If your cooker isn’t reaching the desired cooking temperature, the element could be the culprit. There are two types of ovens: fan assisted and convection. If you’re using a fan assisted oven in convection mode or your oven doesn’t have a fan, and it is not heating correctly it may be the lower element that’s causing the headache.
On non-fan assisted ovens both the grill and lower element work together to heat up the oven. So if you can’t get the required heat in the oven, it's likely the lower element is faulty and will need changing.
If you need a helping hand with your lower oven element but don’t know where to get started, then you’ve landed on the correct page. Our article below is sure to fill you with the confidence to tackle the job yourself.
This video shows an example on how to remove or replace the part on a typical machine, some models may be different but the procedure should be similar.
What You Will Need
Step 1 - Safety Advice
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
Caution: Due to the sharp edges exposed we suggest suitable Safety Gloves are worn to help prevent injury when carrying out this repair.
Step 2 - Access The Lower Element
To gain access to the lower oven element you will need to remove the metal back panel by loosening the screws. Once the panel is out the way the electrical connections should be visible.
eSpares Top Tip: before starting any work take a picture of the wiring so you have a clear reference when refitting the wires. You should see the rear connections for the thermal cut-out, the grill element, the oven light and at the bottom the connections for the lower element which is what we’re looking for.
Step 3 - Check The Lower Element Using A Multimeter
It’s good practice to use a multimeter to confirm if the element is defective. Remove one of the electrical connections from the back of the lower element and attach the multimeter probes to the connection. You’re looking for a reading of around 50 ohms.
You can see in this video I’m getting no reading, so it will need a replacement.
Step 4 - Replace The Faulty Element
To remove the element first unscrew the screws that are holding the baffle plate in place. Be extra cautious at this stage as there are a lot of sharp edges inside. Disconnect the electrical connectors and unscrew the earth wire by undoing the screw holding it in place. There are an extra three screws on the element which need to be removed and then the element should slide out.
Please Note: Be careful not to damage the cooker insulation when removing the element.
Carefully slot your new element in place being aware of any sharp corners. Once the element is in properly you can refit the screws, fit the earth wire, attach the electrical connectors using the picture taken before and secure the baffle plate.
Step 5 - Reattach The Back Panel
The final step is to screw and attach the back metal plate to the cooker.
There you go! You’ve now fitted a lower oven element all by yourself, with the help of our advice article too. You can now go back to cooking your favourite dishes for your family, in the knowledge that you saved some money and didn’t have to call the professionals.
If you need any other spares for your cooker, eSpares has a huge range which is sure to have the replacement for you.
Print this article