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I'm trying to fix my oven. It stopped working suddenly during baking - no tipped breaker, just went off and heating not working anymore (also no light).

While connected to electricity it just does nothing - no light, no heating, no result on screen (showing time). Other devices connected to the same socket works fine.

I tried to check the resistance using my multimeter (simple, universal tool) but since I am new to it not sure how to do it properly.

Is there a way to check if heating pipes are fine (e.g by measuring resistance on its end) using just multimeter?

I was able to check that the electricity is present on different electric elements (the main module, the heating pipes etc.) while connected to the electricity but I cannot find the broken element (suspecting mine heating pipe because of some visible burnt on the cable)

I am "beginner electrician" - I have general knowledge how to work securely with 230V but no domain specific knowledge.

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  • First thing to check is the TCOs in the oven. Commented Dec 23, 2024 at 17:31
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    If several things are not functioning, then there is no reason to test the heating element. You are probably missing all power to the oven. Look for a loose connection or burned out wire. The oven light has nothing to do with the heating element or the display (at least in my 30-year-old GE range. Commented Dec 24, 2024 at 0:06
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    What other appliance did you have that you could plug into what is likely a 4-prong outlet to confirm operation? Commented Dec 24, 2024 at 14:46

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Yes, you can test heating elements with a multimeter. Use an Ohm's Law Calculator to figure it out exactly. For example, a 1500 W element on a 240 V supply should have a resistance of 38.4 Ohms. But with a typical failure it is either going to burn out and show infinite resistance (no connection) or near-zero resistance (and should then trip the breaker). With a digital meter it will often beep for near-zero resistance and no connection will usually be obvious on the display.

But since you also have:

  • no light
  • no result on screen

the problem is more likely in the control circuits in the oven - anything from a bad button to a fried integrated circuit - or possibly a fuse somewhere in the control panel or on top of the oven or on the back of the oven (I've had every possibility, and some are a pain to fix, depending on the location and the oven design).

So element is easy, but I don't think this is quite so elementary a problem.

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  • Agree, with two notes: OP’s observation of something ‘burnt” is a red flag. Replace the burnt parts. And the resistance you measure may not match your calculation because it rises with temperature. Not to worry, it’s still easy to distinguish between an open or a short. Commented Dec 24, 2024 at 8:53
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You'll need to disconnect your heating element from the oven or the wires from the heating element from any switches to isolate the heating element. Set your multi meter to the "R=1" OHM scale and touch the two probes together. The meter should deflect all the way to the right indicating zero ohms or a short circuit. Now connect the probes to the two ends of the heating element. You should get a reading of about 32 Ohms, assuming a 1800 watt element, which would indicate a good element. If the needle doesn't move, it's an open circuit and the element's bad. If the needle deflects all the way to the right, it indicates a short, should have trip a breaker so unlikely.

Be careful dealing with this stuff. You're either an electrician or you're not. Make sure all power is off on any appliance you're working on.

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    "Deflect all the way to the right"? You didn't mention allowing a suitable warmup time for the VTVM. (I think there's still one in the basement.) Commented Dec 23, 2024 at 15:08
  • @HABO Haven't heard that term in about 55 years, lol. "simple universal tool" kinda ruled that out. :-) Commented Dec 23, 2024 at 17:28

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