Many problems with your stove can be traced back to the thermostat or other components related to temperature regulation. If your stove or range has an unreliable temperature, your thermostat is most likely to blame.
The thermostat controls the oven temperature by sensing the current heat level and then cycling the heat flow on or off as necessary to maintain the desired setting. Read on for some insights as to what may be causing your temperature control issues.
Light Stays On
Your stove thermostat is connected to an oven-cycling light that turns on and off as the temperature is regulated. Seeing this light either continually turning on and off, or coming on and remaining lit for a long time are both indicators of thermostat problems.
If the oven door is not shut completely (or if the oven is repeatedly being opened and closed), the light will remain on to maintain the heat cycle. If neither of these is the reason for your issue, you may need to replace the thermostat in your range.
Burned or Uncooked Foods
If your meatloaf or brownies are burning well before the end of the cooking time indicated by your recipes, you may have thermostat problems. In this case, the sensor causes the heat cycle to remain on, which makes the oven get hotter than the temperature you have set. This results in the contents burning on the outside before the inside is fully cooked.
On the other hand, if your foods are coming out undercooked when they should be done, the thermostat is not cycling the heat on to reach the correct temperature. With this type of problem, you may see the oven cycling light stay on because the set temperature is never reached.
Calibrating the Thermostat
You may need to replace your thermostat. However, in some cases, you may be able to calibrate it to register the proper setting. First, place a thermometer in the oven (use an over thermometer — other types may melt and make a mess) and set the temperature to 350 degrees. Wait a half hour, then check the thermometer reading. If the indicated temperature is not 350 degrees, calibration may fix the problem.
This process involves accessing the oven control panel to tighten or loosen the calibration screw to adjust the temperature setting. With some oven models, however, calibration isn’t possible, and instead the sensor must be replaced.
Because your range runs on electricity, you should never attempt any repairs inside the control panel, as you may be seriously injured. An experienced appliance technician can perform a thermostat calibration for you quickly and easily, or if that’s not the problem, the tech can determine what other issues your stove may have.
In Bountiful, Utah, and the Salt Lake City area, Complete Appliance Repair is your locally owned and operated home appliance specialist. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to fix problems with your range, oven or stove.