Gas oven, fascia temperature

[May]

After complaints to the manufacturer about the front fascia panel and knobs getting far too hot (oven door closed), one of Cannon's own engineers has now tested my 3-month old cooker and found the front temperature measured well below the maximum allowed, according to BS EN60/335/216 Section 11.101.

He showed me his printed sheet with all the max temperatures that engineers have to go by (vitreous enamel, metal & paint, glass & ceramic, plastic). 'Vitreous enamel' is max 90c including ambient temp in room of 25c. After

30 mins at Mk5 (200c), he read "an average of 53c", - one spot showed 68c.

With the max allowed of 90c, my reading at 53c may sound relatively cool but it's not - you practically burn your hands and fingers if you touch the fascia (and plastic knobs) for more than a few seconds - and that's why I contacted them in the first place.

How those (HSE?) people that set the maximum temperatures arrive at 90c for vitreous enamel, beats me. If the cooker was on at Mk 5 for half an hour or more in any public showroom, I bet there'd be a few 'very hot and not-to-touch' warnings around.

(Btw, other than the above, I've no complaints about the cooker - it's lovely)

[Tony Bryer]

Central heating rads could be near 80C - which is why they have to be enclosed in nurseries etc but not otherwise

[Sparks]

You don't Have to touch the radiator, but you have to touch the oven handle and knobs!

Surely this makes a difference!?

[Tony Bryer]

Sorry I misread the original post: I thought you were just referring to the temperature of the oven door not the handle

[May]

The very hot fascia part is the 9cm high panel which backs the very hot 6 knobs and very hot ignition button - I may not have made that too clear. Both the oven door, and oven handle - there's a gap of nearly 4cm between the oven handle and drop-down glass door- I've not found to be a problem, and one expects the glass door to be very hot when the oven's well on, and you don't touch it.

I think I'll try and find the relevant BS pages and possibly write to them.

[Joe Lee]

I would expect RoSPA to be able to advise you.

Joe Lee