The oven is an appliance in the kitchen that is used to cook food items. The heat from the oven sterilizes food items and kills most of the micro-organisms in them.
All bakers need an accurate oven thermometer. Understanding how your oven works will help improve your baking and roasting skills, and eliminate those annoying hot spots that can cause havoc with cakes, cookies and other baked items.
Thermostat
The thermostat is an essential part of your oven. It assists in ensuring that the temperature of food matches the temperature that you set on the control panel. As with any electro mechanical switch or sensor, it may have issues that can cause the oven to over heat or under heat, or simply not be able to maintain the temperature at the level you've set.
The oven thermostat is a small strip of two different metals joined. When heated the different metals expand and bend at different rates, making or breaking an electrical circuit. When the metal in the thermostat reaches the temperature you've set on your control panel it shuts off 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 cycle is repeated continuously to ensure a constant oven temperature.
To identify a problem with the thermostat, you'll have to remove the oven and ensure that all screws that hold it in place have been removed. Set your multimeter to the Ohms setting, and then test the thermostat. If the multimeter reads zero or close to zero, the thermostat is functioning correctly and doesn't require to be changed.
If the multimeter doesn't detect anything then the thermostat is not working properly. It must be replaced. Cooker Spare Parts recommends that you replace the thermostat with a new one of the same type that your old one. They are available on the internet or in a kitchen goods store, and can be bought at a reasonable price.
Bake Element
The bake element is essential to the functioning of your oven. It provides heat that allows it to cook food. It's an easy component that transforms electricity into high temperatures for baking, roasting and broiling. Heating elements are typically found in electric ranges and ovens and are either uncovered or hidden under the oven's floor.
Generally, oven heating elements are constructed from high-resistance components like nickel-chromium alloy. They work by converting electrical energy into heat by the process of resistance, which then radiates through the oven's interior to raise the temperature to the desired level to cook various types of food.
When you turn on the oven the heating elements start to produce heat through the high-voltage electric current flowing across the surface of the metal. The element is a coil or ribbon (straight or corrugated) of wire, and as the electric current flows through it, it starts to get hotter. The element will glow red hot when it reaches the desired temperature.
The baked element is the main source of heat in all oven functions. It's usually found at the bottom of the oven and is used to perform the self-cleaning function in many automatic oven models. When it begins to smoke, you might find that your oven isn't able to preheat as quickly or that your food isn't fully cooked.
Plug your multimeter in to its black and red ports. Then, you can press the probes made of steel on one side of the device against each other. The other end should be placed against one of its terminals and put your hand on it to test whether the baking element is warm to the contact. If not, take it off the element and start testing again.
Broil Element
The broil element, typically located at the top of the cavity, offers high heat to brown or char food items. The oven's broil setting can be a great way to quickly sear meat, crisp vegetables, reheat lasagna or caramelize the top of a casserole.
The broiler heating element has a similarity to the bake element in that it converts electrical energy via resistance into heat. It consists of an inner core of wires that are wrapped in an insulating expanded perlite product. The inner core is then enclosed in an outer layer of stainless steel to protect the wires from direct contact with the oven. The three-layer structure helps lower the temperature of the broil element, making it more durable and safer than older types of elements.
You can use any heating element to bake or broiling in your oven. However, it is important to choose one that is compatible with the wattage of your oven's rating. A different wattage could damage your oven or cause it to overheat. The current and ovensandhobs voltage ratings of the new heating elements can be located on the control panel of your oven. This will allow you to examine the power and rating of your oven.
Examine the resistance of the previous element, and compare it to the wattage rating of the new element. The higher the resistance of an oven element, the more power it uses.
If your broiler heating element is not working or functions in any way, you should replace it immediately. It is essential that your oven function properly so that you can cook all of your favorite foods. If, however, your oven is not working at all or only intermittently, the issue may be in a different area of your oven.
Light Bulb and Assembly
The oven light helps you keep an eye on the food while it cooks without opening the door to let heat escape. The light also alerts you when the casserole is ready. It's not uncommon for the bulb to go out. This can be frustrating but it's an simple fix that you can tackle yourself. Make sure that the breaker is not tripped and that the connector has three prongs.
Remove the old bulb and then locate the new one. You may have to search online for a replacement bulb that matches the wattage and type of your oven. Some use standard 40-watt appliance bulbs some require a halogen bulb that is up to 50 watts. Consider using cotton gloves to shield bulbs from the damage caused by oil.
Before putting the new bulb in place, you should first remove it from its glass casing. Do slowly to avoid breaking it. Then, you'll need to remove the air from the bulb and replace it with a mixture. This will prolong the lifespan for the filament.
If your bulb keeps blinking, it could be a wider electrical problem that needs to be addressed by a professional. Make sure you double-check that you're using a correct bulb for your oven, and check out your Use and Care Guide for more troubleshooting advice. Remember that it's an excellent idea to unplug your oven and disconnect the power from the outlet prior to you start any repair. This will prevent you from suffering an electric shock.
Vent Tube
The vent tube is a vital 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 from the oven to escape as well as allows smoke to be removed from the cooking surface. It is essential to ensure the proper operation of any electric or gas oven.
Vents in ovens can get clogged or blocked by several factors. Accidental spills or splatters could leave sticky residues on oven vents. They can attract debris, dust and other contaminants that could cause obstructions over time. Oil and grease particles can be blown into the air and settle around the vents, too. Other environmental factors such as kitchen and construction projects can create dust in the vents. This can cause clogs.
Depending on the oven model the vent tube may include an a bottle guide 20, spreader 46 and fill tip 12 that are constructed with the pipe 32. The bottle guide 20 may have a tapered outer edge that complements the tapered inside edge of the spreader, allowing the vent tubes to be placed smoothly into different sizes and shapes of bottle necks.
A clogged or blocked vent tube can result in an increase in pressure within the structure that surrounds it, which could result in a downdraft that pushes exhaust down the vent and then backwards over the oven's burners, causing damage to the oven components. Consult a professional if suspect that your vent tube may be clogged or blocked. They will determine the cause and provide suggestions on how to clear or clean the vent.
