unscrew the element (usually two screws) and withdraw it carefully.
- Fit the new element, reconnect the wires, refit the rear panel, restore power and test.
Ordering the right part
Elements are specific to the oven model. Order by the oven's model number (rating plate is on the door frame — open the door and look at the front edge). Wattage matters: fitting a higher-wattage element than specified will overwork the wiring and can be dangerous.
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