Don’t Let Oven Misuse Ruin Your Appliance

How you use your range oven on a day-to-day basis can have a lasting effect on its overall performance and lifespan. Unfortunately, most range owners don’t realize their actions are potentially harming their appliance. While normal wear and tear is unavoidable, constant misuse will accelerate that process, meaning components will malfunction at a much faster rate. Luckily, learning how to properly care for your range oven will ensure your appliance doesn’t breakdown due to owner misuse.

Ignoring Moisture on Your Oven Door

Condensation on your oven door is not normal and should never be ignored. Moisture on the glass indicates there is a problem with the oven door gasket. The gasket creates a seal, which prevents heat from escaping the oven. When the gasket is damaged, heat is able to escape the oven. This causes temperature fluctuations, uneven baking, and unnecessary wear and tear on the appliance. While moisture on the door is a tale tell sign of tears in the gasket, damage to the part can exist without the presence of condensation. Periodically, inspecting the oven gasket is the best way to protect your appliance from malfunctions occurring due to a faulty seal.

Using Foil on the bottom of Your Oven

For a number of reasons, lining the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil is never a good idea. The extreme temperatures reached inside the appliance, especially near the floor of the oven, can melt the foil turning it into a fire hazard, or in a gas oven, a carbon monoxide hazard due to blocked vents. Another less serious consequence is poor baking conditions. Aluminum foil is extremely reflective, meaning it may cause uneven baking or lead to food cooking too fast.

Forgetting to Clean Up Spills

Food spills onto the floor of your oven and you swear you’ll clean it the next day, but the next day comes and you forget. While that one tiny spill won’t ruin your oven, several spills can turn your appliance and your kitchen into a smoky mess. Luckily, remembering to clean up a spill as soon as your oven cools down will ensure your oven and home stay smoke-free.

If your oven is malfunctioning and you need help diagnosing and repairing the faulty part, please contact us today, and we’ll be happy to help.