Oven wall switch feels warm

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said:

fossman said:

It only has an electric oven connected to it, link to the model is below.
https://www.electriq.co.uk/p/eqovenm4steel/electriq-eqovenm4steel-built-in-electric-oven
The other day the oven was on for an hour but this morning the grill was only on for 10 minutes.

Ok, that's interesting.

That oven - if it's that exact oven - is a plug-in type, so rated at no more than 13A - ie, you could plug it into a normal socket if you wished. That red isolator switch will surely be a 20A+ jobbie?

If you take a look at somewhere like Screwfix, they do sell 45A cooker switches. This one looks to be the same - https://www.screwfix.com/p/essentials-45a-1-gang-dp-cooker-switch-white/8855d

Only way to know for sure is to pop it off the wall and look for a rating label.

danrv

ThisIsWeird said:

Of course, you only do this if you are competent, and you have isolated the power at the CU, and have checked that it's dead. Better it than you.

I bought one of these a while ago. Has been useful on a number of occasions.
https://www.toolstation.com/tis-non-contact-voltage-detector/p38097

ThisIsWeird

FreeBear said:

ThisIsWeird said:

fossman said:

It only has an electric oven connected to it, link to the model is below.
https://www.electriq.co.uk/p/eqovenm4steel/electriq-eqovenm4steel-built-in-electric-oven
The other day the oven was on for an hour but this morning the grill was only on for 10 minutes.

Ok, that's interesting.

That oven - if it's that exact oven - is a plug-in type, so rated at no more than 13A - ie, you could plug it into a normal socket if you wished. That red isolator switch will surely be a 20A+ jobbie?

If you take a look at somewhere like Screwfix, they do sell 45A cooker switches. This one looks to be the same - https://www.screwfix.com/p/essentials-45a-1-gang-dp-cooker-switch-white/8855d

Only way to know for sure is to pop it off the wall and look for a rating label.

A 45A switch definitely shouldn't be getting warm from just that oven!

Vortigern

ThisIsWeird said:

... normal 13A plugtops can become warm under heavy, but acceptable, use, so why not an oven switch?!

Plug tops get warm because they have fuses. Fuses run hot, passing a high current through a thin fuse wire. Switches should not normally run hot unless there is a loose connection or arcing across the contacts.

There are 6 thick stiff wires attached to that switch. It will resist pulling away from the wall, but it needs to be done to check the connections.

ThisIsWeird

Vortigern said:

ThisIsWeird said:

... normal 13A plugtops can become warm under heavy, but acceptable, use, so why not an oven switch?!

Plug tops get warm because they have fuses. Fuses run hot, passing a high current through a thin fuse wire. Switches should not normally run hot unless there is a loose connection or arcing across the contacts.

There are 6 thick stiff wires attached to that switch. It will resist pulling away from the wall, but it needs to be done to check the connections.

Ah, the fuses! That makes total sense. Thank you