How to Replace an Oven Thermostat in an Electric Cooker

The thermostat control sits behind the temperature control knob; with a capillary tube that then runs around the back of the oven to the top of the oven cavity.

Before we go any further, let’s just make sure you are on the right path - here are the warning signs that your oven thermostat is broken.

• The temperature inside the oven is not reaching what you’ve set it to on the temperature knob and the temperature indicator light is going off before reaching the correct temperature.
• The temperature inside the oven is always at maximum, no matter what you’ve got it set to.
• If you're not hearing the tell-tale click when you turn the control knob.

This video shows an example on how to remove or replace the part on a typical machine, some models may be different but the procedure should be similar.

• Thermostat
• Screwdriver
• Device to take photos on (i.e. phone)

Safety First! Please make sure that you have switched your appliance off at the mains before starting your repair.

Because the thermostat is sitting at the back of the oven, if yours is a built-in oven like the one we are using in this video, then you will need to remove the oven from the cavity.

Simply remove the screws either side of the cavity and gently lift it out - followed by then unplugging any cables at the back. Your cooker is now in an open space so you can begin to get to work!

Time to say goodbye to the door for a moment…Now on most oven doors, there will be a latch on either hinge, that when moved into the locked position will allow you to close the door up and gently lift it off.

You will then be able to see the thermostat's capillary tube, which is situated at the top and back of the oven cavity - all you need to do is just unclip it.

Next thing to come off is the back panel, and if this is being held in place by Torx head screws, you can use a Torx bit on the end of a screwdriver. Finally, you have to remove the top two panels.

What do you say to losing that old thermostat of yours now? After turning the cooker around, you can see the capillary wire coming from the top of the cooker around into the oven cavity.

Carefully pull the capillary tube out of the cavity, followed by removing the fixing bracket that is being kept in place by the screws - you have now successfully got access to the thermostat control!

Before removing these wires there are two things that can be done. Firstly, mark one of these white wires with a pen, or secondly just take a photo - you will then know how to wire the new thermostat in exactly the same way once fitted.

Simply remove the clips, and you can remove the control knob from the front. Remove the two screws and you are able to get the old thermostat control out now.

Say hello to your new thermostat! Because you have done so well up to now, this is going to be the easy bit - it is time to just do the opposite of what you have already done.

Fix the thermostat to the front control panel and rewire it, feed the capillary wire through and finish off by putting the capillary tube back into the oven cavity and fix with the bracket previously removed.

The very last thing to do now is to put the panels and the door back on if previously removed to the oven (not  forgetting to put the latches down on the door when doing this, before closing the door)

Great work - you have now successfully been able to replace the thermostat on your oven! You can now get back to creating your tasty meals at dinner time again.

Does Your Oven Need A Quick Clean?

If you are now in a super productive mood and you have come to realise how dirty your oven actually is, you can use a non-caustic oven cleaner to get your oven looking spick-and-span again.

Need To Locate The Correct Thermostat For Your Oven?

Fixing your oven thermostat yourself can save you a lot of money compared to booking a repair or buying a new cooker.

Here at eSpares, we have a wide-range of replacement oven thermostats for you to select from - so you can soon be on your way to repairing it yourself.

Now you can add oven thermostat replacement to your DIY repertoire. If you need any other help for your appliances you can find more videos from Mat and the team at eSpares, who are always on hand with appliance repair advice in your time of need.