Why a Cooktop Might Blow Fuses

The cooktop is probably the most commonly used appliance in your home, used a few times a week if not every day (or multiple times a day!). If you have an electric cooktop, it might blow a fuse from time to time. Finding out why the fuse is blown will help to prevent it happening in the future.

Troubleshooting the Problem

A fuse or circuit breaker is designed to protect us from the danger of getting electrocuted. Fuses make the electrical supply much safer by restricting the amount of current which can flow through the circuit. Although fuses are important safety devices, there are actually lots of reasons why they can continue blowing.

If a fuse continues to blow, it can make it impossible to use the cooktop because the electrical supply is never reliable. This can make cooking dinner a serious hassle.

Old Age

A conventional fuse is designed to last so long before it eventually wears out. If the fuse has just blown, the first thing you can try doing is replacing it. It's only a reason for concern if the fuse blows again.

If the fuse continues to blow, there must be a reason for this to happen. You will need to find out why this happens by undertaking some electrical work.

Dedicated Circuit

A cooktop or stove is a major appliance in your home and so must be installed on a dedicated circuit. The circuit will have a certain rating which will dictate the maximum size of appliance you can fit. If you fit a unit which is too powerful then this will cause the fuse to continue blowing. It won't be possible to prevent the fuse from blowing unless you replace this with a larger fuse which allows enough current to flow.

Short Circuits

Another possible reason for the fuses continuing to blow could be because of a short circuit. You should carefully inspect the wiring of your cooker to make sure that nothing is shorting out where it shouldn't be. A short circuit will cause the fuse or circuit breaker to blow until you fix it.

If any of the wires have become frayed or have been bitten by mice then this could be causing the short circuit. Assuming the cooktop did work in the past then something has changed which is stopping it working.

Be Cautious

A fuse can save your life if used correctly. Fuses are designed to protect electrical circuits and so you should only use the correct fuse for the job. If a fuse keeps on blowing then this should alert you to a problem. You should not just rip this fuse out and replace it with one with a higher rating, this may solve the problem of the fuses blowing however it will leave your houses electrical supply very dangerous.

Dealing with electricity is very dangerous and if you're not at all sure what you're doing then you should talk to a professional. These are all jobs that you can do yourself, you just need to be confident that you can do them safely.