Welcome
Welcome to the November 2005 edition of the RepairClinic.com newsletter.
This month, you'll find tips and tricks to get your oven ready for holiday
baking.
Message
from the RepairGuru®
As you get ready for the holidays, you no doubt have a growing to-do
list. Don't forget to add oven maintenance - a must-do step before you
bake your holiday feasts. Here at RepairClinic.com, we're stocked and
ready with any oven parts you might need to get the job done right. But
don't wait until the last minute - order now!
One other word of advice: Don't self-clean your oven just before a holiday
feast. If the oven breaks down, you may not have enough time to order
parts or make a repair.
Oven
Too Hot? Too Cold? Make Sure Holiday Meals Turn Out Just Right
Ah, the holidays…A time to reconnect with family and friends, catch
some football, and most importantly, eat unlike we eat at any other time
of year! There's nothing like a big bird or pumpkin pie to warm gatherings
when the weather outside is frosty.
At this time of year, your cooking is the star of the show, making your
oven center stage. You, like many of our customers, might be concerned
about your oven temperature. If it runs too hot, or too cold, your meals
won't come out just right. Don't let oven troubles be a recipe for disaster!
Some problems are common to all ovens, while others are specific to the
type of oven you have. Let's get started by talking about common problems.
Problems common to all oven types
Thermostat accuracy
If you're concerned about your oven temperature, use an accurate thermometer
to verify the actual temperature of the oven. Over the years, we've learned
that most inexpensive dial thermometers are no more accurate than the
oven's built-in thermostat. To get a good reading, we recommend a glass-bulb
thermometer. We have one for this purpose at a good price. Click
here.
Ovens take time to reach the temperature you set. Even a preheat cycle
only gets the oven temperature close to where you've set it. To get an
accurate reading, let the oven cycle on and off at least three times,
which takes about 20 minutes. This is why most recipes instruct you to
preheat the oven before you begin cooking your food.
Also, even the best oven thermostats have an 'acceptable range' of operation.
This means that most manufacturers consider a thermostat in perfect working
operation if it can achieve an oven temperature within 25 degrees of what
you've set it to. For example, if you've set your oven to 350 degrees,
it is acceptable for the actual temperature to be 325-375 degrees. That's
one of the reasons recipes typically offer a range of time for baking.
Plus, factors like humidity and altitude also affect baking time.
Too many technicians have tried to satisfy a customer by replacing a
thermostat that was 25 degrees low - only to find the new one is 25 degrees
high! That's why you need a glass-bulb thermometer to double-check the
calibration of the oven's thermostat.
Door gaskets
Your 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 stay in good condition and replace them
as necessary.
Door hinges
If your oven door does not close properly, heat can escape. Make sure
the door closes tightly and evenly. If not, you may have broken or bent
door hinges or door springs that should be replaced.
Timer settings
Beware of one tricky timer issue that has stymied the best of cooks. Many
mechanical clock/timers (without digital LED displays) have a setting
called "cook and hold." If your clock is accidentally on this
setting, it may not work at all until the setting is changed back to normal.
Consult your user's guide to set the clock correctly.
Problems with four commonly found types of ovens
Here, we detail some of the issues you might experience with specific
types of ovens. Find your oven type below.
Problems with four commonly found types of ovens
Here, we detail some of the issues you might experience with specific
types of ovens. Find your oven type below.
1. Gas ovens with mechanical controls (knobs)
Click
here for a detailed illustration of a gas oven.
Weak pilot light
Many older or less expensive gas ovens have a standing (constant) pilot
flame. The flame is small until the thermostat is set to a temperature
higher than the inside of the oven. When set higher, the thermostat should
allow slightly more gas to the pilot to increase the size of the flame
- necessary for the gas valve to the main burner to open.
However, if the pilot assembly is dirty or clogged, the flame may be
too small, preventing the gas valve from opening properly. If the gas
valve opens intermittently, the oven may heat but may not be able to achieve
or maintain the proper temperature. In this situation, the thermostat
is working properly but the gas valve is shutting off prematurely. Try
a common solution: clean any dust or ash from the pilot assembly so that
the pilot flame engulfs the little metal pilot sensing bulb attached to
the end.
It's also possible that the pilot flame is ignited by a spark ignition
system. If your oven has spark ignition and the pilot never lights, you
may need to troubleshoot the spark system.
Sensing bulb mounting
Ovens with mechanical controls typically have a thermostat bulb inside
the oven to sense temperature. The bulb looks like a fat wire about six
inches long. You can usually find it mounted on the oven wall near the
top. If the bulb detaches from its mounting and is allowed to touch other
parts of the oven or hang down, it may not accurately sense temperature.
It's important to re-mount the bulb using the clips supplied by the manufacturer.
Use RepairClinic.com's PartDetective
to find replacement clips.
2. Gas ovens with electronic controls (pushbuttons)
Click
here for a detailed illustration of a gas oven.
Weak igniter
The majority of gas ovens with electronic controls utilize a glow-bar
igniter to light the gas for the main burner. When the electronic oven
control is set to a temperature higher than the inside of the oven, power
is supplied to the igniter. Once the igniter reaches a certain temperature,
it allows enough power to flow through the main-burner gas valve to open
it. It is extremely common for these igniters to become too weak to reach
their proper operating temperature. When this happens, the glow-bar still
glows brightly but doesn't allow the gas valve to open reliably. It's
then time to replace the weak igniter.
Oven sensor
Instead of a traditional thermostat, electronically controlled ovens utilize
a resistance sensor to determine the oven temperature. The sensor looks
like a thin pencil protruding from the back wall of the oven. If the sensor
loses its calibration, it may be possible to recalibrate the electronic
control to accommodate the sensor and keep a constant oven temperature.
Consult your owner's manual or our RepairGuru to learn how to recalibrate
the controls (it's often just a matter of pushing a series of buttons
on your clock/timer assembly). If you cannot recalibrate the control,
replace the sensor.
Clock/timer assembly
Electronic controls utilize a series of small relays and other electronic
components to cycle the oven on and off. If one of the relays is sticking,
or if any other component on the circuitry is malfunctioning, you'll need
to replace the circuit board that's causing the problem. Unfortunately,
it's just not possible for DIY'ers to repair these because the components
are rarely available separately.
3. Electric ovens with mechanical controls
(knobs)
Click
here for a detailed illustration of an electric oven.
Bake element
Most electric ovens utilize both the bake and broil elements for pre-heating.
Often, people assume their oven temperature problem is caused by the thermostat
or some other cause. But, in fact, you could have a burned-out bake element.
The broil element will turn on during preheat, warming the oven.
Here's what to look for: When the oven reaches operating temperature,
the broil element shuts off, letting the temperature in the oven slowly
fall. To be sure your bake element is working, look for red, hot glowing
during pre-heat, or shortly after you turn the temperature up significantly
higher than its current setting. If it doesn't glow red, visually inspect
it for cracks, breaks, blisters, etc. Any of these conditions indicates
a defective bake element. Most bake elements can be replaced from inside
the oven.
Selector switch
If your oven has a selector switch for bake/broil/timed bake, etc., the
switch may be set incorrectly or be defective.
Sensing bulb mounting
Ovens with mechanical controls typically have a thermostat bulb inside
the oven to sense temperature. The bulb looks like a fat wire about 6
inches long. You can usually find it mounted on the oven wall near the
top. If the bulb detaches from its mounting and is allowed to touch other
parts of the oven or hang down, it may not sense temperature accurately.
It's important to re-mount the bulb using the clips supplied by the manufacturer.
Use RepairClinic.com's PartDetective
to find replacement clips.
4. Electric Ovens With Electronic Controls
(pushbuttons)
Click
here for a detailed description of an electric oven.
Bake element
Most electric ovens utilize both the bake and broil elements for pre-heating.
Often, people assume their oven temperature problem is caused by the thermostat
or some other cause. But, in fact, you could have a burned-out bake element.
The broil element will turn on during preheat, warming the oven.
Here's what to look for: When the oven reaches operating temperature,
the broil element shuts off, letting the temperature in the oven slowly
fall. To be sure your bake element is working, look for red, hot glowing
during pre-heat, or shortly after you turn the temperature up significantly
higher than its current setting. If it doesn't glow red, visually inspect
it for cracks, breaks, blisters, etc. Any of these conditions indicates
a defective bake element. Most bake elements can be replaced from inside
the oven.
Oven sensor
Instead of a traditional thermostat, electronically controlled ovens utilize
a resistance sensor to determine the oven temperature. The sensor looks
like a thin pencil protruding from the back wall of the oven. If the sensor
loses its calibration, it may be possible to recalibrate the electronic
control to accommodate the sensor and keep a constant oven temperature.
Consult your owner's manual or our RepairGuru to learn how to recalibrate
the controls (it's often just a matter of pushing a series of buttons
on your clock/timer assembly). If you cannot recalibrate the control,
replace the sensor.
Clock/timer assembly
Electronic controls utilize a series of small relays and other electronic
components to cycle the oven on and off. If one of the relays is sticking,
or if any other component on the circuitry is malfunctioning, you'll need
to replace the circuit board that's causing the problem. Unfortunately,
it's just not possible for DIY'ers to repair these because the components
are rarely available separately.
Great job! Now that you can count on your oven, all you have to do is
make sure you follow the recipes - and your meals should come out perfectly.
Next month: Whip your dishwasher and range/cooktop into shape!
News
and Announcements
Shopping at RepairClinic has always been safe. Now, it's safer than ever!
We and our credit card service provider (Verisign), have recently met
all of the qualifications to achieve compliance with the new Payment Card
Industry Data Security Standard (PCI/DSS). Compliance with this standard
provides numerous protections for how we handle your personal information.
This is yet another example of our commitment to providing the best, safest,
online shopping experience for you.
Subscription Information
To unsubscribe, please click here.
|
