By the WY&G, Inc. team: licensed HVAC contractor, CSLB C-20 #1044922, over 25 years and thousands of customers in the Santa Clarita Valley and Orange County.
The 20 minute oven test
- Put an oven thermometer on the middle rack. The display alone does not tell you the real temperature.
- Set Bake to 350°F. Note how long it takes to say preheated. Most ovens get there in roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, read the thermometer. Within about 25 degrees of the setting is fine.
- Switch to Broil for 3 to 5 minutes. On an electric oven the top element should glow orange along its whole length. On a gas oven you should see a steady blue flame at the top.
- If you have a convection fan, turn convection on and listen for the fan.
What the results usually mean
- Electric oven heats slowly or not at all on Bake. A burned bake element. Look for a blister, crack or break in the lower element.
- Gas oven takes forever to light, or never lights. A weak igniter. It still glows, but not hot enough to open the gas valve. This is the most common gas oven repair we do.
- Temperature is far off, or food burns on one side. A temperature sensor, a weak igniter, or a door gasket that leaks heat.
- Broil does nothing. A failed broil element on electric ovens, or the broil igniter on gas ovens.
- Error code on the display. Write it down with the model number from the tag inside the door. It helps us bring the right part on the first visit.
More on this in oven not heating.
The self clean trap
Self clean heats the oven to around 800 to 900°F for hours. On many ovens that heat is what finally kills a tired thermal fuse, a control board, a door lock motor or an element. If the oven was already a little weak, self clean is often the last thing it does. Running it the weekend before Thanksgiving is a common way to end up with a locked, dead oven and a turkey to cook.
If you want a clean oven for the holiday, clean it by hand, or run self clean at least three weeks ahead so there is time for a repair if something fails. Never leave the house during a self clean cycle.
Range top and gas burners
Check the surface burners too. A burner that clicks but will not light is usually a wet or dirty igniter or a burner cap that is not seated right. Dry it, seat the cap flat, and try again. See gas burner not lighting. If you smell gas at any time, turn everything off, leave the house and call SoCalGas or 911.
Book early
Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest weeks of the year for oven repair, and some parts need to be ordered. If your test shows a problem, call in early November so the part has time to arrive. We repair gas and electric ovens, ranges and wall ovens in Santa Clarita and Orange County. See oven and range repair.
