If the oven won't heat to the proper temperature or heats the food unevenly, the problem could be a bad oven door gasket. The easiest test to determine if your oven needs a new door gasket is to slowly wave your hand around the door, being careful not to touch it, while the oven is turned on. If you can feel heat on your hand, the gasket probably needs replacement.

Replace it with a new gasket made for the brand of range that you own. It is easy to find the correct gasket by using our handy search on top or clicking here.

On most brand ovens, the door gasket is located on the frame of the oven, and the door closes against it. This door gasket is generally friction-fit in a channel and can be replaced even by a novice. In other oven units, the oven door has two sections, and the gasket is not mounted on the door frame, but is installed between the front and back sections of the oven door.

Don't try to replace this type of gasket without the help or advice of a professional service repairman.

Replacing a frame-mounted door gasket on your oven:

1. Pull the old oven door gasket out of the channel. On some oven door frames the gasket is held in place with screws. To get at the screws, bend back the exposed edge of the gasket.
   
2. Clean the channel and the door frame with a solution of mild household detergent and water.
   
3. To install the new gasket, start the replacement at the top of the door frame and work down the sides, easing the gasket around corners. Finish the installation along the bottom, butting the ends of the gasket firmly together.

TIPS FOR SAFETY

• If you smell gas, leave the house immediately.
• Do not try to turn off the gas from inside the house, or turn any lights on or off.
• Find and turn off the master gas valve outside the house.
• Go to a telephone and call the gas company or the fire department immediately to report a leak.
• Do not re-enter your home.

Labels: Gasket, oven parts

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

It's time to get your range ready for summer. Replace your old surface and bake units and dull drip pans with shiny new parts if you can't get the old ones clean!

First, let's talk about keeping your range clean to begin with. Cleaning after each use of the cooktop with cleaning cream will keep the cooktop looking new and easy to clean. Ceramic cooktop cleaning creams are the best. Cooktop Cleaning Cream, gently cleans glass ceramic, stainless steel or glass cooktops.

If your appliances are stainless steel - pick up a stainless steel cleaner, also. Stainless Steel Magic - Gently polishes and removes water spots, grease and stains from all your stainless steel sinks and appliances for a gleaming finish. Keep that old stove of yours looking and working like new!

Also popular for cleaning and prepping is CERAMA BRYTE Ceramic Cooktop Cleaner. It is designed for use on ALL glass-ceramic cooktops. It is tested and qualified for CERAN® by SCHOTT GLAS and is recommended by EuroKera. It is non-toxic and biodegradable.

Industry wide testing shows that if you are have a spillover from high sugar mixtures or melted plastic you should:

• Turn off all surface units. Remove hot pans.
• Wear an oven mitt.
• Use a razor scraper to move the spill to a cool area on the cooktop. (Hold the razor at about a 45 degree angle to scrape)
• Remove the spill with paper towels.
• Any remaining spillover should be left until the surface of the cooktop has cooled.
• Do not use the surface units again until all residue has been completely removed.

If your electric surface burners are not heating as normal, lightly sandpaper the contacts on the element and the block they plug into. Safety first, unplug your stove. If service is still impaired, replace blocks first, then the coiled element.

Can't get the top burners clean no matter what you do? You may have to replace your top burnersWhen replacing Range top burners, plug in type, always check for burnt contacts in burner receptacle. To be safe replace receptacle with top burner.

To find the correct burners - find the model number first.

How to find the Part number of your range:

1. Open oven door wide, model number plate located on mullion between the hinges.
2. Lift the left front surface unit, model number plate is on the inner left side of frame.
3. On the frame behind oven door.
4. Pull lower drawer out. Model number plate is on horizontal or vertical member of frame.
5. Lift right front or rear surface unit. Model number is on inside, right side of frame or the back corner of the frame.
6. Use the search bar on top of this blog .. or click here to find shiny new oven and range parts!

Labels: oven parts, range parts