Hob Element Failure: Why It Happens and What to Do Next

When your hob element failure, a broken heating coil in an electric cooktop that stops generating heat. Also known as a cooker element, it’s the part that gets red-hot to boil water or sear meat. If it’s dead, your hob is just a fancy countertop. This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a daily disruption for restaurants, cafes, and even home kitchens that rely on consistent heat.

Most hob elements, the resistive heating coils inside electric hobs that convert electricity into heat fail because of wear, splashes, or voltage spikes. Over time, the metal inside cracks from repeated heating and cooling. Grease and food debris build up around the element, causing hot spots that burn out the wiring. A single power surge—common in older buildings—can fry it instantly. You’ll know it’s gone if one burner won’t heat at all, or if it glows unevenly while others work fine. Testing it with a multimeter is easy, but most people skip it and assume the whole hob is broken.

Fixing a hob element, a replaceable component in electric cooktops that generates heat for cooking is usually cheaper than replacing the whole unit. A new element costs under £50, and the job takes under an hour if you’re handy. But if your hob is over 10 years old, or if multiple elements are failing, it’s often smarter to replace the entire unit. Older hobs use outdated wiring, lack safety features, and waste more energy. Newer models heat faster, cool quicker, and have child locks and auto-shutoffs you won’t find in older designs.

Don’t ignore a failing hob element. Left unchecked, it can damage the control board, trip your circuit breaker, or even cause a fire if the insulation melts. Many businesses in Birmingham lose hours of service because they waited too long to act. The good news? Most failures are predictable. If your hob takes longer to heat up, smells like burning plastic, or sparks when you turn it on, it’s not just old—it’s unsafe.

Below, you’ll find real repair guides, cost breakdowns, and decision checklists from technicians who’ve fixed hundreds of these failures. No fluff. Just what works—and what doesn’t—when your hob stops heating.