DIY electric stove repair

Most Soviet electric stoves use an EKCH burner. In this article I will talk about all the advantages and disadvantages of these hotplates.

The name is deciphered quite simply - a cast iron electric burner. Three numbers follow. The first shows the installation dimensions: 145, 180 and 220 millimeters. Then the power of the burner is indicated: 1000, 1500, 2000 or 2600 W. And not always followed, but the voltage is indicated: 220 volts.

The burners can be of a different type, but the technical side is important to us.

Burners of this type have two or three spirals and, accordingly, two or three terminals. The spirals can have the same or different resistance. Thanks to this, the power can be adjusted over a wide range. It all depends on the manufacturer's imagination. In theory, with a quick count, three heating elements of different resistance can give 10 steps of adjustment, but the switch for this adjustment will be quite complex, so switches with 3 or 6 steps are usually used. The regulation is carried out by means of parallel and serial connection of heating elements.

The power of the elements may not be the same. Quite often, there is a pattern on the underside of the burner in the form of an imprint. Nevertheless, what you need to know so that you can check all the spirals and determine the scheme (because it may also differ from the one proposed, although most often it looks like this). So, if you ring contact 2 and 4 with a multimeter in the dialing mode (or resistance test), then you will get the greatest resistance, because in this chain all three spirals will be connected in series, and when connected in series, the resistances are summed up. If you short-circuit 4 and 3 with each other, and then 1 and 2 and measure the resistance between these pairs of contacts, then you will get the smallest resistance, because all the spirals will be connected in parallel. And in parallel connection of resistances, the total resistance will be less than the smallest one. Accordingly, the resistance of each coil can be measured:

• # 1 - pins 3 and 2
• No. 2 - pins 3 and 1
• No. 3 - pins 1 and 4

If any of the spirals burns out, then the burner in some positions will not work at all, and in some it will not develop maximum power.

If you only had two wires connected to the old burner, and not four, then the EKCH burner can be installed. But the reverse replacement will not work. The fact is that if you have only two wires, then the power regulation is carried out by a continuously variable switch. In such switches, the temperature is controlled by a bimetallic plate. While step switches regulate the temperature by switching on certain spirals of the burner, combining in series and parallel switching on of the spirals. To connect the EKCH to a continuously adjustable switch, it is necessary to combine contacts 4-3 and 2-1 with each other, and then connect two wires to these pairs. As a result, you get a burner that is controlled by a switch by means of a bimetallic plate. If, on the contrary, you have a step switch, and you are trying to connect a burner with one spiral to it, then in one position it will work at full power all the time.

There is a variety of EKCH burners, which are labeled as express burners. You can identify them by the red circle in the center of the hotplate.Inside such a hotplate there is a high-power spiral with a built-in thermostat. Such burners warm up faster, and when they reach the maximum mode, the thermostat turns off the spiral of increased power, thereby preventing the burner from overheating. The switching circuit is no different from ordinary burners. What to choose, regular or express, you decide. I personally would prefer the usual one, because the fewer connections of all kinds, the lower the risk of breakage.

In principle, there is one caveat - these burners do not like overheating. Therefore, you need to try not to turn on the burner at maximum power if nothing is on it. That is, if you “like” to be warmed by the burners in the spring-autumn period, then you should not turn them on at full, half the power will be enough.

Let's summarize. This article discusses the EKCH burner, that is, cast iron, as the most common, but the principle itself - stepwise power control due to the use of several spirals in one burner - can also be found in another version. The purpose of this article is to give you an understanding of how these burners work.

Best wishes, Me!

Great article! I have learned a lot of useful things for myself!
And in general - a very good site!
Thank you and good mood to everyone!
picture for mood

Svetlana, hello. Thank you so much for the comment and for the kind words in it. This is very motivating to continue! It is difficult to write professional topics in simple language, but I will try 🙂 Come back again!

Hello. Great article. I burned out a three-pin ecch on an ancient lysva stove with three positions of the heater handle. I bought a four-pin, connected it, but I feel that there is no maximum power. Apparently I connected something wrong. It is not clear which wires of the stove should be connected to the ECC so that there is a maximum power. And what is strange is the contact numbers on ecch 1243. Maybe you can advise something. Thank you in advance

Sergey, hello. Why wrong? I've met both options. The point here is not in the notation, but in the understanding of the essence. Once there was complete unification, now in one elevator they write “enter or take out a stroller”, in the second “bring in or take out”, and in the third they have completely learned to avoid this word, where it is not clear what the letter should be. So it is with numbers. Someone might think that it was wrong when 1243 and corrected it to "correct" 1234. So here it is more important to understand the principle of operation, then the numbering of conclusions will not be relevant. And by the way, if you look closely at the inscription above the power table, you will see EKCH (cast iron electric burner), and not EKCH. Does this mean that the passport is incorrect?

Hello! And when measuring the resistance at the contacts, what value should it be? And when measuring, you need to flip the switch or should it be in the off position?

Hello Sergey. It all depends on the device you are measuring with and what you are measuring. Try to be more specific about what it means to flip a switch. In general, first, tell the model of your device and then you can talk further.

Also Sergey. About the marking of the hotplates. It used to be 1234, now it is 1243. Switch 0.1.2.3, that is, seven-position. There are 4 wires from the burner to the switch. Before changing the hotplate, write down the color coding of the wires and connect as well. But. Before connecting to the network, connect an ohmmeter to the network wire and, switching in series 0-1-2-3, make sure that the resistance decreases in series. That is, at 1 it is maximum, and at 3 it is minimum. Thus, we check the correctness of the connection, as well as the serviceability of the burner and switch.

Sergey, hello. Everything is correct, unfortunately, not all manufacturers follow the exact marking, therefore, upon completion of the repair or replacement of the burner, it is necessary to make sure that the installation is correct.

Today, the popularity of household appliances powered by electricity is constantly growing, but minor breakdowns sometimes occur during operation. The electric stove is present in every modern kitchen - it is the heart of this space. When a kitchen assistant fails, many home craftsmen are interested in whether it is possible to repair an electric stove with their own hands?

Firstly, a home craftsman who decides to repair an electric stove on his own must at least understand electrical appliances, know the elementary fundamentals of electrical engineering and safety rules when carrying out this type of work. Secondly, you need to be sure that you can perform such a complex repair, and most importantly, find and eliminate the root cause of the breakdown. Third, it is necessary to prepare special tool.

When dismantling electric stoves, you will need screwdrivers for various purposes: for a cross or slot, with different thicknesses, the so-called tip specialists. You will definitely need keys - open-end and capscrews, pliers, wire cutters. For internal work in the body of the product, a soldering iron, side cutters, an insulating tape and, of course, a special device for measuring voltage and resistance are useful.

The photo shows only an approximate set of the necessary tools - during work, the assortment of the tools used tends to significantly expand.

The electric stove looks very impressive - it is a complex household appliance, but its design is quite simple, and all the main working elements are in a special heat-resistant housingwhich is made of stainless steel.

The principle of operation is similar to all electrical household appliances: the current, passing through heating elements (TEN), heats them to a predetermined temperature. The stove has several burners on the hob, and their number varies: at least two, and the standard is 4. For example, the budget Mechta 15M electric stove has only two burners and a small oven, and the product of Belarusian engineers Hephaestus has a standard set of burners and a voluminous oven.

Burner structure quite varied. Classics are burners on an enameled hob with heating elements inside, modern ones are solid ceramic surfaces with heaters of various types built into them. Let's consider the main types of burners.

1. Old domestic options are equipped with products cast iron, they slowly heat up and also cool down, creating a steam effect in the kitchen, but they are resistant to moisture and high temperatures.
2. Tubular spirals - they are made from a hollow tube, when heated, such devices not only give off heat, but also promote the circulation of warm air inside their case, which significantly increases their efficiency. These products are very difficult to repair yourself.
3. Hotplates ceramic they are very simple in design, they are easy to repair at home - the nichrome spiral is placed in special cells in a circle and fixed. In modern models, glass-ceramic solid plates are increasingly used - they are more durable and easy to clean.
4. Halogen devices - these are special burners with a similar emitter, which are installed in different places on the hob. A stove with such burners provides quick heating, in a second, and low energy consumption, so they are the most economical, but only professional craftsmen can repair them.

All models of modern stoves to transfer current to the burners use power wire special section, in addition, they are connected to regulators and thermostats, ensuring their protection against overheating.

In different models, the heating level is controlled in different ways: by manually changing the cooking mode or by special timers and alarms that control.

During the operation of electric stoves, users may encounter such typical malfunctions.

1. Sometimes when the product is turned on, burning smell - it is necessary to turn off the stove and inspect the burners, on which the remains of burnt food could remain, which can be easily removed. When there is a smell of burnt plastic or rubber, then you need to call the master.
2. The heating element does not heat up - here is the fault of the burner or the connecting wires, but first you need to check the controls, maybe the contact has gone away.
3. Impossible adjust the optimal temperature heating the hotplate - it is necessary to repair the switch.
4. The hotplate does not heat up - if you have a spiral inside, then it often ruptures from overheating or moisture ingress. In this case, it is very easy to repair the electric stove - replace the spiral, that's the whole repair.
5. The oven is not working well - it is necessary to ring the heating elements, in 100% it is their fault, replacement is required, since they are not being repaired.

Attention! If the electric stove was connected independently, then not a single service will do repairs for free - you have lost the right to warranty service.

The process of finding equipment failure does not depend on the model of the product and the type of hob or the burners installed on it.

First, using a voltmeter, you need to check the voltage. Do not exclude the possibility of the circuit breaker being triggered, the insulation of the wiring may be broken or the reason lies in the outlet... If so, then it is necessary to disassemble it, and clarify the reason.

If the indicator lights up on the control panel, and the stove does not work, then there is no power supply to the burners, which means that you need to disassemble the stove.

The correct operation of the mechanical or electronic control unit should be checked - measure the current flow to the burner terminals with the device.

Check the heating element of each burner to find a burned-out coil.

Inspect all thermal sensors, relays and various regulators.

Our task is to find a malfunction and localize the resulting problem. After following all the recommendations, you will find the reason for the failure of the equipment, and we will tell you how to fix it a little later.

Models of slabs are different not only in external shape, but also in size, design - it is impossible to describe a disassembly algorithm that will fit all products. Common factor for all is the presence of a thermal insulation layer - here you need to work with him very carefully. Users should be aware that the asbestos dust from the gaskets under the burners in older models is very harmful to health - keep this fact in mind when disassembling archaic stoves.

initially the hob is dismantled - it is fastened with screws, if you unscrew them, then it can be easily removed. Under it are the burners, supplying wires to them and mechanical temperature regulators, which are located on the front panel.

All this must be dismantled in order to get to the lower part, where the heating elements of the oven are located.

At a modern electric hob with a hob made of glass ceramics disassembling the case for repair will be different - in order to get inside, you just need to remove the top panel.

Important! Repair of glass-ceramic hobs is carried out only by specialists of the service center - amateurs with superficial knowledge and lack of experience should not touch such complex equipment.

Below are the common breakdowns of electric cookers. Some of them can be fixed by yourself, others require professional diagnostics and repair.

If you have a stove with burners, then in order to change them, you need to act according to this method.

1. We unscrew the nut and remove the grounding.
2. There may be a ring or bracket under it that presses the part to the base.
3. The burner is fastened with a threaded connection or simply inserted into a special hole. In the first case, we lubricate the thread with oil and carefully try to unscrew it from the case, in the second case, we pry it with a screwdriver and take it out.
4. If the model is of the old model, then it is better to immediately replace the burned-out burners with modern and economical models that are suitable in size.
   
5. If the burners are in good working order, then the reason for the failure lies in control unit - a large current flows through the mechanical regulators, and carbon deposits can form on delicate contacts, which are cleaned with fine sandpaper.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to repair or replace a switch on an electric cooker.

1. If there are no clicks when turning the regulator, this indicates that it is defective.
2. There is an original check of its condition: we put the regulator in the middle position, apply voltage to the stove, the automatic protection should work - turn on and off after 30 seconds.
3. Before removing the handles, you must study the instructions - on some models they do not understand (Gefest, Kaiser).
4. First, the control knobs are removed from the outside, then we unscrew the front panel.
5. A bar is installed under it, which must be removed in order to get to the broken regulator.

If the click is inaudible when the relay is turned on, then it is necessary to check for the presence of a signal - if it is absent, the reason lies in the microprocessor itself or in the cascade at the output. To repair an electronic unit, you need to have a schematic diagram and understand the complexities of radio engineering... If there is no knowledge and skills, then it is better to turn to specialists - otherwise you will have to buy a new electric stove.

Modern electric stoves on heating elements quite often use a cascade-type burner heating thermostat.

Sometimes there is a breakdown of such a regulator, for which an identical replacement can be found. Experienced masters advise to install triac type such a device, you just need to take it with a margin of power and current strength. In some models, it is installed on one board along with a heatsink. When the burner of the stove is operating at maximum, and the heating control cannot be changed, this indicates that it was the regulator that failed for an unknown reason - it urgently needs to be replaced.

Each user should understand that modern household appliances are crammed with electronics, each model has its own, different from others, nuance of manufacturing and control - mechanical or electronic. Outside interference without special knowledge and skills can negatively affect the delicate filling of electric stoves.

If you have a simple stove with burners on an enameled hob, then you can repair it on your own by watching the video:

Thanks to such a versatile energy as electricity, the popularity of electric stoves is growing. This site has an article on how to connect an electric stove, and this page describes common problems, methods of identifying and eliminating them.

In many cases, a home craftsman or an ordinary user can make repairs to the electric stove with his own hands, without resorting to expensive specialist services.

Electric cooking

Regardless of the model of the electric stove and the type of burners used, the identification of the cause of the failure of the electric stove should be carried out according to the following algorithm:

• Check with a voltmeter for the presence of a supply voltage (it is possible that the circuit breaker on the stove connection line has tripped, the wiring is damaged, or the outlet is faulty;
• Make sure that the plug and the power supply cord are in good working order - the glow of the control lamp or electronic indication on the control panel automatically excludes this malfunction;

Disassemble and check the power outlet

Troubleshooting the electric stove

The task of any repairman is localize the problem... Having gone through this algorithm step by step, you can repair the electric stove with your own hands, having a small set of tools available and having limited knowledge in electrical engineering.

The most important condition on which not only the successful repair of the electric stove depends, but also the safety of the master and those around him, is knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering and electrical safety. You also need confidence in your abilities - some measurements will have to be made with the voltage turned on.

From the tools for disassembling the body of the electric stove, you will need screwdrivers with suitable tips, perhaps a set of keys, pliers. For work inside the case, depending on the detected malfunction, you will need a soldering iron, wire cutters, electrical tape or heat shrink tubing.

Repair tool kit

Sometimes it is possible to identify a problem only by visual inspection (carbon deposits on the contacts, or a soldered wire). But, practice shows that in most cases it is impossible to repair an electric stove without measuring instruments.

Inspect the connections to the terminals

The most acceptable would be to use a multimeter - a multifunctional measuring device, which should be used by any master dealing with electrical engineering. In some cases, you can get by with a voltage probe and a homemade continuity from a light bulb and a battery.

If the mains voltage is normal, and the stove suddenly stops working after switching on, then it is worth checking the outlet itself - perhaps it does not correspond to the power, or the contacts are worn out, and they spontaneously bend during the heating process.

There are cases that in electric stoves with mechanical regulators and burner power switches, the control lamp burned out long ago, and the stove itself stopped working properly much later. At this stage, without starting to disassemble the case, it is possible to identify a malfunction in the switches, including various burners and switching modes their work.

The two burners of the electric stove do not work

If it is found that some of the heaters are working, albeit not at full capacity, then the malfunction of the power cord can be excluded, and you need to look for problems in the switches or in the spirals of the burners.

It is unlikely that all burners will burn out at the same time (although this is possible if all heaters were running during a power surge). Therefore, if there is no reaction to manipulation of the switches, the voltage may not be supplied to the controls.

Since electric stoves and hobs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs, there is no way to describe them all in one article, so the user must independently figure out how to disassemble the case. But common to all types of electric stoves is the presence of thermal insulation and it is necessary to work with it very carefully.

Various designs of electric stoves

If the thermal insulation layer of the electric stove is significantly damaged, its energy efficiency will decrease, as well as the readings of the temperature sensors will change, which will entail the stove's malfunctioning in the future.

It must be remembered that it is necessary to work with glass wool thermal insulation only with thick gloves, and the asbestos dust of the thermal insulation gaskets of old electric stoves is harmful to health.

Having disassembled the body of the electric stove, it is necessary to study the internal structure of the equipment, determine the type of regulators, switches and heaters. It will be very handy to have in stock plate layout... But even without a circuit, knowing the basics of electrical engineering, you can understand the heater control system and identify the problem.

Attention, the following verification methods are contrary to the user's instructions, which prohibit turning on the electric stove when the case is disassembled, so you should be very careful!

If the electric cooker does not work at all, you should check for the presence of voltage at the input of the switches or the electronic control circuit. Imported electric stoves with an electronic control unit are vulnerable to power surges, and very often problems in them are not related to damage to the heating elements.

Electronic control unit for electric stove

If the power cord is OK, and the voltage is on, and the display does not light up, then the internal fuse of the electric stove control unit may have blown. But the indication of a working display does not always guarantee its performance - perhaps there was a breakdown in the power switching relays.

The most accessible way to check the control unit is to check the voltage supply to the terminals of the burner heaters. If the voltage comes in, but the heating element does not heat up, then you need to disconnect the electric stove from the outlet, then disconnect the terminals from the heating elements and ring them.

Checking the supply of voltage to the terminals of the coil of the burner

It will be safer if you first attach special crocodile clips to the terminals of the heating elements, which are put on the measuring probes, and then apply voltage. If only part of the burners is working, then it will be more expedient to ring the heaters first, and only then look for an open circuit in the power circuit. It must be remembered that heating elements can have several coils - the heating power is regulated by the way they are connected together.

If a burnout of the filament or a breakdown on the case is detected, the damaged heating element should replace.