Gas oven failure

[Styx]

We've got a "Moffat by Parkinson Cowan 500TC" free-standing gas cooker. To be fair, it's getting on a bit but has generally proved to be very reliable and capable (for our needs).

Since about last summer, when the power has been out to the cooker (usually because I've turned the mains off to do something elsewhere in the house) the digital display (clock/timer) has sometimes failed to come back on when the power is restored. Power cycling a few times can sometimes bring it back to life, and on occasion it has just come back by itself after the power has been left on for a few hours. Sometimes it sounds like a relay or something is faintly humming when it's struggling to revive itself.

On Thursday night, I had the mains off to replace a light fitting. After switching back on, the cooker clock/timer didn't want to know at all, and it's still not come back to life by today. I suspect it's finally given up the ghost.

Frankly, I don't really care whether the clock/timer works or not, but the side effect appears to be that the actual oven will not light at all; I'm guessing that the electronics control some kind of fail-safe gas cut-out to the oven, perhaps?

All of the gas rings and the grill work fine (including the ignition spark), it's just there's no gas/spark in the oven whatsoever.

Anyone have any suggestions for a fix?

Thanks,

Styx

[Ed Sirett]

Don't try to find a spare as the company has been bought out a couple of times and trying to find spares is really difficult.

A specialist gas cooker spares place /may/ help give them the GC no. and the make and model and let them do the work but don't hold out much hope.

By the book "gerry-rigging" the oven is a no-no. You may find that most likely the juice to the oven valve is done with spade connectors. Some thought should let you work out how to wire it in manual mode for the rest of its life.

Many models with timers also have ignition and flame failure built into the electronics itself. You must make sure that you don't bypass those in anyway at all.

[Styx]

Thanks for the input, Ed.

Yes, I've had great difficulty in finding out much about the make/model online. It seems that Moffat may now be a part of the Zanussi group, but I can't find anywhere that actually sells Moffat (new or spares).

I suspect the model I have falls into the "ignition and flame failure built into the electronics" category, which I'm also not expecting to be a cheap fix, and possibly not fixable at all.

It's a shame, really, as we have been generally very happy with the cooker. It's a double-shame, too, as we were planning on re-doing the kitchen within the next 2 or 3 years so could've done without having to replace the cooker /just/ yet.

On a related note, is it actually legal for a non-corgi person to disconnect an old gas oven and then connect a new one, assuming the connector is the same?

Styx

[Tim Downie]

I'm sure someone will quote chapter and verse but my understanding is that it only requires a "competent" person. It could be argued that you really ought to leak-test after breaking and making one of these connections.

I'm sure many of us have undone and redone these connections without doing that though.

Tim

[Ed Sirett]

If you are only using the bayonet connector then anyone is permitted to disconnect/reconnect.

It's a little more grey if the oven/cooker are different models (but the same class of appliance).

If the appliance is new and the hose has to be connected then the usual competence considerations arise.

[Justin Bell]

Hi, I have had the same problem with a dissappearing clock display on a similar unit. On my unit, when the power goes out and then comes back on, it automatically defaults to auto mode and you can't light the oven until you press the manual button on the timer panel. My clock display disappeared five or six years ago, but the timer unit 'brains' appear to be working behind the panel. Funnily enough the clock display has started to come back, faintly, when the oven has been on!

Cheers

[Styx]

Yeah, sounds very similar to the problem I have. The timer controls on my unit are twist-knobs rather than push-buttons and it's been left in the "manual" position for the past few days, but no joy.

I'm thinking it might be something as trivial as dry joints or a bad connection, so may try to take it apart and see what gives.

Styx

[Dipa]

I am having the same problem with this same Parkinson Moffat 500 cooker. Everything is in working order except the clock and the oven. Unfortunately it happens after load shedding in our area. I am hoping the oven gas flame will come back on its own one day.