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How to Repair Common Oven Parts The oven is an appliance in the kitchen that is used to cook food. The heat of the oven sterilizes food items and kills the majority of microorganisms. A reliable oven thermometer is an essential for all bakers. Understanding how your oven functions can help you improve your baking cooking, roasting and cooking abilities. It can also help you avoid the annoying hot spots that can ruin cakes, cookies and baked goods. Thermostat The thermostat is an essential part of your oven. It assists in ensuring that the temperature of food corresponds to the temperature that you set on the control panel. It can be problematic, just like any other sensor or switch that is electro-mechanical. The oven may overheat or underheat, or simply not maintain the temperature you set. The oven thermostat is essentially an extremely small piece of different metals that are bonded. When heated, the metals expand and bend at different rates. This creates an electrical circuit. When the metal in the thermostat attains the temperature you've set on your control panel it shuts off heating element's power. As the oven cools down the bimetallic strip expands, re-establishing the circuit and activating the heating element. This process is repeated repeatedly to ensure that the oven remains at a constant temperature. You'll need the oven disconnected and all screws removed to identify the problem with the thermostat. If you have a multimeter (which is a device that measures electrical current) set it to the ohms setting, and then test the thermostat. If the multimeter reads zero or close to zero it means that the thermostat is working correctly and does not need to be changed. If the multimeter doesn't read anything, then the thermostat is faulty and needs to be replaced. Cooker Spare Parts suggests that you replace your thermostat with one of the same model as the one you have. The thermostats are sold at a reasonable cost online or in a kitchen products shop. Bake Element The bake element is crucial to the functioning of your oven. It produces heat that allows it to cook food. It's a simple component that converts electricity into high temperatures for baking, roasting, and broiling. Electric ovens and ranges usually include heating elements that can be exposed or hidden under the floor. Generally, oven heating elements are constructed of high-resistance materials such as nickel-chromium alloy. They convert electrical energy into heat through the process of resistance, which then radiates through the oven interior to raise the temperature to the desired level to cook different kinds of foods. When you start your oven the heating element starts to work by generating heat by the high-voltage electricity flowing across its metal surface. The element is a ribbon or coil (straight or corrugated) of wire, and as the electric current passes through it, it starts to heat up. When the element reaches its temperature it begins to be lit up in red hot. The baked element is the primary source of heat for most oven functions. It is usually located at bottom of the oven. Many automatic oven models also use it for self-cleaning. You may observe that the oven does not get hot as fast, or that your food isn't cooked completely. To verify that you have a working oven baking element, plug your multimeter into its black and red ports, and then place the probes made of metal against each other on one side of your device. The other end of the element on one terminal and then place your hand on it. If the element feels warm, take it off it and try testing it again. If it's not, take off the element and test again. Broil Element The broil element is usually located at the upper part of the oven's cavity and produces the same high temperature as grills to brown or char food. The broil setting of your oven is an excellent choice for quickly searing meat and vegetables, crisping up vegetables, warming lasagna or making caramel on top of a casserole. The broiler heating element is similar to the bake element in that it converts electrical energy by resistance into heat. It is composed of an inner core made up of metal wires, wrapped in an insulating, expanded material known as perlite. The inner core of the element is covered with an outer layer of stainless steel to shield the wires from direct contact with the oven. The three-layer design can help reduce the temperature of the broil element, making it safer than older designs. While you can use any baking or broiling heating element in your oven, you should choose one that is in line with the rated wattage of your oven. Using a different wattage can cause damage to your oven or cause it to overheat. The voltage and current ratings of the new heating elements can be found on the control panel of your oven. This will allow you to check the wattage and rating of your oven. You should also test the resistance of your old element and compare it with the power of the new broiler heating element. The greater the resistance of an oven element, the more power it uses. Replace the element in your broiler immediately If it's not functioning or if it's acting up. It's important for your oven to function properly so that you can cook all your favorite foods. If your oven doesn't work in any way, or just intermittently, the issue may be in a different part. Light Bulb and Assembly The light allows you to monitor the food that is cooking without opening the door and let the heat escape. The light also lets you know when your casserole is ready. It's not uncommon for the light bulb to go out. This can be frustrating but it's an easy repair that you can accomplish yourself. Before you start, make sure that the breaker hasn't tripped and that the three-prong connector is intact. First, remove the light bulb that was in use and locate the new one. You may have to search the internet to find the correct replacement bulb that matches the wattage of your oven. Some ovens use standard 40-watt appliance bulbs some require halogen bulbs up to 50 watts. Be aware that the oil in your hands could damage the halogen bulb, so it is recommended to use cotton gloves when handling it. Remove the glass casing of the bulb before replacing it. It is important to do this slowly so that you don't damage it. You'll then need to remove the air from the bulb and replace it with a mixture. This will extend the lifespan for the filament. If your bulb keeps blinking, it could be a bigger electrical issue that should be dealt with by a professional. Make sure that you're using the right bulb for your oven and check out your Use and Care Guide for more troubleshooting advice. Make sure to unplug the oven and shut off the power prior to beginning any repairs. This will help prevent suffering an electric shock. Vent Tube The vent tube is an essential oven element because it allows for a small amount of airflow to be created within the cavity. This permits the bake element to circulate heat throughout the oven, ensuring that the temperature is distributed evenly. It also allows vapors from the oven to escape, and also allows smoke to be drained away from the cooking surface. It is crucial for the proper operation of any gas or electric oven. Oven vent tubes can become blocked or clogged due to a variety of factors. Accidental spills or splatters may leave sticky residues in oven vents. They can attract dust, debris and other contaminates that could cause obstructions in the course of time. Grease and oil particles may become airborne and settle around the vents, as well. Other environmental factors, such as kitchen construction and renovations, could introduce dust or other pollutants into the vents, resulting in blockages or clogs. Based on the oven model the vent tube could include an a bottle guide 20 or spreader 46 as well as a fill tip 12 that are integrally formed with the pipe 32. For instance, the bottle guide 20 could have a tapered exterior surface that compliments the complementarily tapered inner surface of the spreader 46. This allows the vent tube to be smoothly inserted into different sizes and shapes of bottle necks. A clogged or blocked vent tube could cause a loss of pressure within the enclosing structure. This could result in a downdraft that pushes exhaust down the vent and backwards towards the oven's burners, which can cause damage to oven components. Contact a professional if you think your vent pipe may be clogged or blocked. They will identify the issue and offer suggestions for removing or cleaning the vent.