Broiler element burnt out and breaker won't reset

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

So the broiler element in our oven stopped working. Everything else was working--bottom element, stovetop, etc. I ordered a new part. (Except I accidentally ordered the bottom. Oops.)

Anyway, I went to turn off the circuit breaker. After I did that, I realized I wanted to use the stove top, so I tried to turn it back on. No dice. It won't reset. Actually it's a double breaker and the bottom half will reset, while the top won't. Funnily enough, apparently the bottom half controls the clock and the LED, so it will PRETEND to cook food, but the stovetop and oven won't work.

My question is this: Is there any chance that replacing the broiler element will fix the problem with the circuit breaker, or should I just call an electrician now? (I know my limits.)

[Papa Mustache]

Sounds like you need a new breaker. Whether or not you feel comfortable replacing it yourself is up to you. See You Tube and all that.

It COULD be that something in the stove/oven is tripping the breaker while you are trying to reset it. It could be that some part of the wiring has gone bad in your house though that would be unusual IMHO.

Try unplugging the appliance and then try to reset the breaker. If you have success then something is wrong in the appliance.  If it still won't reset after the appliance is unplugged, then your breaker needs replacement or your wiring is faulty. Probably the breaker.

[guitar_stitch]

It's very likely that the wiring to the element or the element itself is shorting out, causing the second leg of the breaker to read a dead short.

Jethrosnose is on the right track: unplug the stove and see if the breaker will reset.  That will eliminate the electrician need.

[lthenderson]

It's very likely that the wiring to the element or the element itself is shorting out, causing the second leg of the breaker to read a dead short.

Had this very thing happen to my cooktop this summer.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

It's very likely that the wiring to the element or the element itself is shorting out, causing the second leg of the breaker to read a dead short.

Jethrosnose is on the right track: unplug the stove and see if the breaker will reset.  That will eliminate the electrician need.

Mr. FP unplugged the range and tried to reset the breaker--no dice.

Guess it's an electrician after all. I'm a little phobic about electricity. I'm not usually a phobic or superstitious person, but waaay back before my mother was even born, her father's brother, a professional electrician, was killed along with his brother-in-law. Hard not to think about Great-Uncle Bob when the wires are out.

[paddedhat]

A new breaker would be important, given that the existing installation is a pair of single pole (120 volt) breakers, which is illegal and a life safety issue. Might be a good idea to ask the electrician to review the panel and the house in general, in case there are any other serious issues.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

A new breaker would be important, given that the existing installation is a pair of single pole (120 volt) breakers, which is illegal and a life safety issue. Might be a good idea to ask the electrician to review the panel and the house in general, in case there are any other serious issues.

Perhaps I haven't described it well--the electrician said that the panel was quite well done. He replaced the breaker and also relocated the dryer to a better spot. It was more expensive than I thought, but I'm glad I didn't try to do it myself. We can use the cooktop now while we wait for the part to fix the oven. Thanks for the warning!

[paddedhat]

A new breaker would be important, given that the existing installation is a pair of single pole (120 volt) breakers, which is illegal and a life safety issue. Might be a good idea to ask the electrician to review the panel and the house in general, in case there are any other serious issues.

Perhaps I haven't described it well--the electrician said that the panel was quite well done. He replaced the breaker and also relocated the dryer to a better spot. It was more expensive than I thought, but I'm glad I didn't try to do it myself. We can use the cooktop now while we wait for the part to fix the oven. Thanks for the warning!

No, you described it just fine, as far as I can tell. A double breaker covers both incoming bus bars (the copper plated metal that the breaker clamps on to) Each bar supplies 120 volts and, in combination, they add up to 240 volts, which is required of most ranges, electric dryers, well pumps, electric baseboard heat, and other heavy amperage draw loads. If you have the ability to switch each side of a double breaker off and on, you have an installation where somebody used two single breakers, side by side, to supply 240 volts. That is, as I stated, illegal and dangerous. "Back in the day" this was an acceptable practice, since breakers had a hole drilled through the end of the toggle switch, and you could, and often did, cut an eight penny nail and drop it between two toggles to "make" a 240 volt breaker, by tying them together.

It sounds like your electrician resolved the issue, and is confident that everything else looks good, which is good to hear. The electrician corrected a potentially dangerous situation that occurs when an unqualified person decides to repair the stove, and heads to the panel to turn it off. They look at the panel labels and determine that the breaker for the stove is breaker #8. They turn #8 off, and tear into the stove. Unfortunately, the stove is still fed with 120volts by #10, and they get electrocuted. Now the event is a preventable chain of incompetent practices, with a lot of opportunities for a trained and qualified person to have prevented the tragedy, but codes and best practice are there to make everything as "idiot proof" as possible.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

paddedhat, my electric baseboards use 240 volts (only have them in the attic) and are fed by two breakers: the white wire goes through one, the black through another. From your comment it sounds like I should have that fixed. Am I right about that?

[paddedhat]

paddedhat, my electric baseboards use 240 volts (only have them in the attic) and are fed by two breakers: the white wire goes through one, the black through another. From your comment it sounds like I should have that fixed. Am I right about that?

Sounds like an issue. If they have holes at the end of the toggles, you could install a small bolt (6/32 x 2" or similar) with a nylon lock nut, to permanently tie them together. This is not technically legal anymore, but it would be a lot better that nothing.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

A new breaker would be important, given that the existing installation is a pair of single pole (120 volt) breakers, which is illegal and a life safety issue. Might be a good idea to ask the electrician to review the panel and the house in general, in case there are any other serious issues.

Perhaps I haven't described it well--the electrician said that the panel was quite well done. He replaced the breaker and also relocated the dryer to a better spot. It was more expensive than I thought, but I'm glad I didn't try to do it myself. We can use the cooktop now while we wait for the part to fix the oven. Thanks for the warning!

No, you described it just fine, as far as I can tell. A double breaker covers both incoming bus bars (the copper plated metal that the breaker clamps on to) Each bar supplies 120 volts and, in combination, they add up to 240 volts, which is required of most ranges, electric dryers, well pumps, electric baseboard heat, and other heavy amperage draw loads. If you have the ability to switch each side of a double breaker off and on, you have an installation where somebody used two single breakers, side by side, to supply 240 volts. That is, as I stated, illegal and dangerous. "Back in the day" this was an acceptable practice, since breakers had a hole drilled through the end of the toggle switch, and you could, and often did, cut an eight penny nail and drop it between two toggles to "make" a 240 volt breaker, by tying them together.

It sounds like your electrician resolved the issue, and is confident that everything else looks good, which is good to hear. The electrician corrected a potentially dangerous situation that occurs when an unqualified person decides to repair the stove, and heads to the panel to turn it off. They look at the panel labels and determine that the breaker for the stove is breaker #8. They turn #8 off, and tear into the stove. Unfortunately, the stove is still fed with 120volts by #10, and they get electrocuted. Now the event is a preventable chain of incompetent practices, with a lot of opportunities for a trained and qualified person to have prevented the tragedy, but codes and best practice are there to make everything as "idiot proof" as possible.

The two halves are actually stuck together. It's a recent installation. It was possible for one side to be on and for one to be stuck in the middle (ie, needing to be reset) but NOT for one half to be on and the other all the way off. They do not operate individually. Is that setup acceptable?

[paddedhat]

The two halves are actually stuck together. It's a recent installation. It was possible for one side to be on and for one to be stuck in the middle (ie, needing to be reset) but NOT for one half to be on and the other all the way off. They do not operate individually. Is that setup acceptable?

That's one I haven't seen. I would say that the breaker failed. The entire unit should either be fully and clearly off, on, or in the tripped position,  a little of each isn't going to work :)

[guitar_stitch]

The two halves are actually stuck together. It's a recent installation. It was possible for one side to be on and for one to be stuck in the middle (ie, needing to be reset) but NOT for one half to be on and the other all the way off. They do not operate individually. Is that setup acceptable?

That's one I haven't seen. I would say that the breaker failed. The entire unit should either be fully and clearly off, on, or in the tripped position,  a little of each isn't going to work :)

It's common on many panels for the cap that binds the individual poles to have enough play to allow one side to trip and not the other.  It's not a hazard, and AFAIK is not against code.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

The two halves are actually stuck together. It's a recent installation. It was possible for one side to be on and for one to be stuck in the middle (ie, needing to be reset) but NOT for one half to be on and the other all the way off. They do not operate individually. Is that setup acceptable?

That's one I haven't seen. I would say that the breaker failed. The entire unit should either be fully and clearly off, on, or in the tripped position,  a little of each isn't going to work :)

It's common on many panels for the cap that binds the individual poles to have enough play to allow one side to trip and not the other.  It's not a hazard, and AFAIK is not against code.

Moot point. The part to fix the oven arrived, so I looked more closely at the new breaker. Now it is more like one firm plastic piece. The two halves no longer have any independent movement.

And I fixed the oven! I may have shelled out for the electrician, but at least I didn't waste money paying for the easy part.