Has your oven fan stopped working? Whether your fan element has stopped or the motor itself our experts are here to offer advice and guidance along the way.
An oven fan distributes the heat produced by your oven’s heating element evenly across the chamber. This allows you to bake delicious meals and desserts. However, if you discover that your oven has stopped producing enough heat, it might be due to a faulty fan motor or fan element. Inadequate heat will not cause your cakes to rise properly.
Why is my oven fan not working?
The reason your oven fan isn't working can be easily established by a trained oven engineer. Some of the top causes of oven fans not working include:
- A faulty motor - Is the fan is noisy or simply not working, it may be a fault with your oven's motor
- A broken oven element - An oven element that stops functioning may result in your oven fan not working, due to no heat being generated.
- Wear and tear - Ovens don't last forever and over time components may wear out. Your oven fan may have come to the end of it's life and simply need replacing.
How do I know if my oven fan is broken?
Although in the majority of the cases, the oven fan is the culprit, there are other possible causes as well. Let’s explore this in more detail.
The Oven Fan’s Element
The fan element is a high resistance wire that generates heat when an electric current passes through it. Before you go about disassembling your oven, first make sure that the fan is working. Switch on the oven and place your hand at the back; if you feel the cold air blowing and if you can observe the thermostat light, then the element is definitely at fault.
Unplug the oven and remove the back panel to expose the fan and the element. You can test the element for continuity by using a multimeter. If the test is positive, inspect the element for any visible signs of damage. If the element appears burnt in a few places, it will need to be replaced. The same holds true if the element is broken.
The Oven Fan Motor
This is the major component of an oven and one of the main reasons an oven is not producing enough heat. Proceed with the usual steps of unplugging the oven and removing the back panel to gain access to it. If you have performed the necessary checks on the element and found it to be in good condition, you have to turn your attention to the motor of the fan.
Switch on the oven and inspect the motor; there will be two possible observations: the fan might be running slowly and/or is making a grinding or humming noise or it runs properly, the element produces heat, and the thermostat light is on, but the heating is insufficient.
Therefore, switch off the oven, unplug it, and move the fan with your hand. If it feels stuck or the movement is stiff, the motor will need to be replaced. If the fan moves freely, then check one of the fan blades if they have become loose. A loose fan blade will result in an ineffective distribution of heat and the fan will make weird noises as well.
If you found nothing wrong with the fan blades or the motor, then perhaps the motor is covered with grime, dirt, food particles, grease, muck, and debris. Clean the motor, but be careful not to get it wet. You can use a vacuum cleaner to clean the motor thoroughly of any large particles and then utilize a dry cloth to wipe it off.
High-quality oven fan repairs
It is always better to hire the services of a professional and qualified appliance engineer to diagnose and carry out your electric oven repairs or built-in oven repairs. Get your oven repaired by Go Assist.