Your electric oven should be maintained on a regular basis. If you have purchased your oven new, it came with a warranty. Unfortunately, most of the time your oven will not need repairs until after the warranty period has ended. There is no need to call an outside party to fix any problems. There are many repairs that a homeowner can perform on their own, saving money from a costly service bill. Does this Spark an idea?
Safety First
Your electric oven operates on a 240 volt outlet. Always turn off the power at the circuit breaker before making any repairs to your electric oven. Failure to do this can result in serious injury or death due to electrical shock.
Check and Replace the Oven Heating Element
Remove the screws that secure the element to the back of the oven. Unscrew any other support brackets that may be holding the element and pull it toward you exposing the wires. Carefully remove the wire from the element without damaging the terminals. Do not allow the wires to fall back through the hole.
Remove the element from the oven and inspect the terminals and the element itself for burns or damage. If you notice visible signs, you will need a replacement element. If there is no visible damage, check the element with a voltmeter.
Set the meter to RX1 and touch the probes to each of the terminals. It should have continuity. If it does not read anything, the element will need to be replaced. If it passes this check, there is still one more check to perform. With the voltmeter, touch one probe to the terminal and one to the element. If you get movement in the needle, it indicates a grounding problem and the element will have to be replaced.
To replace an element, make sure that you get one that is the same size and shape as the old one. Reconnect the wires to the terminals. Screw in any support brackets and reinstall to the back of the oven. Tighten the screws without over tightening.
Check and Replace Temperature Control
Remove the fasteners and clips from around the oven control panel and remove it. If any of the terminals look burned or are discolored, replace the temperature control. If there are more than two terminals on the control, find out which one to test using the diagram located on the rear panel. Set the voltmeter to RX1 and disconnect one wire from the terminal you are testing. Attach the probes and set the temperature knob on the oven to three hundred degrees. If it does not show continuity, replace the temperature control.
Take the capillary tube from its support in the oven and push it through the rear. Then going back to the rear of the range, pull the capillary tube through. Unscrew both temperature control valves in the front and remove the control at the back of the range. Disconnect the wires from the control but label them as you do. Reconnect the wires to the new control and reinstall it by screwing it into place. Push the capillary tube back into the oven and reinstall it on its brackets.
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