No earth connection on replacement oven element

[SarahC]

Hi – I’m getting as much advice as I can on this issue as I’m a complete novice. I’m trying to replace the element in a Bosch HBN435A fan oven. My only concern is that the original element has an earth connection and the new element doesn’t.

I’ve been advised on another forum that because the element is screwed to the chassis it is now considered unnecessary to have an earth connected to the element. Is this because the chassis itself is earthed?

I have also been advised that the earth wire needs to be wrapped in insulting tape and kept out of the way fo the other connections and the fan.

Does anyone have any further advice to give me before I tackle this job?

Thanks!

[Penguin45]

Re: No earth connection on replacement oven element

Basically correct. There have been many variations over the years with the elements from Bosch, by and large they no longer have a separate earth terminal.

Ideally, you should remove the oven from the housing, remove the back panel and tie the now insulated earth connection back into the loom with a cable tie.

Obviously with the power off first……

Penguin45.

[Martin]

Re: No earth connection on replacement oven element

SarahC wrote:I’ve been advised on another forum that because the element is screwed to the chassis it is now considered unnecessary to have an earth connected to the element. Is this because the chassis itself is earthed?

This is on the assumption that the oven cavity (lining) itself has an adequate earth to the chassis in the first place?:? (In the trade we use earth insulation testers to check that the earth loop is satisfactory as a matter of course.)

The purpose of the earth wires throughout the oven is to ensure each and every component is adequately and directly earthed back to the mains terminal block? The omission of an earth tag on certain elements does to imply that there is no need to bother with the earth tag or that the seemingly superfluous earth lead should be ‘taped up’. On the contrary, it means that that element was intended to fit an appliance where the earth tag pick up is secured to one of it’s element fixing bolts. Rather than a simple spade type terminal. 😯

The ‘rule of thumb’ therefore is that the earth lead has to be connected to a direct component earth source. If a spade earth is missing then it should be earthed via one of the 2 fixing bolts/screws instead using a suitable fixing directly on the element.

In the trade we use the ‘crimp’ ring type terminals as in this illustration below (a selection box from Halfords in this case): –

Electricians will tell you that the most important electrical connection to make is the EARTH…..so do please stay safe.. 😉

[SarahC]

Re: No earth connection on replacement oven element

Wow – this is excellent advice. I think I might get the job done by a pro – I don’t want to make a mistake that leaves us with a dangerous appliance. Better safe than sorry. Very grateful.

[clivejameson]

Re: No earth connection on replacement oven element

Martin wrote:

The ‘rule of thumb’ therefore is that the earth lead has to be connected to a direct component earth source. If a spade earth is missing then it should be earthed via one of the 2 fixing bolts/screws instead using a suitable fixing directly on the element.

Which is totally contrary to the fitting note supplied by BSH with the new genuine element 😆

[Specialist01269]

Re: No earth connection on replacement oven element

Only just found this thread but totally agree with Martin on this, being a safety connection it is essential, I have seen numerous ovens where the earth resistance to internal panels was higher than it should be & therefore that Earth to the element is Definately required & I always re-connect to the element fixing.
Andy. 8)

[Martin]

Re: No earth connection on replacement oven element

clivejameson wrote:Which is totally contrary to the fitting note supplied by BSH with the new genuine element 😆

I hadn’t spotted this reply from Clive until Andy bumped the thread today. 🙂

It’s hard to believe a “fitting note” would suggest disregarding an earth connection. And I have no wish to argue the point or reason why such an instruction would be giving by the manufacturers.

I mentioned “rule of thumb” in my previous post and reiterate the importance of earthing connections as paramount to any appliance especially ovens as in this instance. All individual components within an oven should be adequately earthed and if an earth tag is missing off a replacement element then taping up the seemingly redundant earth loop is ill advised. So the best we can hope is that they at least connect the earth before switching back on.

A duty of care toward advising the general public reading this and similar threads is for safety at all times. Non more so than emphasising the importance of earth connections. It’s hard to imagine any DIY’er would test their handy work afterwards by checking and testing using an Earth Resistance Meter and an absolute certainty they haven’t an Earth Loop Tester at their disposal or would know how to use either.

[Author]

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