For many, the oven is the heart of the home—providing warmth and nourishment on cold winter nights or turning batter into beauty for birthdays. And so it’s important to keep your oven in good condition. Regular maintenance can do that, but like any appliance, the day will come when your oven needs more than a good clean. Sometimes in-depth repairs or even replacement are necessary.
Below, we’ve compiled some of the warning signs to look for that may indicate your oven is past its best and needs repair or replacement. If any of these ring true, rest assured that our experienced and trained technicians in Edmonton are available to assist you should you need us.
Rising Energy Bills
As ovens get older, they use more energy to achieve the same results. If you notice your energy usage is creeping up without any other changes in your household, it could be an early warning sign that your oven is struggling. The positive side of catching this behaviour early is that you can address the problem before more serious issues arise, and look at getting your oven repaired or replaced before things get worse.
Your Oven Won’t Light
If you have a gas oven, heat is provided by the combustion of the gas, which is set alight by a small flame known as the pilot light. If your oven isn’t lighting, or you are having to relight it, there could be a problem with your pilot light. This requires urgent attention, because if the flame goes out, the gas can leak into your house instead of being burned for heat, and there is a risk of explosion.
The Temperature Is Out of Control
When your tried and tested recipes suddenly begin to go wrong, take longer, or get burned, your oven could be giving up the ghost. As ovens age, they lose some of their ‘oomph’ as the heating elements begin to fail and the seals degrade. This will either mean less heat is produced or more heat is escaping into your home, neither of which will help your baking.
Your Countertops Are Mysteriously Scorched
Another tell-tale sign that your oven is losing heat is that the worktop or cabinets around it suffer burns or scorch marks. This may mean your oven is too close to these units or that its seals have worn away, so watch out for this and look to replace the seals if this happens. If parts of the oven itself are heating up too much, like the handle or the door, it may indicate that your cooling fan isn’t operating correctly.
If your oven is displaying any of these warning signs that it may be on its way out, feel free to contact your local oven repair expert and see if your oven or stove can be saved!