Gas hob

chookmom

Hi,
I had a new Neff gas hob installed a couple of months ago.
It was a new kitchen extension so new gas pipeline.
From the off it has been temperamental. The ignition sparks and it lights every time and then you have to keep the knob held down for anywhere between 7 seconds and more than a minute.
It's so frustrating!
I have googled and found some potential causes but I want to know is this likely to be a problem with the way it was installed, and I will contact the fitter, or the hob itself.
I contacted Neff to ask this question and after waiting 2 weeks for a reply they tell me to check the installation and if it's ok then they can send an engineer. Perhaps this is correct but I don't want to pay either Neff or the fitter unnecessarily.
Thank you

Babbawah

Sounds like a classic case of a dodgy thermocouple.

If you Google "gas hob thermocouple" it will give you an idea on what its job is.

Armed with your new found knowledge, your next move should be obvious.

Babbawah

Babbawah wrote: »

Sounds like a classic case of a dodgy thermocouple.

If you Google "gas hob thermocouple" it will give you an idea on what its job is.

Armed with your new found knowledge, your next move should be obvious.

Incidentally . . . If it's been happening from day one then I'd NOT use that Gas Safe registered fitter ever again . . . . It was a Gas Safe registered fitter . . . wasn't it?

Seronera

First things first. Unlike old gas hobs, all new ones have an extra safety device in the form of individual thermocouples or Flame Failure Devices on each burner to stop unlit gas being left on accidentally. So its normal for you to have to hold the gas on for up to ten seconds after ignition so that the safety device warms up and allows gas through permanently.

However, it should take no longer than ten seconds and if it is taking a minute then it suggests the thermocouples are incorrectly positioned in relation to the gas jet that heats them, or not operating properly for some other reason.

All you can do is check the hob is nice and clean and that the burner spreaders are not blocked with food and sitting firmly and squarely on their seatings, and that when you ignite the gas that a flame cover the little post that stands up next to the burner..that is the thermocouple tip. If none of that works you need the installer back to check it over.

chookmom

Thank you both. The fitter is coming to check it this week as a first step.
You gave me the confidence to go back to him

chookmom

An update just in case it helps anyone else.
The fitter came, turned it on and it all worked perfectly and he could find nothing wrong. I did say it was an intermittent fault.
I asked Neff to send an engineer. He asked me if it was all the burners and I said yes, when they work, they all work, when they don't it's all of them. He turned it on, it worked perfectly. He checked it and could find nothing wrong and told me he was 100% certain that it was technique. That in twisting I wasn't pushing down enough.
I took some convincing of this I can tell you but he demonstrated enough for me to see there was a subtle difference in doing it right and doing it wrong and I felt stupid then began to sweat at the thought of paying the £95 call out fee!
He reassured me then that he could put it down as customer advice and I wouldn't have to pay and told me that 95% of his call outs like this are to people with new appliances who are doing exactly the same thing.
He gave me the tip of turning the knob, no gas will come out as it is cold, and then pressing the knob straight down.
I wish Neff had suggested this on the 'phone but then I probably would have insisted I was doing it correctly

Seronera

Don't worry about it. Better safe than sorry where gas is concerned.