Cannon cooker blowup

[Craig]

We had a problem yesterday with our Cannon York Electric cooker which we have owned for 2 years.

My wife put a couple of quiches in the oven which only normally took

20 minutes to cook. On checking them after this time they had turned completely black which alarmed us. The element in the back of the oven was glowing bright orange and the only way to cool the oven down was to switch it off at the electric.

Later in the day, my wife put the Sunday roast in the oven as it now appeared to be working fine. We were sat watching the TV when suddenly we heard a big smash like something had fallen off the work surface. What had happened was that the temperature in the oven was so hot (although the dial was only on 180 degrees) that the inner glass window had shattered into thousands of pieces and was all over the kitchen floor, the oven floor and even in the second oven above.

I turned the power back on at the mains this morning and the oven immediately came on even though the dial was set to the off position.

My wife spoke to Cannons this morning who basically didnt want to know even though this seems to be a very serious design flaw if the glass can shatter like that without any obvious tripout mechanisim in place to shut down the oven should it reach a certain temperature.

What it now means is that we need to go and buy an new oven only 2 years after paying over =A3400 for one that should have lasted a lot longer than it has done

[The Natural Philosopher]

Household insurance.

Thermostat was obviously faulty.

[Craig]

Did think about this. Would hosehold insurance cover it? what would it be classed as?

[Peter Scott]

Did you buy the cooker new? If so, even though it is now probably out of warranty, you might still have a claim for it being unfit for purpose. I think that the Which website might have some information, or ask at the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Clearly the stat has failed. I wouldn't have thought that your house insurance would cover it, but persistence might get you your money back.

Failing all of that, you should be able to get the stat replaced for less than 100 pounds. You could buy a new door from somewhere like espares and fit it yourself.

Good luck!

Peter Scott

[Craig]

Thanks for the advice. As the oven comes on as soon as the mains is switched on, does this still point to the thermostat as the oven gets warm even when the dial is set to 0.

Again, thanks in advance

[Topref]

Things are definitely pointing at the thermostat. Heating up when dial on Zero? - Thermostata not doing it's job and cutting power/maintaining correct temp.

[Craig]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. Looking at the espares site it seems I may be able to pick up a thermostat and glass for under =A350 (minus delivery)

[David W.E. Roberts]

Are you 100% sure about this?

If the oven turns on when the switch is off then this is obviously a switch fault.

The thermostat may also be faulty, but it is quite likely that if there is a faulty switch then the thermostat function will be ignored.

Given the severity of the fault, and that the oven has been used 'to destruction' I would be very wary about trying to repair it.

If the cooker is only two years old, and has suffered a very major and potentially dangerous fault then it is likely that you are entitled to your money back or a replacement.

'Which' and the CAB are good resources; AFAIK you should be going back to the retailer who sold you the cooker as your contract is with them. Check, but if they tell you to go to the manufacturer they are probably just trying to duck out of their responsibility.

If you bought via credit card the card company is jointly liable.

HTH

Dave R

[Broadback]

I agree with David, all of my cookers switched of, they did not simply rely on the thermostat to sense zero. If they did it would make useful source of frost protection! ;-)

[Nick]

I think some have the thermostat combined with the on/off switch - maybe the switch contacts got welded together so the thermostat bit didn't open them when pre-set temp was reached ?

Nick

[David W.E. Roberts]

I presume there must be a thermostat sensor somewhere in the body of the oven which is connected to the back of the switch to allow the switch setting (temperature) to control the oven.

There is therefore more than one component which may have failed.

I say again, if the oven has malfunctioned enough that the inner door has shattered due to a massive over temperature then almost anything in the oven could have been stressed beyond the design tolerance.

Replacing parts which MAY have failed and hoping everything else is O.K. does not seem a sensible approach.

The oven should be returned as 'not fit for purpose' to the merchant who sold it to the OP.

Next time the door may not shatter before the entire kitchen catches fire.

Cheers

Dave R

[Peter Parry]

There is usually a capillary sensor - the thermostat sensor and switch are a combined unit. A new switch will have a new sensor.

But replacing the single part which _has_ failed is quite sensible. It isn't exactly an uncommon failure.

All you are entitled to is repair (assuming you can show the fault existed at the time of sale).

[The Natural Philosopher]

Accidental damage.

[David W.E. Roberts]

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Ii isn't the fact that the part failed - it is the consequences of the failure. The oven was stressed enough to shatter an inner glass door - so it has damaged other parts than the switch/thermostat (obviously). The question now is what else has been damaged in perhaps a less obvious way.

Are you prepared to give a 100% guarantee that, even though the oven was heated enough to shatter a glass door, all that will need replacing is the switch/thermostat?

It may be common for thermostats to fail. Is it common for glass doors to shatter?

********************************************

Absolutely not.

A fault which develops during warranty doesn't have to be shown to have existed at the time of sale. If goods fail under warranty, they should be repaired or replaced or your money refunded.

Equally, goods are expected to be durable - to last a reasonable amount of time. This means that if they are out of manufacturers warranty you still have rights.

You are therfore entitled to repair (where appropriate), refund or replacement if the goods fail sooner than can be reasonably expected.

If the oven went into self destruct mode after just two years there should be a good case for the goods not being fit for purpose.

Trading Standards, the CAB, 'Which' are all good resources to confirm this.

Cheers

Dave R

[Peter Parry]

It is neither obvious nor likely that other parts are damaged. The glass door is toughened - which means that any surface imperfection and not merely heat could have contributed to its failure.

Such as? Cookers are not exactly complex and the fail safe is a very simple one - they can survive full power for an extended period as temperature equilibrium occurs at about 300deg C. This isn't far off the temperature some use for a self cleaning cycle.

Why not? What else do you suggest will have been "overstressed"?

Probably more common than it is for thermostats. The inner door is just a bit of toughened glass.

The cooker is out of warranty.

You may have the right to a repair as I stated. However the burden of proof is on the buyer to show non-conformity at the time of sale is on the buyer, not the seller.

You will be entitled to a partial refund rebated to take into account the use you have had from the device if both repair or replacement (with a second hand device if necessary) are not feasible.