Induction Hob Repairs

Why Induction Hobs Fail — And Why Repairs Are Often Uneconomical

Induction hobs are sophisticated appliances with complex electronics. When they fail, the repair is often expensive — sometimes more expensive than replacing the hob entirely. This page explains honestly what causes induction hobs to fail, what a repair involves, and what your options are.

Common Causes of Induction Hob Failure

Some causes are within the engineer's control and some are not. The following are all issues that can cause an induction hob to fail, regardless of the quality of the appliance:

1

Poor Quality Induction Pans

Outside the engineer's control

In our experience, pans with an aluminium-injected base rather than a solid iron base can cause additional stress on the induction coil and electronics over time. See our guide on buying induction pans for a full explanation of what to look for.

2

Voltage Surges and Drops

Outside the engineer's control

Surges and drops in the mains voltage supply to the property are more common than most people realise and can have a dramatic effect on the PCBs inside an induction hob. Induction hobs are particularly sensitive to voltage irregularities compared to other cooking appliances.

3

Poor Installation

Normally inadequate cooling air ventilation

Induction hobs require adequate cooling air ventilation beneath them. If the installation does not allow sufficient airflow — for example if the required clearance or false shelf has not been fitted — the electronics can overheat and fail prematurely. See our guide on replacing a hob for ventilation requirements.

4

Component Failure

Normal end of life or random failure

As with any electronic appliance, components can fail without any external cause. This is simply the nature of electronics.

Why Induction Hob Repairs Are Often Uneconomical

The internal components of an induction hob are almost entirely large PCBs — printed circuit boards. When an induction hob fails, one or more of these boards will typically have blown. The failure is usually obvious — a large flash burn mark on the board — but pinpointing the exact cause is an educated guess at best.

The cost of replacement PCBs is high. For an independent engineer, the financial risk is significant — if a new board is fitted, the hob fires up, and then fails again, the engineer has lost the cost of the part with no recourse. For example, a replacement board costing £200 that fails on first use represents a direct loss to the business. For this reason, small independent businesses like FixCookers are very wary of induction hob repairs and are not in a position to offer a warranty on them.

For built-in induction hobs, FixCookers does not carry out diagnostic visits. If your built-in induction hob has failed, the practical advice is to consider replacing the hob or contacting the manufacturer's own service engineers, who have different arrangements with parts suppliers that make the economics more viable for them.

The Exception — Rangemaster Induction

Rangemaster range cookers with induction hobs are treated differently by FixCookers. Rangemaster appliances tend to use higher quality components, parts are more readily available, faults are generally easier to diagnose, and the repair cost versus replacement value calculation is more favourable given the price of a new Rangemaster range.

If you have a Rangemaster with an induction fault, contact FixCookers and we can discuss whether a repair is worth attempting.

Not Sure What to Do? Call FixCookers

If you have an induction hob fault and are not sure whether repair or replacement is the right option, call FixCookers for a chat. We will give you honest advice based on your specific appliance and circumstances.