How to Test the Switches on a Convection Oven

A convection oven is similar to a regular oven with the addition of a fan that circulates hot air around the food and cooks it from the outside in. As ovens age, the switches can become worn and lose their effectiveness. A volt ohm meter is a useful tool to test the switches on a convection oven to determine if they are working properly or need replacing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Volt ohm meter
• Screwdriver

1. Unplug the oven to ensure electricity is not flowing through the appliance. Never work on any electrical appliance while current still flows through it.

2. Remove the door and shelves from the oven. The shelves pull straight out but the door will require the removal of some screws.

3. Take out the screws behind the timer knob and around the edging of the control panel housing.

4. Lift off the control panel housing. With the screws removed, this should pop off easily with a slight pull.

5. Set the volt ohm meter to the RX1 scale.

6. Touch the volt ohm meter probes to the switch terminals. Properly working switches will return a high ohm value when the switch is set to "broil" and return a reading of zero when the switch is set to "convection."

Tips & Warnings

• Switches need replacing if the volt ohm meter doesn't show high ohms for the "broil" setting and zero ohms for the "convection" setting.
• Have a dish handy to keep all loose screws so none are lost during the disassembly and reassembling of the oven.