Simple Tips For Keeping Your Oven And Stovetop In Good Working Order
Posted on: 28 December 2014
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A good oven should last for decades, but if you neglect its care and maintenance, you may see that you need to replace it much more quickly than that, and you may face oven repair bills. Very often, some common mistakes that homeowners make when cleaning or using their oven are at fault for the needed repairs, and avoiding these mistakes can keep your oven and stovetop in good working order. Consider a few simple tips in this regard.
1. Never remove the knobs to clean
It's always tempting to remove the knobs to your oven or stovetop for cleaning, but this can be a costly mistake. Those knobs are covering the electrical components that connect them to the inner workings of the oven, and spraying that opening with a degreaser or other cleanser can cause an electrical short.
Working around the components with the knobs removed can also cause the wires to come out of place. This too can mean having to call a repairperson to replace these wires behind the oven's frame. Rather than facing this expense, work around the knobs when cleaning, and avoid actually spraying the area with liquids that could seep into the openings behind them.
2. Don't cover vents inside the oven
It's not unusual for homeowners to put down tin foil or a cookie sheet at the bottom of the oven to catch spills and keep the area clean of food debris, especially if they're cooking something that might drip like a pie or casserole. However, you need to ensure you're not covering vents in the back of the oven. These are what allow the heat to stay at the temperature you've set and don't allow the oven to overheat, which can damage the coils. Your foil or cookie sheet shouldn't need to extend that far back into the oven anyway, so be sure you only put down something to catch drips directly under what you're cooking.
3. Change the gas line when you buy a new gas stove
It's often recommended that you change the gas line when you buy a new gas stove, as removing and replacing a stove causes a lot of vibration that can damage the lines. This, in turn, can result in a dangerous gas leak. Replacing the gas line once a new stove is in place can also be more expensive; changing it while the old stove is out is easier and therefore less expensive. A new gas line is typically very cheap itself so ask about having this done when you buy a new gas stove.