The Effectable Homes Lamona built in oven has burned out my cupboards and could have killed us *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[Tarano17]

My Lamona built in oven stopped working so I was provided with a new one today. When the company Effectable came to remove the old one it was discovered that it had completely burnt through my cupboards as Effectable failed to install a metal plate between the built in oven and the wooden board they had sat it on. Has anyone else had problems with Lamona or Effectable? Photo attached.

I don't know OP, but that's frightening.

Effectable tried to bully me into letting them install a new oven into my burned out shell of an oven but I refused. I then got the Fire Authority to come out and inspect it and it was the Fire people that said what Effectable did was dangerous as any reputable electrican would know you don’t install an oven straight on top of wood due to it being a fire hazard. Now Effectable want to return and claim they will do the job right this time but I am so terrified at what occurred to let them anywhere near our home again. This company does housing installations for disabled people so am terrified not only on my own behalf but other disabled families who have had electric ovens installed my Effectable.

Bump

That is frankly horrifying. You might want to contact your local Trading Standards, or even Watchdog.

I’ve never heard of either of those companies. Sounds shocking.

I’m surprised you couldn’t smell the burning ?

Oh god, that is awful.

never heard of detectable but We had a lamona, Ours was installed correctly by respected electricians and it scorched the sides of the adjoining cupboards/drawers. Gave up with it after two years and hundreds in repairs.

@TheCanyon The company that installed my Lamona built in oven are called Effectable Construction Services Ltd. They work with LA’s mostly to make homes more adaptable for people with disabilities. I just can’t get my head round the fact that a company doing repairs in disabled peoples homes have put our lives at risk by refusing to install a metal plate before installing the inbuilt oven. I got another email from them today suggesting saying they will provide a “fire resistant board” if I allow them to come back and install a new Lamona oven. The word “board” jumped out at me as they are still refusing to provide a metal plate that the Fire Authority told me all reputable electricans know should be provided.

That is truly shocking. I agree you need to contact whatever government agency regulates that industry. If all else fails, maybe even a letter to your MP?

Lamona appliances are shite. My MIL has a Lamona dishwasher which is a total waste of space. It's the default brand that comes with Howdens kitchens I think - based on what I have seen it's definitely worth upgrading to a known brand!
Also I would ask on local Facebook boards for a reputable engineer to install your new oven. Alternatively you could subscribe to Which? where you can get both brand recommendations and local tradespeople.
Good luck OP that is truly terrifying.

My house had a Lamona oven, hob and dishwasher when I moved in. All shit!

The dishwasher got so hot it removed the glazing from my plates. Half the hot plates on the hob didn’t work and the oven...well I’m not sure what was wrong with the oven but cooking chips took about 3 hours so safe to say it wasn’t doing much 🤦‍♀️

I think we also had an extractor fan, but as that wasn’t connected to anything, there wasn’t much extracting going on. It just recirculated the same air over and over again 🤢 Terrible stuff!

Metal conducts heat. Why would you put metal between a heat source and wood?

I have always known it not to be a good brand. Please do speak to the appropriate authorities. Thankfully you were safe but imagine a disabled person who might not be able to advocate so well for themselves

check the installation instructions online.

I've never seen anything about putting anything between the oven and oven housing.

I also helped my builder remove my old oven which didn't have anything. It was a similarly cheap brand.

Are Lamona basically Howden’s own brand? I got that impression.
Looks like more of an installation issue though.
Do follow that up, how scary.

A built in oven would normally slot straight into a unit without anything else needing to be fitted as well. Ours just slides in

@GreyishDays

Are Lamona basically Howden’s own brand? I got that impression. Looks like more of an installation issue though. Do follow that up, how scary.

You know, I realised I’m only saying about it being an installation issue after reading other people saying that. I have no clue. Just wanted to clarify.

Howdens are the people that the Lamona oven was purchased from. @VeniVidiWeeWee I don’t know anything about electricals but it was the Fire men and women that came to my home today that said the oven should not have been placed on top of a wooden board and that was what caused the fire. The lead fireman said a metal sheet should have been installed first but the company Effectable contacted me late this afternoon to say that if I allowed them to come back to my property they would provide a “heat resistant board”. It’s not just an installation issue as the bottom of the Lamona oven had disappeared as well. That’s what caused the fire. It’s so incredible I just can’t believe what has happened. How can the bottom of an oven just burn and disappear into debris. How are Howdens/Lamona able to get away with this. I just have so many how could this happen thoughts going through my head as it is totally mad that this happened.

It sounds more like a fault with the oven tbh than an installation issue. Luckily it didn't cause a fire, but unless there are some specific installation instructions for this oven that differ from most fitted ovens it doesn't sound like anyone has been negligent despite what the firemen have said.

I've fitted a few built in ovens and all just slotted into the wooden cabinet.

That is super scary, it's made me worry about my own!

What does make me laugh is the arrogance of one of the Howdens staff members who tried to tell me their Lamona ovens were better than Bosch, after I'd said I wouldn't dream of purchasing Lamona appliances. Needless to say, I didn't end up getting a Howdens kitchen either.

I'm sure it's already been asked, but how could you not smell the burning?

How old is the oven op? Did you purchase it yourself directly from Howdens? It might be worth you contact the local depot and see what they can do as I know they have outside contractors that repair appliances or replace them if it is still under warranty or they may know a fitter/electrician that they could recommend.

@pinfloy

A built in oven would normally slot straight into a unit without anything else needing to be fitted as well. Ours just slides in

This was the same with mine, hence me wondering if I should now be concerned. My oven just went straight into the housing unit.

@Smallgoon @pinfloy I think it would only be an issue if there was a technical fault with the inbuilt oven. The base of my Lamona oven just disintegrated in the middle and burned though the cupboard. As this has happened me and I have seen for my own eyes what happened I will most definitely never have a built in oven in my kitchen again. The oven is between 2-3 years old and Howdens only provide a one year guarantee. IMO Lamona appliances are death traps and should be taken off the market immediately. I have contacted trading standards, consumer rights and the health and safety people as Howdens are putting people’s lives at risk.

I have been online today trying to find an induction cooker that is safe for persons with special needs as that was the reason our LA provided it to us. My dc is severely Sen and would turn switches in off on off on off so I needed an induction with no switches he could turn. I noticed the cupboard sides were also singed but nowhere near the extent of being completely disintegrated like the cupboard base. Samsung is a brand I trust and after today never want to see an inbuilt appliance ever again and I mean all inbuilt appliances.

If I had not been standing watching that Effectable construction Ltd workman today he would have just put a new built in oven into a burned out cupboard and left us to it. It’s the stuff of nightmares and it’s these type of contractiors that caused deaths in Grenfell and God knows how how many other locals authority homes just dismissed as house fires. For me there is a big issue that needs to be investigated before it happens to anybody else.

he oven is between 2-3 years old and Howdens only provide a one year guarantee.

Are you sure about this? The chap that was trying to force me to buy Lamona appliances did so with the argument of 'Well if Bosch is so much better than Lamona, why don't they offer 5yr warranties like we do...?"

I think it would only be an issue if there was a technical fault with the inbuilt oven. The base of my Lamona oven just disintegrated in the middle and burned though the cupboard.

From what I remember with the installation of my oven, ovens should come with a clearance gap both on top/bottom and also at the back. This is for safety purposes. Seems to me that the Lamona didn't provide a clearance and hence burnt through the wood.