Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

vidjoman · 31st May 2015, 7:55 pm

I also went for an induction hob. I first looked at then around 20+ years ago but couldn't justify the price back then but today, or 5 years ago in my case, I bought one. As David says, WOW. Extremely safe, quick and definitely saves power. Very fast to boil a pan of water, and so controllable.
Visitors are amazed that I can cook with a towel between the hob and pan, there's no direct heat from the hob as the heat is generated in the pan so nothing to catch fire. No pan and it'll switch off so you can't switch on the wrong cooking ring. I've seen several fires caused by people turning on the wrong ring, be it gas or normal electric, and they've set fire to a cloth.
Can't recommend them enough, especially for us older folks.

julie_m · 31st May 2015, 8:16 pm

Does anybody make such a thing as a plug-in, one or two "burner" induction hotplate, of about 2 kW rating?

I could find one handy with Summer coming up. Electricity from Solar panels is even cheaper than gas .....

vidjoman · 31st May 2015, 8:29 pm

Lidl were selling a single burner plug in hob for about 29.95 a couple of weeks ago. Come up every few months.

broadgage · 31st May 2015, 8:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajs_derby

Does anybody make such a thing as a plug-in, one or two "burner" induction hotplate, of about 2 kW rating?

Yes, single induction hobs of about 1KW at readily available for under £50, most electrical retailers that stock kitchen appliances should have them.
Doubles exist but seem less common.

Gulliver · 19th Jun 2015, 8:22 pm

Some camping/caravan shops sell single induction "burner" plug-in units at either 1kW or 1.5kW for use in caravans and tents.

Tried using a friend's induction hob several times and am glad I'm still using my trusty Tricity President with rings!

McMurdo · 20th Jun 2015, 12:38 am

Not sure if we're drifting off the subject but I wouldn't have an induction hob seeing the complexity of the control board with their surface-mount, microprocessor-controlled fan-cooled IGBT stacks...a bit more expensive to replace than a spiral element!

I'm sticking with gas as I can still cook a meal during a power cut.

AC/HL · 20th Jun 2015, 2:38 am

It drifted a while ago, and seems to be nearing the end. Gas is most certainly off topic.

trsomian · 25th Jun 2015, 7:57 am

My mother's cooker has two elements, one each side, and one failed in a similar manner to the photograph. It so happened that the fault occured in one of the few places the element is visible.

Andrew B · 13th Jul 2015, 6:26 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanworland

I cut all the cable from our old cooker, it was silicone insulated in a variety of colours and has proved very useful

Sometimes you get lots of fibreglass sleeving, it comes in very useful

PaulR · 14th Jul 2015, 9:04 am

Elements constructed like those spiral ones and the similar ones on the grill and oven can fail rather spectacularly with showers of sparks and bright flashes. I keep a look out on our 1980 Creda Cavalier for any bright spots and replace the element before it can fail.

I keep spare oven and grill elements in case the supply dries up and they will trip the mains when first switched on. I have taken to heating them for half an hour or so in the oven before fitting them and this cures the problem.

31st May 2015, 7:55 pm	#21
vidjoman Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: East Sussex, UK. Posts: 3,326	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. I also went for an induction hob. I first looked at then around 20+ years ago but couldn't justify the price back then but today, or 5 years ago in my case, I bought one. As David says, WOW. Extremely safe, quick and definitely saves power. Very fast to boil a pan of water, and so controllable. Visitors are amazed that I can cook with a towel between the hob and pan, there's no direct heat from the hob as the heat is generated in the pan so nothing to catch fire. No pan and it'll switch off so you can't switch on the wrong cooking ring. I've seen several fires caused by people turning on the wrong ring, be it gas or normal electric, and they've set fire to a cloth. Can't recommend them enough, especially for us older folks.

31st May 2015, 8:16 pm	#22
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. Does anybody make such a thing as a plug-in, one or two "burner" induction hotplate, of about 2 kW rating? I could find one handy with Summer coming up. Electricity from Solar panels is even cheaper than gas ..... __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

31st May 2015, 8:29 pm	#23
vidjoman Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: East Sussex, UK. Posts: 3,326	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. Lidl were selling a single burner plug in hob for about 29.95 a couple of weeks ago. Come up every few months.

19th Jun 2015, 8:22 pm	#25
Gulliver Hexode Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. Posts: 469	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. Some camping/caravan shops sell single induction "burner" plug-in units at either 1kW or 1.5kW for use in caravans and tents. Tried using a friend's induction hob several times and am glad I'm still using my trusty Tricity President with rings!

20th Jun 2015, 12:38 am	#26
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. Not sure if we're drifting off the subject but I wouldn't have an induction hob seeing the complexity of the control board with their surface-mount, microprocessor-controlled fan-cooled IGBT stacks...a bit more expensive to replace than a spiral element! I'm sticking with gas as I can still cook a meal during a power cut. __________________ Kevin

20th Jun 2015, 2:38 am	#27
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. It drifted a while ago, and seems to be nearing the end. Gas is most certainly off topic.

25th Jun 2015, 7:57 am	#28
trsomian Hexode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Box End, Beds. UK. Posts: 271	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. My mother's cooker has two elements, one each side, and one failed in a similar manner to the photograph. It so happened that the fault occured in one of the few places the element is visible.

14th Jul 2015, 9:04 am	#30
PaulR Dekatron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Southport Lancashire, UK. Posts: 3,233	Re: Unusual failure of cooker spiral element. Elements constructed like those spiral ones and the similar ones on the grill and oven can fail rather spectacularly with showers of sparks and bright flashes. I keep a look out on our 1980 Creda Cavalier for any bright spots and replace the element before it can fail. I keep spare oven and grill elements in case the supply dries up and they will trip the mains when first switched on. I have taken to heating them for half an hour or so in the oven before fitting them and this cures the problem.