Oven Tools To Improve Your Day-To-Day Life
How to Repair Common Oven Parts
The oven is a kitchen appliance that is commonly used to cook food items. The heat produced by the oven sterilizes food and kills most of the micro-organisms present in them.
A reliable oven thermometer is a necessity for bakers of all kinds. Knowing how your oven functions will help improve your baking and roasting skills, and eliminate those annoying hot spots that can cause havoc with cookies, cakes and other baked goods.
Thermostat
The thermostat is an essential component of your oven. It assists in ensuring that the temperature of food corresponds to the temperature you set on the control panel. However, just like any other electronic mechanical switch or sensor, it can have issues that cause the oven to over heat or under heat, or just not be able to keep the temperature at the level you've set.
The oven thermostat is an extremely small piece of different metals joined. When heated, the different metals expand and bend at different rates, forming or breaking an electrical circuit. When the metal in the thermostat is at the temperature you've set on your control panel, it shuts off the power to the heating element. As the oven cools down the bimetallic strip expands, re-establishing the circuit and turning on the heating element. This process is repeated over and over to maintain a constant temperature within your oven.
It is necessary to disconnect the oven and all screws removed to identify the issue with the thermostat. If you have a multimeter (which is a device that measures electrical current), set it to the ohms level and then test the thermostat. If the multimeter reads zero or close to zero the thermostat is operating properly and doesn't need to be changed.
If the multimeter isn't reading anything, then the thermostat is defective and requires replacement. Cooker Spare Parts recommends that you replace the thermostat with a new one of the same type as the one you have. oven with hob can be purchased online or at a kitchen goods store, and are available at a reasonable cost.
Bake Element
Ovens are not complete without the bake element, which provides heat to make your oven cook food. It's an easy component that converts electricity into high temperatures for baking, roasting, and broiling. Heating elements are typically found in electric ranges and ovens and are either covered or concealed under the oven's floor.
In general, oven heating elements consist of high-resistance materials such as nickel-chromium. They convert electricity into heat via resistance. The heat then radiates through the interior of the oven to reach the temperature required to cook different kinds of food.
When you turn on your oven the heating element gets to work by generating heat through the high-voltage electricity flowing across its metal surface. The element is a coil or ribbon (straight or corrugated) of wire. When the electric current flows through it, it begins to heat up. The element will appear red hot when it reaches the desired temperature.
The baked element is the primary source of heat for most oven functions. It's typically located at the bottom of the oven and is used to perform the self-cleaning function in many automatic oven models. When it begins to get hot you may notice that your oven doesn't heat up as fast or that your food isn't fully cooked.
Plug your multimeter in to its red and black ports. Then, you can press the metal probes on one side of the device against each other. The other end of the baking element against one terminal and 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 typically situated in the upper part of the oven and can provide the same high temperature as grills to roast or grill food items. The broil setting of your oven is an excellent choice for quickly searing meat, crisping vegetables, reheating lasagna, or caramelizing the top of the casserole.
The broiler heating element is similar to the bake element in that it converts electrical energy by resistance into heat. It consists of an inner core of metal wires wrapped in insulating expanded perlite material. The inner core is wrapped in an outer layer of stainless steel to shield the wires from direct contact with the oven. The three-layer design helps lower the temperature of the broil element, making it safer than older designs.
You can use any heating element to bake or broiling in your oven. However, you should choose one that is compatible with the wattage that your oven is rated for. A different wattage may harm your oven, or cause it to overheat. You can determine the power of your oven as well as the rating of the new heating element by looking at their voltage and current ratings on the oven's control panel.
Verify the resistance of the old element, then compare it to the wattage rating of the new element. The higher the resistance, the more the power that an oven element draws from.
If the heating element in your broiler is malfunctioning or isn't working in any way, you should replace it immediately. Your oven must work correctly to be able to cook your favourite meals. If your oven does not work at all, or only intermittently, then the issue could be in a different part.
Light Bulb and Assembly
The oven light lets you keep an eye on the food while it cooks without opening the door to let heat escape. The light also lets you know when the casserole is ready. But it's not uncommon for the bulb to go out. It can be a hassle, but you can do it yourself. Before you start, make sure that the breaker hasn't been tripped and that the three-prong connector remains intact.
First, take out the light bulb that was in use and find the new one. You may need to search online for a replacement that matches the wattage and the type of your oven. Some appliances use standard 40-watt bulbs some require a halogen bulb up to 50 watts. You should consider using cotton gloves to shield the bulbs from the damage caused by oil.
Remove the glass casing of the bulb prior to replacing it. Do slowly to avoid breaking it. Then, you'll have to evacuate the air inside the bulb and fill it up with gas mixture. This will ensure a longer lifespan for the filament.
If your light bulb is always blinking, it could be a bigger electrical problem that needs to be addressed 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 tips. And remember that it's always a good idea to unplug your oven and disconnect the power from the outlet before you start any repair. This will prevent you from being shocked by electricity.
Vent Tube
The vent tube is a vital oven component that permits a small airflow inside the cavity. This allows the bake element to circulate heat around the oven and ensures the temperature is evenly dispersed.
It also allows vapors to escape from the oven and smoke to be drawn from the cooking surface. It is essential for proper functioning of any electric or gas oven.
Vents in ovens can get clogged or blocked by several reasons. Accidental spills or splatters while cooking can leave sticky residues on the oven vents, which draw dust and other debris that can eventually cause obstructions or blockages in the course of time. Oil and grease can also become airborne, and then settle around vents. Other environmental factors, like kitchen and construction projects can cause dust to enter the vents. This can cause clogs.
Depending on the model of the oven, the vent tube can comprise a spreader 46 and an fill tip 12 and an a bottle guide 20 that are integrally formed into the pipe 32. For example the bottle guide 20 may have a tapered outer layer which is in harmony with the tapered inside of the spreader 46, allowing the vent tube to be easily placed into various sizes and designs of bottle necks.
A clogged vent tube can cause a reduction in pressure within the enclosure, which could cause an exhaust downdraft, which pulls the exhaust forward and down the vent, causing damage to oven's components. Consult a professional if you think your vent pipe might be blocked or clogged. They will diagnose the problem and provide recommendations for removing or cleaning the vent.