Why Is My Oven Getting Too Hot?
There's nothing more disappointing than opening the oven to take out a gooey pizza or lasagna only to discover your meal has burned to a crisp. If this sounds familiar, you might wonder if your oven is getting too hot. Your oven relies on multiple components to keep a consistent temperature, and problems with any of these parts can cause scorched meals.
Don't panic! You don't necessarily need to buy a new appliance to resolve an overheating oven. Understanding why an oven gets too hot can help you find the culprit and fix the issue.
How Can You Tell If Your Oven Is Getting Too Hot?
While you might suspect oven overheating if everything you cook gets burned, an oven thermometer is the only way to know for sure. Don't use a regular thermometer to diagnose your oven woes — the gadget you use to check for a fever will melt in a hot oven. Instead, you can purchase specialized oven thermometers online and from DIY and other retail stores.
Bear in mind that your oven doesn't maintain a consistent temperature. When your oven gets too hot and exceeds the upper limit, the element turns off to allow the oven to cool. When it cools to the lower limit, the element kicks back in to raise the temperature, keeping the heat within an acceptable tolerance range. Therefore, you can't tell if your oven's overheating with a single temperature check.
How to Use an Oven Thermometer
Most oven thermometers are designed to hang from the center of your middle oven rack, but you should defer to the instructions in the user manual. Hang the thermometer inside your oven and set the appliance to your desired temperature. You should allow your oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes for accurate results.
Next, take an initial temperature reading and then close the door. Continue checking the temperature every 20 minutes for at least 90 minutes.
Finally, calculate the average temperature of your oven by adding your readings together and dividing them by the number of readings. Compare the average temperature to your preset temperature. As ovens aren't precise, your average likely won't match your preset temperature exactly, but it should be close. If there's a significant difference between your readings and your desired temperature, consider calling a technician to check for faults.
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What Causes Electric Oven Overheating?
Whether you've got a gas or an electric oven, the causes of oven overheating are often the same. Gas and electric ovens share several standard components, including a thermostat, a cooling fan and a temperature sensor.
Before you start investigating the issue, try cleaning your oven thoroughly. Accumulated dirt and grease can interfere with the temperature sensor, so a deep clean may solve the problem.
The most common reason an oven gets too hot is a broken temperature sensor. The sensor detects the oven's internal temperature, so incorrect readings could cause overheating. Alternatively, you may have a faulty thermostat. The thermostat communicates with the heating elements to regulate the temperature. You can sometimes recalibrate the thermostat yourself using the instructions in your manual. If that doesn't work, a repair technician can fix the problem or replace your thermostat.
Another factor to consider is the cooling fan. The cooling fan circulates air inside the oven to prevent it from overheating. Your oven may get too hot if the fan motor breaks or the electrical connection fails.
A faulty power board relay switch is unique to electric ovens and could be the root cause of oven overheating. This switch turns the oven elements on and off in response to the power board. If the switch breaks, it can't turn the elements off, and the oven will get too hot.
What Causes a Gas Oven to Get Too Hot?
Faulty thermostats, broken cooling fans and worn-out temperature sensors can also affect gas ovens. However, gas ovens also have some extra components that can cause overheating. When you turn your oven on, gas flows through the supply pipe and the igniter lights it to create heat. Miscommunication between your gas supply, sensor and igniter can prevent your oven from regulating its temperature effectively.
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