Quick Help

[jennyjoan]

Yesterday whatever it was blew on my cooker - I put a new fuse into the box in the cloakroom but it blew again. Thought the "new" fuses had burnt themselves out so bought a cuppla new ones. Guy in the shop said it could have been the switch on the wall or the cooker itself.

Got my neigbour over and he put another new fuse in and it was going ok - I think I only used cooker for half an hour - now I was starting to make chicken curry and it has blew again. Don't want to put another new fuse in cos I know this will blow too.


Unfortunately I don't have electricians in the family. What next please. Do not want to get neighbour over again as he going to a party. Thanks

[Cloverjo]

Is the fuse in the cooker plug ok? If that's blown it could cause the box to trip.

[bhg481]

Are you sure the fuses are the correct rating? You MUST NOT put in a higher rated fuse than the manual says but your neighbour may have fitted one with a lower rating as a temporary measure.

Were you doing anything when the fuse blew? eg, did you turn on another ring?

[daveygh]

did it blow when you turned a particular ring on or was it when the oven itself was on? sounds like it could be one of the elements in the actual cooker

[TWR]

Hi Jenny, is it a fan oven? I had trouble with ours & it was the fan at fault.

[jennyjoan]

I can't answer all your questions cos I don't where the fault would lay.

Fuse was changed in the box in cloakroom - tonight would be the 3rd.

I was given a tip (dangerous) years ago by another neighbour if I wrapped fuse wire around the fuse it would do me temporarily - the fuse that went out was 30amp. So I found fuse wire wrapped around the fuse inserted it and got things going.

However, as much the cooker was going - looked inthe fridge and it too had blown - so it is another 30 amp and wrapped the fuse wire around THAT fuse too.

I did ring my neighbour just to let him know and he says Jennyjoan - I think your cooker itself is the problem. Now I do wonder - what happened when the fridge/freezer went off.

At the moment everything is good with the FUSE WIRE (too dangerous) - so what do I call an electrician or cooker expertise.

I had a brilliant electrician behind me and I would have trusted him but he is retired.

I am thinking of switching this FUSE BOX into like a trip switch.

There are many electricians mentioned in a local paper but I do want to be sure I get a GENUINE one.

I will have to make do with what I have off and on until Monday (more or less the 1st working day).

[jennyjoan]

sorry bhg - yes fuse and wiring are equal

[tonyav]

jj, there are some electricians that specialise in White goods ( cookers, fridges etc ), have a look in your Yellow pages or online for one local to you.

[bhg481]

Your fridge and cooker should be on separate circuits, so a fault in one should not affect the other.
Make sure that there is only a single piece of fuse wire across the terminals of the fuse. (You worry me by saying you wrap it round). If you have put 2 wires across the terminals you have a 60amp fuse.It's OK to wrap it round and round one terminal, then a single link across and then round and round the other terminal BUT ONLY ONE WIRE ACROSS.
I think an electrician is the best person to call. A cooker man may only be a "component changer"; an electrician should have the know-how to isolate the problem.

[jennyjoan]

thanks Tony but you know I am not entirely convinced it is the cooker or fridge freezer as they are only 2 years old for a start and I have got everything going with the Fuse Wire.

[Tuvok]

Our cooker has its own fuse in the fuse box, our fridge freezer would be covered by the fuse for the plugs.

I would ask your retired neighbour for his opinion.

[tonyav]

Best to get an electrician in then, jj.

[jennyjoan]

thanks bhg - you are correct but only to get a bona fide electrician. I so trusted that guy who lived behind me - he was fabulous.

[Tuvok]

Never mess with electrics.

[jennyjoan]

No he doesn't work at all so can't ask him for an opinion.

Come Monday (hope electrics keep on going with the fuse wire) I will get an electrician.

[Tuvok]

Your neighbour although retired will have an idea - and night help you when talking to an electrician.

[jennyjoan]

Tuvok I have been messing with electrics since I was 10 years old when my mum showed me how to fix my first fuse in a very very old house.

I fixed my first vinyl player (which was given to me) when I was a teenager. Changed the plug and inserted a needle into the arm of the player - imagine my delight when I heard "Please dont wake me up today tomorrow I will leave to go away (Mary Hopkins)

Also inserted a light and an electric blanket for dying dad to the middle light of the room (two way socket) - there were no wall plugs. Have had a few electric shocks on the way. But still here LOL

[Islay]

It does indeed sound like the cooker causing the problems, could be a dodgy wire somewhere! It doesn't matter that its only two years old.

We had the same problem a couple of years ago - except when ours blew it took out the whole of the downstairs electrics.

[tonyav]

I suspect a dodgy oven element or as TWR say's the fan maybe.

[jennyjoan]

thanks Islay for your answer - if you think it cooker - why then when I changed fuse for cooker - then fridge freezer went on the blink - all have different fuses/circuits.

[Islay]

Well I'm not a trained electrician but when ours started to go wrong different things started blowing after the cooker went. Replaced the cooker got the electrics checked and never had another problem.