[NigelS]

Re: Combination grill/microwave

Definately a job for the professional! The voltages here can and DO KILL. An electrical repairer was recently killed in New York whilst “tinkering” with the product plugged in.

Spares and the labour costs involved mean that it may as cheap to buy a new combination oven. I’m on my third at the moment!
Nigel.

Edited by Penguin45. Post contained information regarding live testing, which UKWhitegoods cannot recommend in a Public Forum.

[NigelS]

Re: “Melting” ceramic hob

Just a thought….
Simply defined, enamel is glass, transparent ground glass mixed with oxides to provide the colouration, which is applied on to metal with a higher melting point. Enamel is a form of glass. The players are:

SiO2 = Silica, also called quartz.
K2O = Potassium Oxide.
Na2O = Sodium Oxide. (Makes glass softer.)
CaO = Calcium Oxide. (Makes glass harder.)
PbO = Lead

Glass = SiO2 + Na2O, K2O, CaO
When you replace K2O (potassium oxide) with PbO (lead), you get enamel: SiO2 + Na2O, PbO, CaO. Lead lowers the melting point and raises the refractive index.
Finally, metal oxides are added to give the enamel color. For example, cobalt oxide creates blue enamel.It’s fused to the metal at a high temperature in a kiln.
What you seem to have done is melted the enamel from the pan that has fused with the glass on the hob. Although the melting point of the glass on the hob should be relatively high ( 2,500C for a Norex type glass), the enamel may have softened at a much lower temperature (from 300C or so). Both the glass and enamel are similar substances and so the ability of the enamel to make a bond with the glass surface is is significantly increased. The enamel effectively became glue that bonded the gravy pan to the hob. If your mother had used an aluminium, iron or steel pan this problem shouldn’t have happened.
The use of pyrex saucepans is also ok because the pyrex has a much higher melting point than enamel. Most thermally non-expanding glass have melting points around 2500C.
Sorry, all this doesn’t help you to repair the hob surface!
Check your household insurance for “accidental cover”. I’m not sure whether the hob counts as “contents” or “buildings”
Nigel

[NigelS]

Re: Belling Formula Three CHU260 Hob

Try http://www.elementman.com
Replacement halogen elements HH52 at 1800 watts and 200mm diameter. Price £55-50.
I have the same hob as you. The metal element around the inside of the smaller halogen hotplate on mine has burnt out. I’m drawing a blank in replacing it at the moment… but if you’re about to throw your 260 away…. otherwise I’ll probably try to fit a HH51 replacement from the same site.
There was a Belling hob element on http://www.cooker-parts.co.uk part number
PMBELHU2030 Price £145-00. This might be the part you’re after?
regards
Nigel Shaw

[Author]

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