MOST COMMON OVEN PROBLEMS

INCORRECT OVEN TEMPERATURE
If your oven temperature is off, the most likely cause is a bad oven sensor. The sensor is mounted to the back wall inside the oven cavity and looks like a metal rod about 3-6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Replacing the sensor is easy. Two screws hold it to the back wall and there is a quick disconnect harness plug on the other side. Make sure not to lose the other end of the harness behind the wall. Another possible cause is the oven control board – a simple but somewhat more expensive repair.

BAKING TAKES TOO LONG (GAS OVENS)
This typically happens due to a weak oven igniter. The igniter comes on several times during the baking cycle to fire up the oven burner. If the igniter is too weak, it won’t start up every time. Replacing an oven igniter is simple and inexpensive. A new oven igniter typically costs around $40-$50 and usually takes about 15-30 minutes to replace.

UNEVEN COOKING
This is not so much a technical problem and usually occurs when people fail to properly preheat the oven prior to baking. Check your oven use and care manual for instructions on how to preheat your oven.

TIP: After your oven tells you it is done preheating, let it preheat for another 5 to 7 minutes. Here’s why: The oven sensor heats up and signals the oven to shut off the preheat cycle. The oven inner walls however are still not hot enough and will keep on absorbing the heat, thus lowering the temperature inside the oven. By preheating the oven for an extra 5 minutes you will help keep the heat inside the oven nice and even.

OVEN IS FLASHING AN ERROR CODE
Error codes help identify the problem, which of course makes the repair easier. The F3 code, for example, usually means the oven sensor is bad.

BRAND SPECIFIC PROBLEMS
Most Whirlpool and KitchenAid oven models made within the past ten years or so incorporate a thermal fuse, located on the back wall of the oven. When the fuse fails, the oven control board will continue to function and will even let you turn on the bake cycle. Of course, the oven itself won’t function at all. The fuse is inexpensive; however this repair usually requires removing the oven from the cabinet which is not a simple task.

TIP: Do not use the self cleaning cycle on or before a major holiday like Easter. The oven may overheat and damage a key component such as the fuse or the main control board.

If you have a GE oven displaying an F7 code, this usually indicates that the touch pad, also called membrane switch, is bad and needs to be replaced. Replacing the touch pad is pretty straight forward and normally takes about 30 minutes or less.

Labels: oven parts