For most families, the kitchen oven can be one of the hardest working appliances in the house. And while most of us love to “set it and forget it”, the truth is that both kitchen range ovens and wall ovens need occasional oven repair or maintenance. According to the experts at Repair Clinic.com, here are a few of the most common oven maintenance and repair tasks, along with tips for oven troubleshooting that can help make sure your oven delivers a perfect meal every time.
Check the oven temperature. Home chefs who suspect their oven is not playing by the rules and keeping the right temperature should first verify that the oven's built-in thermostat is working properly. This is easily accomplished with a separate oven thermometer. Set the oven temperature and then compare the temperature of the thermometer with the set temperature. To get an accurate reading, let the oven cycle on and off at least three times, which takes at least 20 minutes.
"Most inexpensive dial thermometers sold in grocery stores as oven thermometers are generally not very accurate. To get a good reading, we recommend a glass-bulb thermometer," says Chris Hall, president of Repair Clinic.com. "Also, don't expect perfection. For example, if you've set your oven to 350 degrees, it is acceptable for the actual temperature to be 325-375 degrees. Most recipes provide a range of cook times with this in mind. And, don't forget that altitude and humidity can affect cook time."
Check oven door gaskets. The oven door has a gasket to keep heat inside the oven. Over time, these gaskets can become torn or deformed and this will allow heat to escape. Inspect gaskets to ensure they are in good condition and replace them as necessary, a fairly simple oven repair.
Check oven door hinges. If an oven door does not close properly, heat can escape. Make sure the door closes tightly and evenly. If it doesn't, check for broken or bent door hinges or door springs, which should be replaced.
Check oven timer settings. There's a tricky timer issue that has confused even the best of cooks. Many mechanical clocks and timers on ovens (those without digital LED displays) have a setting called "cook and hold." If the clock is accidentally set to this position, the oven may not work at all until it is set back to normal. Consult the instruction manual to set the clock or timer correctly.
Running a Self-Cleaning Oven Cycle – Don’t wait til the last minute! If your oven is self-cleaning, clean it at least 2-4 weeks before a major holiday or other event where you plan to give it a good workout. Why? Because self-cleaning oven cycles are extremely stressful and if your oven is on the verge of break down, you don’t want it to break down just before your big plans and force you to go take out. Finding a service technician or even ordering parts and doing the oven repair job yourself is not something that can always be accomplished on short notice.
Clean the oven control panel. For an effective maintenance measure, clean your oven control panel. You can clean any porcelain stovetop or glass range/oven control panel with a non-abrasive cleanser or glass cleaner. Watch out for some "cream type" cleansers as they often have tiny abrasive particles in them, which can damage your stovetop or control panel.
Install a surge suppressor for your range and other major appliances. Most appliances today contain computer equipment as part of their design—these need to be protected from power surges. Don’t wait ‘til a power surge burns up your computer board – go ahead and get a surge suppressor as a preventive step. Check your manufacturer’s manual for other maintenance recommendations.
Change oven’s interior light bulb. Most ovens have an interior light. Oftentimes, the bulb has been burned out for so long you may not even realize that you have one. The light bulb is usually behind a small glass dome near the upper left or right side of the inside of the oven. Troubleshooting this oven repair requires you to remove the glass dome, usually by sliding a wire off of it, or rotating it counter clockwise to replace the bulb.
Replace any broken, or illegible oven knobs. Remove and clean range knobs with a non-abrasive cleaner. This will help to preserve the stenciling on the knob. Replace any broken or illegible knobs to make your range look new again.
Replace any other missing, broken or badly-stained range or oven parts. If your oven broiler pan is missing, or if it has gotten so soiled you can't clean it anymore, your easiest oven repair might be to replace it with a high-quality, inexpensive unit, such as those offered at Repairclinic.com. Also examine oven drip pans and bowls. They serve to catch food and spills, they also help radiate heat back at the pan for better efficiency, and they protect you from accidentally touching internal components. It's important never to cover them with aluminum foil. Many electric ranges short out due to the aluminum making a short circuit at the burner. And, the foil will cover the oven vent usually found at one of the burners. Try to clean the drip pans with a household non-abrasive cleanser. If they cannot be cleaned, you can replace them with universal pans and bowls.
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I have had this stove just a little over a year,we had it repaired under warranty and it is doing it again,the dispay oven control board is not operating it is dead I have power it just will not display or operate do you think it is the control board again or could it be something else?
My wife and I will NEVER purchase ANY Kitchen Aid appliances again after suffering through a $255.00 repair bill to fix the hi-limit thermostat in the back of the wall oven that went out when we tried the self-cleaning mode. After watching the repairman fix it we realized we could have fixed it ourselves for the price of the part BUT no matter because if you do a little reserach online you'll find that this is a common problem and lots of people are fed up w/ Kitchen Aid and it's non-response to the problem. One man who had 2 ovens, one a Kitchen Aid he seldom used, after reading online all the complaints about the thing dying when using the self-cleaning mode, tried it on his and guess what? It died!
I have an older model OR-30E which I can't find any information on. It has the usual 2 elements top and bottom and also a wire running along the top right side which is connected in 2 places. Recently one end of this wire fell off leaving it hanging and we started getting sparks flying everywhere in the oven. Does anyone know what this wire is for and can it be taken out without interfering with the working of the oven?
After using my Sauter wall oven's self cleaning cycle the oven short circuits now!
I know it doesn't help you now, but for anyone else reading this who might be doing it sometime soon: this is where a digital camera comes in handy. Take too many rather than too few pictures plus some hand written notes are a good idea.
My Thermador has a Control Panel Display window,(clock, timer, etc.) that has been replaced 2 times. It is again blank, you can't read the settings, and I will have to replace it again. It cost over $200 each time, and now I am told it's difficult to find a replacement. Purchased brand new in 2000. Do you know where I can find this part I need to replace? Model #SGC365RB Serial #20010647M Part#492071. Thank You, Margie
You might want to check in with the experts at repairclinic.com. I'm pretty sure they have tech manuals on most appliances that could help.
i took my oven door apart glass & all to clean it now i can't remember how it goes back.
thanks,jackie