Oven / Range

MAINTAINING YOUR OVEN AND RANGE: ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS

Fortunately, maintaining your oven and range is a great way to prolong its lifespan—and it doesn't require any technical expertise. In fact, it's mostly a case of keeping it clean and not allowing any build-ups or spillages to get worse over time. Here's how.

1. ESTABLISH A CLEANING ROUTINE

It's the same as most other chores: if you leave it too long, the job only gets harder. Instead, make an effort to clean your oven and range on a regular basis. That includes cleaning the oven interior and cleaning the glass door.
You should also avoid leaving grease for too long and immediately address any food spillages or debris once the oven has cooled. After all, grease is one of the most common causes of oven smoke.

2. REMOVE ACCESSORIES TO CLEAN THEM

It's easier to clean the various components of your range or oven after you take them apart. But you won't need your screwdriver: we're simply talking about cleaning the oven racks, burner grates, baking trays, and any other item that's likely to end up covered in food residue.
For smaller items like burner grates, spray them generously with oven cleaner and seal them in a zip-top plastic bag overnight. The next day, wash them with soapy water before giving them a thorough rinse.

3. PREVENT SPILLS AS THEY HAPPEN

Use high-sided baking and broiling pans to reduce the amount of grease, oil, and other debris that spray onto your oven's interior. You can also use spare baking trays or non-stick oven mats to catch drips or debris falling from higher shelves. Just make sure these trays or mats aren't so large that they impede the flow of air inside the oven.
To reduce the amount of food residue on the heating elements, leave at least three inches clearance for both the baking element (at the bottom) and the broiling element (at the top). The same applies to the burners in gas ovens.

4. SELF-CLEANING MODE

Your oven may have a self-cleaning mode, which uses very high temperatures to burn off food debris. Once it's finished, simply let the oven cool then wipe out any bits of charcoaled food left behind

Oven Repair Near Me

If your electric or gas oven isn’t working, call A Plus Appliance & Refrigeration Repair or schedule service online to figure out what’s wrong with it. Our expert technicians are available and ready to diagnose any problems with your oven and make prompt repairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY IS MY OVEN NOT HEATING?

1. DEFECTIVE HEATING ELEMENT(S)

If you have an electric oven, it likely has two heating elements inside: the broiling element (at the top) and the baking element (at the bottom). These elements usually glow red when they're working properly. If one or both elements fail to change color—and your oven fails to heat up—the elements may be to blame.

2. FAULTY IGNITOR

If you have a gas oven that won't heat up, there's a good chance the bake ignitor needs to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced. When you turn on the oven, you should hear the ignitor click a few times before the gas ignites inside the oven. If it doesn't, turn off the oven to prevent the spread of gas.

4. OVEN NEEDS TO BE CALIBRATED

If your oven is not operating at the correct temperature (including running too hot), it could be the case that each component part is working properly but calibration is required. Depending on your model, you may be able to carry out the calibration yourself. Again, an oven thermometer can help you determine if your oven is routinely below or above the set temperature.

3. DAMAGED THERMOSTAT

Your electric oven's thermostat or temperature sensor determines how much power goes to the heating elements. It will cut the power a few degrees above the target temperature, and resume heating a few degrees below the target temperature (this is why your oven temperature fluctuates by a few degrees during the cooking cycle). If the temperature sensor is damaged, it may give false readings—especially if it's now making contact with the oven's interior panel. The result? The oven cuts power to the heating elements long before the target temperature is reached. Use an oven thermometer to confirm your suspicions. Fortunately, an oven temperature sensor can usually be fairly easily replaced.

WHY MY OVEN WON'T TURN OFF?

1. OVEN CONTROL BOARD

The oven control board sends voltages to the heating elements—bake and broil—depending on the user input and sensor settings. If one of the control board's relays ends up shorting, the board may send continuous voltage, which means the oven may continue to heat even after it is turned off at the controls. A defective control board must be replaced.

2. BAKE OR BROIL ELEMENT

Damage to the heating elements can also cause issues with the voltage being directed from the control board. An element that has shorted out in this way will often have visible damage, such as holes, cracks, or blistering. If this proves to be the case (which may require a trained technician using a multimeter), the damaged element can be fairly easily replaced.

3. TEMPERATURE CONTROL THERMOSTAT

Oven thermostats sometimes overheat. When that happens, the electrical contacts inside can become welded together—which, in turn, can create a scenario where the thermostat is constantly calling for more heat, even when the oven is turned off.

4. DIALS, KNOBS, AND SWITCHES

If you turn the controls to "off" but your oven is still heating, you may not have turned the controls off after all. In other words, there may be a physical problem with the controls that prevents them from turning all the way to off. Depending on your make and model, you may be able to remove the knobs, clean them out, and replace them to see if the issue is resolved.

WHY WONT MY GAS STOVE BURNER LIGHT?

The Burner Caps or Valve is Clogged

The most common issue is the valve or the cap itself can have gotten clogged with grime and food residue over time. If either become clogged, then the gas can’t flow through. If the gas can’t flow through, it can’t form a ring and it isn’t present to be lit by the igniter.

FAULTY SPARK IGNITER

If that’s the not case, there could be a faulty spark igniter.