Most Common Oven Problems and What to Try to Fix Them

Most Common Oven Problems and What to Try to Fix Them

/in /by

The oven is one of the most important appliances in your kitchen – whether you’re whipping up a quick late-night snack for two or you’ve been voted to be the one to cook Thanksgiving dinner, you need that oven! Holiday meal or not, you don’t have time for unexpected oven issues. Following are some of the most common issues and how to try to fix them before calling for appliance repair in San Francisco:

  1. The Oven Won’t Turn On

It’s a good idea right off the bat – before problems arise – to make sure your major appliances (oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator) each has its own circuit to prevent breakers tripping. Check your junction box and make sure no breakers have tripped. Just for kicks, make sure the plug hasn’t worked its way out of the outlet, too.

So your oven is plugged in and the breaker hasn’t tripped; if it is electric, some other things that could be preventing it from turning on include the wrong amount of electricity coming into the unit, a broken wire, or a bad bake, broil, or control element. For gas oven owners, it could be a faulty gas valve, igniter, or control. These issues require the skill of a San Rafael area appliance repair pro, due to the risk of electric shock.

 

  1. The Door won’t Open or Shut

If your unit does turn on, it won’t do you any good if the oven door won’t open or close! If you’ve just finished a self-cleaning cycle and it won’t open, try unplugging the unit or flipping the breaker off for a few minutes. Once power is restored, try moving the door lock lever. If it doesn’t open, reset the self-clean cycle and let it run for 15 minutes, then cancel it. Let the oven cool down for a while, and try to open it again.

If you have the opposite problem and the door won’t stay shut, you may have something caught that has fallen and is blocking one of the door hinges. You might also have a broken hinge. You’ll need to take the oven door apart and sometimes may need to remove a side panel, too. While you can do this yourself, if you need help, don’t hesitate to call a San Francisco oven repair repair expert.

 

  1. The Light Won’t Turn On

This one seems pretty obvious at first: If a light doesn’t work, replace the bulb, right? Well, not always – it could be something else causing the issue. Your oven could have a faulty electronic control, a faulty light switch, or a faulty connecting wire. Go ahead and start by replacing the bulb, but if that doesn’t work, you may have to call a pro in Marin County.

 

  1. The Temperature Isn’t Correct

Once your oven is preheated, it should maintain that temperature until you turn it off. If your food is constantly taking forever to cook or it’s burning to a crisp, you may need to recalibrate the controls for the temperature.

You can do this yourself – instructions for your model should be in the owner’s manual (if you don’t have a copy, you can almost always find one online). Most of the time, this involves pressing and holding certain buttons on the control panel according to the instructions.

 

  1. The Self-Cleaning Feature Won’t Work

The first thing you need to check on your oven in this case is the lever, to make sure the door switch is locking properly. A self-cleaning cycle won’t start until the door is completely latched. If it seems to be latched, you might have a problem with the temperature control wiring, switch, thermal fuse, or oven control board. These issues require special tools and skills, so you’ll want to call an appliance repair expert in Novato.

While not every issue can be corrected by the average homeowner, there are some things you can do to troubleshoot before you call an expert. If you’re just not sure what the issue is or you’d rather leave it all in expert hands, be sure to contact Absolute Appliances Repair. We will get your oven working again in no time, whether you’re in San Rafael, Mill Valley, Larkspur, or anywhere else in the San Francisco area.