If your kitchen is the heart of your home, you may as well consider your oven its heartbeat. With that thought in mind, your oven should be a top priority, right? In reality, though, oven maintenance usually isn’t at the top of anyone’s to-do list. However, if you hope to maintain the life of this critical appliance, the repair experts at G&G Appliance in New York are here to help. Here are a few quick and easy maintenance tips to keep your oven in top working condition for years to come.
Keep Your Oven Clean
If your oven has a self-cleaning feature, consider putting it to good use. Self-clean mode is designed with you in mind—it does the difficult job of burning away buildup, while you get the easy job of wiping it out. However, this helpful tool is only appropriate under certain circumstances, usually when your oven has accumulated moderate to heavy buildup.
Keeping the interior of your oven clean is one of the most important things you can do to prolong its life, so why not make the job as quick and painless as possible? The frequency with which you use your oven determines how often you need to clean it; if you’re a daily user, that typically means every three months. And if cooking isn’t your thing, clean your oven when you notice crusted-on buildup around the interior. If you choose to use self-clean, be sure to clear your schedule for several hours—you should never leave the house with an oven operating at extremely high temperatures.
Be Careful Cleaning the Knobs
Pulling your oven’s knobs off and dousing the panel with liquid cleaner can spell disaster for your appliance. Beneath the knobs lie tiny electrical wires that communicate with the control board to regulate oven temperature. Guess what happens when you douse electrical wiring in liquid? Problems. If these wires get wet and short out, they cannot communicate with the control board, and you’ll be left ordering takeout and calling an oven repairman. Instead, grab a paper towel or soft cloth and spritz it with an all-purpose cleaner or a degreaser. Carefully wipe down the area beneath each knob, taking care to keep any liquid from entering the panel.
Lubricate the Blower Motor
If you own a convection oven and you’ve noticed it making more noise than usual, its blower motor(s) may be the culprit. As one of your oven’s most important components, the blower motor gets a heavy workout every time you use the appliance, but with proper maintenance, it can last for years. Keeping your blower motor well lubricated and free from debris helps prolong its life and reduce the chance of premature failure and oven repair. If you’re unfamiliar with the lubrication process, its best to hire a professional to perform the job. Appliance repair experts are well-versed in proper technique and can ensure you don’t inadvertently cause more harm than good.
Pay Attention to the Burners
Pay close attention to the color of your cooktop’s burners each time you use them. If you notice areas that appear brighter or more reddish-orange than the rest of the burner, this may indicate an impending electrical short, which can cause extensive damage to the appliance. Turn off the burner immediately to lessen the chance of a short, and when the burner has cooled, you’ll need to call a range repair company to inspect and replace the part.
Don’t Neglect Your Range Hood
If you use your oven’s range and fan frequently, you’ll need to pay special attention to these areas, as well. During cooking, the range hood and fan function to circulate steam and smoke away from the cooktop. They also catch substantial grease and food debris in the process, especially the fan’s filter.
Experts recommend cleaning the filter, fan, and hood about once a month if you’re a frequent user; however, most people have no idea this task is even necessary. Neglecting your filter can result in excess grease and food buildup around your fan, overstressing the motor and causing it to fail prematurely. The good news is, cleaning your range filter is easy! Here’s how to do it:
1. Remove the filter from its housing within the range hood.
2. Fill your kitchen sink or a large tub with very hot (preferably boiling) water.
3. Add ¼ cup baking soda and several drops of degreasing dish soap to the water.
4. Submerge the filter in the water, allowing it to soak for at least 10 minutes.
5. Using a non-abrasive scrubbing tool, thoroughly scrub away buildup from the filter.
6. Rinse the filter completely and allow it to air dry before replacing it within the hood.
Forget the Foil
Some homeowners attempt to avoid regular oven cleaning by lining the bottom of their ovens with aluminum foil. Sounds like easy cleanup, right? Unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is—and such is the case with aluminum foil. Under high heat, foil can fuse the bottom of your oven, voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. In some cases, it can even melt onto the heating element where it can reduce your oven’s efficiency and potentially contribute to premature failure. Removing melted foil is no easy task, and often, complete removal proves impossible. To avoid this situation, ditch the foil and instead, wipe up any drippings as soon as your oven cools.
Appliance Repair Services in New York
At G&G Appliance Service, we pride ourselves on being New York’s most reliable appliance repair company. When you need prompt, efficient, top-quality appliance repair, we’re just a call away. With technicians across the entire state and our transparent pricing model, you can rest assured we’ll provide responsive, honest service that you and your family can trust. We service all appliance models from leading manufacturers, so no matter what type of appliance repair you need, we’ll take care of you. Contact our team today at 718-848-2100 to schedule your service appointment, or get started by requesting your diagnostic quote!