Hi all
One of the four controls on our (oldish, cheapish) gas hob has
stopped working. It's the style where you press down on the knob to allow
you to turn it away from the 'off' position. It's not allowing me to do this
(press down), and so I can't turn it on.

I've levered the knob off and cleared the obligatory debris from underneath.
There's now nothing obvious preventing the shaft from moving. I'm not too
familiar with the controls used on hob so not sure what to look for next.
Any suggestions or pointers to general maintenance info before I get too
stuck in? Ta.

(Apologies for lack of info re. make and model etc., I'm writing way from
home. More info tomorrow if required)

Cheers
Jon N

In article ,
says...
One of the four controls on our (oldish, cheapish) gas hob has
stopped working. It's the style where you press down on the knob to allow
you to turn it away from the 'off' position. It's not allowing me to do this
(press down), and so I can't turn it on.


On ours I had to take it apart and grease the spindle. Careful
dismantling of the valve made it simple enough - used silicone grease,
IIRC, 'cos I had some around. It's not done it again and this was about
three years ago.

Before that, however, you could try pulling the spindle gently up and
down with some WD40 or similar on it to see if it'll come free.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

In article ,
Skipweasel writes:
In article ,
says...
One of the four controls on our (oldish, cheapish) gas hob has
stopped working. It's the style where you press down on the knob to allow
you to turn it away from the 'off' position. It's not allowing me to do this
(press down), and so I can't turn it on.

Was it getting stiff before (grease gunged up), or is this a
unexpected sudden failure (such as a mechanical part obstructing
movement, possibly internally)?

On ours I had to take it apart and grease the spindle. Careful
dismantling of the valve made it simple enough - used silicone grease,

You should be using gas cock grease. You can get it from BES, and
possibly from a local plumbers merchant.

IIRC, 'cos I had some around. It's not done it again and this was about
three years ago.

Before that, however, you could try pulling the spindle gently up and
down with some WD40 or similar on it to see if it'll come free.

After squirting WD-40 in, you really are committed to disassembly,
cleaning, and correctly regreasing, as WD-40 will wash out the grease
which forms part of the gas seal.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel wrote:


Was it getting stiff before (grease gunged up), or is this a
unexpected sudden failure (such as a mechanical part obstructing
movement, possibly internally)?


Not a sudden failure AFAIK (see below)

On ours I had to take it apart and grease the spindle. Careful
dismantling of the valve made it simple enough - used silicone grease,

You should be using gas cock grease. You can get it from BES, and
possibly from a local plumbers merchant.

OK, Ta.

[...]


IIRC, 'cos I had some around. It's not done it again and this was about
three years ago.

Before that, however, you could try pulling the spindle gently up and
down with some WD40 or similar on it to see if it'll come free.

After squirting WD-40 in, you really are committed to disassembly,
cleaning, and correctly regreasing, as WD-40 will wash out the grease
which forms part of the gas seal.


Now you tell me! ;-o

Have just given it a squirt of WD40 etc and with a bit of judicious riving,
it seems to be 'mostly sorted' - although it's not as smooth in its travel
as the rest. It'd probably be worth me taking the whole thing apart and
having a look sometime anyway.

I've never fitted or demounted a hob - how are they fitted to the worktop
below? Is the enamelled (white, in this case) 'fascia' just siliconed on, or
something (ie can be prised off, leaving the 'sub-frame' visible), or are
there eg. screws that I'd have to undo from below?

Thanks
Jon N

In article ,
says...
I've never fitted or demounted a hob - how are they fitted to the worktop
below? Is the enamelled (white, in this case) 'fascia' just siliconed on, or
something (ie can be prised off, leaving the 'sub-frame' visible), or are
there eg. screws that I'd have to undo from below?


They're supposed to have screws from underneath - usually. Though often
they're omitted 'cos they can be a right sod to do. Have a good look
underneath first.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.