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How to Repair Common Oven Parts The oven is a kitchen appliance that is commonly used to cook food. The heat generated by the oven sterilizes food and kills the majority of microorganisms. All bakers require an accurate oven thermometer. Understanding how your oven works will help improve your baking and roasting skills and eliminate those frustrating hot spots that can cause havoc with cakes, cookies and other baked products. Thermostat The thermostat is one of the most crucial components of your oven, helping ensure that the temperature of your food matches the temperature you've set on your control panel. It could be a problem as is any other switch or sensor that is electro-mechanical. The oven could overheat or underheat, or not maintain the temperature you set. The oven thermostat is an extremely small piece of different metals joined. When heated, the different metals expand and flex at different rates, creating or breaking an electrical circuit. When the thermostat's metal attains the temperature you've set on your control panel, it shuts off the heating element's power. As the oven cools, the bimetallic strips contract in a circuit, re-establishing it and turning on the heating element. This process continues to maintain a constant temperature within your oven. To diagnose a problem with the thermostat, you'll need to unplug the oven and ensure that all screws holding it in place have been removed. If you have a multimeter (which is a device that analyzes the electrical current) set it to the ohms setting, and then test the thermostat. If the multimeter reads zero or close to zero the thermostat is operating correctly and does not need to be changed. If the multimeter does not show anything, the thermostat is faulty. It needs to be replaced. Cooker Spare Parts recommends that you replace the thermostat with a new one of the same kind as your old one. The thermostats are sold at a reasonable price on the internet or in the kitchen store. Bake Element The bake element is essential to the operation of your oven. It generates the heat needed to cook food. It's a basic component that transforms electricity into the high temperatures needed to bake, roast, and broiling. Heating elements are usually found in electric ranges and ovens, and they can be either uncovered or hidden under the oven's floor. In general oven heating elements comprise of high-resistance elements like nickel-chromium. They convert electrical energy into heat through the process of resistance, which radiates outwards into the oven's interior to raise the temperature to the desired degree to cook different kinds of food. When you start 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 ribbon or coil (straight or corrugated) of wire, and as the electric current flows through it, it begins to get hotter. The element will glow red hot when it reaches the temperature you want. The baked element is the main source of heat for most oven functions. It's usually found in the bottom of the oven and is also used to perform the self-cleaning function in a variety of ovens that are automatic. You may observe that the oven does not warm up as quickly or that your food isn't cooked completely. To check for a working oven baking element connect your multimeter to its black and red ports, then rub the metal probes against each other on one side of the element. hob and oven of the element against one terminal and place your hands on it. If the element feels warm, take it off it and start testing again. If not, remove it and try again. Broil hobs oven is usually situated in the top of the oven and can provide the same high temperature as a grill to cook or brown food items. The broil setting of your oven is a great option for quickly grilling meat or vegetables, crisping them up, reheating lasagna or making caramel on top of a casserole. The broiler heating element has a similarity to the bake element in that it converts electrical energy by resistance into heat. It consists of an inner core of wires made of metal wrapped in insulating expanded perlite product. 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 helps lower the temperature of the broil element, making it safer than older styles. You can use any heating element for baking or broiling in your oven. But, you must choose one that is in line with the wattage that your oven is rated for. Utilizing a different wattage may harm your oven or cause it to overheat. The current and voltage ratings of the latest heating elements are available on the control panel of your oven. This will allow you to examine the power and rating of your oven. You should also check the resistance of your previous element and compare it with the wattage of your new broiler heating element. The greater the resistance of an oven element the greater power it draws from it. If your broiler's heating element is malfunctioning or isn't working at all, you should replace it right away. Your oven must function properly for you to to cook your favorite foods. If your oven isn't functioning at all, or is only working intermittently, the issue may be in a different area of your oven. Light Bulb and Assembly The light allows you to keep an eye on the food that is cooking without opening the doors and let heat escape. The light will also inform you when the casserole is done. It's not uncommon for the bulb to die. This can be frustrating, but it's a relatively easy fix you can do yourself. Make sure the breaker is not tripped and that the connector has three prongs. Remove the old bulb and then find the new one. You may need to look online to find the correct replacement bulb that matches your oven's wattage. Some ovens use standard 40-watt appliance bulbs and others require a halogen bulb that is up to 50 watts. You should consider using cotton gloves to shield the halogen bulbs from damage caused by oil. Remove the glass casing of the bulb prior to replacing it. You should do slowly to avoid breaking it. Then, you'll need to remove the air from the bulb and replace it with the mixture. This will ensure a longer lifespan for the filament. If your bulb is always blinking it could be due to an electrical problem that requires a professional to fix. Make sure that you're using the right bulb for your oven and check out your Use and Care Guide for more troubleshooting advice. And remember that it's always a good idea to unplug your oven and disconnect the power from the outlet prior to you start any repair. This will help prevent being shocked by electricity. Vent Tube The vent tube is an essential oven component that permits an airflow within the cavity. This allows the bake element to circulate heat throughout the oven, ensuring that the temperature is evenly distributed. It also allows vapors to escape from the oven and smoke to be drained from the cooking surface. It is crucial for the efficient operation of any gas or electric oven. Oven vent tubes can become clogged or blocked by several factors. Accidental spills or splatters could leave sticky remnants in oven vents. These can attract debris, dust and other contaminants that can cause obstructions in the course of time. Oil and grease can also be airborne and settle on vents. Other environmental factors such as construction and kitchen renovations can cause dust to enter the vents. This can cause clogs. Based on the type of the oven the vent tube could include a spreader 46 and the fill tip 12, and a bottle guide 20 that are incorporated into the pipe 32. For example the bottle guide 20 may have a tapered outer surface which is in harmony with the tapered inside of the spreader 46 to allow the vent tube to be effortlessly placed into various sizes and designs of bottle necks. A blocked or clogged vent tube can result in a loss of pressure within the structure that surrounds it, which can result in a downdraft that pushes exhaust down the vent and then backwards over the oven's burners, which can cause damage to the oven components. Consult a professional if suspect that your vent tube could be blocked or clogged. They will identify the problem and make recommendations on how to clear or clean the vent.