GE Oven has 50v on element lead with oven OFF

[[email protected]]

The other day, the bake element in my GE Oven caught fire. My wife
couldn't get it out so I told her to trip the breaker. When she got
back the fire was out. I wondered at the time, could the element have
power with the oven Off? I didn't think much more about it but when
the new element arrived, I decide to test the lead and sure enough, it
reads 50v.. with the oven off! I don't think this in normal and have
not installed the new element. I can't find anyone else with this
problem on the net. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

The other day, the bake element in my GE Oven caught fire. My wife
couldn't get it out so I told her to trip the breaker. When she got
back the fire was out. I wondered at the time, could the element have
power with the oven Off? I didn't think much more about it but when
the new element arrived, I decide to test the lead and sure enough, it
reads 50v.. with the oven off! I don't think this in normal and have
not installed the new element. I can't find anyone else with this
problem on the net. Anybody have any ideas?

Tell us more about the oven. Is it electronic or mechanical controls?

I assume you were measuring with a DMM, which has a very high input
impedance.

50 VAC on a DMM could just be capacitive or inductive coupling to
the (now) open oven element.

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[default]

The other day, the bake element in my GE Oven caught fire. My wife
couldn't get it out so I told her to trip the breaker. When she got
back the fire was out. I wondered at the time, could the element have
power with the oven Off? I didn't think much more about it but when
the new element arrived, I decide to test the lead and sure enough, it
reads 50v.. with the oven off! I don't think this in normal and have
not installed the new element. I can't find anyone else with this
problem on the net. Anybody have any ideas?

The oven "should" have 120 with respect to ground on one side of it in
the US . . .

Always trip the breaker when replacing elements in a stove or oven.

They use a single set of contacts in the controller(s) and wire the
elements across the 240 line. The switch will break one side of the
line, but that still leaves 120 volts to ground on the other side.

For only reading 50 volts - the switches themselves build up some
carbon in them and there's probably some leakage, or other anomaly
caused by a high impedance voltmeter, but one side to ground should
have 120, and with the Tstat calling for heat both sides to ground or
240 across them.

 

[Andy]

Its very easy for a voltmeter either digital or analogue to read by means
of induction . Although the is a reading I would imagine if the meter was
set to read current there would be no reading unless there is a fault

 

[[email protected]]

The oven is electronic GE Profile about 10 years old. I was measuring
with a standard multimeter. Prior to that, I dedected that it was
energized when the light on my circuit tester lit.

 

[sofie]

jwmitche:
Much like the high impedance input of many multi-meters, a neon light
circuit tester can light up with capacitive or inductive coupling and when
no real current is available. To be certain if the element is energized or
not , I would use a small incandescent night light or small 7watt Christmas
tree lamp...I have one in a socket with test leads attached just for the
purpose......
and be certain to measure only the two connections that would go to the
element, do not involve ground measurements for this test.... --
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

[James Sweet]

The other day, the bake element in my GE Oven caught fire. My wife
couldn't get it out so I told her to trip the breaker. When she got
back the fire was out. I wondered at the time, could the element have
power with the oven Off? I didn't think much more about it but when
the new element arrived, I decide to test the lead and sure enough, it
reads 50v.. with the oven off! I don't think this in normal and have
not installed the new element. I can't find anyone else with this
problem on the net. Anybody have any ideas?

It's probably leakage in the oven thermostat or circuit breaker. It's
likely at next to no current at all but modern multimeters are very
sensitive, you can hold a probe up in the air and pick up several volts
in an electrically noisy environment.

 

[[email protected]]

THANKS TO ALL WHO RESPONDED. I got brave and installed the new element
and all is fine. And it does appear to be off when the oven is off. I
baked some cookies to try it out.

THANKS AGAIN for your advice.