Troubleshooting Your Convection Toaster Oven
It seems there is no escaping Murphy’s Law. Electric heaters will not emit warmth, computers will crash, nail guns will jam, and convection toaster ovens will not start. Fortunately, there are guides to get them working again apart from slapping or kicking them back to life. In the case of a convection toaster oven, it is really quite simple.
If your oven won’t start after you have repeatedly pressed the on/off button, the very first thing to check is its plug. It is sometimes easy to forget to plug it especially if you have had a late night and you are still feeling sleepy. If it appears to be plugged, check if it is fully inserted into the outlet. Look for any sign of burning around the outlet. This may indicate that it is damaged and no longer working properly.
Switch off the circuit breaker supplying power to the circuit where your oven draws power. Turn it on again and try starting the oven. If there is any other appliance taking power from the same circuit, try unplugging it.
If there is nothing wrong with the power supply, its time to turn to the oven itself. You will need a volt-ohm meter (VOM) for this. Start with the oven’s switch. Carefully dismantle and remove the panels enclosing the inner mechanisms of the oven. Once you gain access to the switch set your VOM on RX1 and touch the test leads or probes to the terminals. With the switch on broil, the meter reading should be high, while on convection, it should be zero. Otherwise, replace the switch.
The next item to check is the cutoff. Remove one lead from the cutoff, set your VOM to RX1 and touch the terminals with the probe. Your reading should be zero ohms. If not, replace the cutoff.
Do the same with the timer. If it is on, your VOM should get a zero reading, otherwise the reading should be high. If this is not the case, replace the timer.
The fan thermostat can also be checked using the same method of disconnecting a lead and touching the terminals with the probe. If the oven is cool, ohms should be high. After heating the bi-metal arm with a hair dryer, perform the test again. This time, the reading should be zero.
If there is no problem with the electrical system of the fan, try cleaning the area around it. Sometimes it can be clogged with accumulated oil or other debris. Use a soft brush for this.
The next time your convection toaster oven conks out, don’t be in too much of a hurry to hurl it into the garbage bin. Even if you have deep pockets and can easily get a brand new unit, think of the overflowing landfills and the resources needed to produce a new one.