Even if you don’t use your oven every day, it’s still one of the essential appliances in your kitchen. And when your oven isn’t heating correctly, it can be frustrating. Ovens are an appliance you don’t want to tinker with–it’s best to leave all the oven repairs to the professionals. However, there are ways to tell if it’s time to call in the pros before your oven stops working entirely. Here’s how to potentially know if your burners and oven are heating correctly.
Burners Won’t Light
If you have a gas-powered stove and your burners aren’t lighting, it could potentially be an issue with the gas line, pilot light, or ignitor. If you attempt to turn on the burner and hear clicking, but it doesn’t turn on, it’s probably an issue with the pilot light or gas line. If you don’t hear any clicking, then it’s probably the ignitor. However, if you have an electric stove, it’s almost always a wiring issue if the burners aren’t turning on. Regardless of the cause, it’s important to call a professional before any of the issues get worse.
How to Test Your Oven Temperature
If your meals consistently come out of the oven undercooked, it may be time to test your oven temperatures. First, purchase an inexpensive oven thermometer at a hardware store. Then, follow these steps:
- Place the thermometer in the center rack of your oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees
- After 20 minutes, check the temperature on the thermometer. If it reads between 345 and 355, it’s doing its job.
- Take a few more readings every 20 minutes for up to two hours. Add up all the readings and divide by the number of times you checked. If the average is between 345 and 355, your oven is heating correctly.
If you perform an oven temperature test and find that your oven isn’t reaching that 345-355 range, it’s time to give us a call. The experts at Express Appliance Repair can get your oven working correctly soon!