In This Issue

Featured Items

Glass-Bulb Oven thermometer

Electronic Meat Thermometer

Dial Meat Thermometer

Glass Cooktop Cleaner

Parts You Might Need

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!

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