Category: Oven Repair

Spotting oven troubles before they boil over

Every appliance has a tale to tell, and often, our trusty ovens whisper of impending issues long before a full-blown crisis ensues.

Detecting subtle hints

Astonishingly, most oven issues don’t appear overnight. Regularly, homeowners overlook the initial signs, mistakenly writing them off as quirks. Subtle inconsistencies in cooking time seem innocuous initially. Yet, such deviations often signal heating element issues that, if not addressed promptly, can lead to more extensive damages.

Sound, smell, and safety

Undoubtedly, the symphony of sizzles and aromas from a cooking meal delights our senses. However, if you hear unusual noises or detect an off-putting smell, it’s time to raise an eyebrow. Electric sparks, smoky odours, or even the faint smell of burning plastic can indicate serious concerns. Engaging a proficient electric cooker repair service in Birmingham at this stage is paramount.

Efficiency and energy consumption

As appliances age, their efficiency naturally diminishes. Nevertheless, if your energy consumption suddenly spikes without a noticeable increase in usage, your oven might be the culprit. Inefficiencies burden your pocket and pose a risk to your appliance’s longevity.

The external tells

The exterior of your oven, too, provides critical clues. Doors not sealing correctly or control knobs becoming finicky aren’t just minor annoyances. They’re clear indicators that your oven’s health is on the decline.

Seeking assistance in Birmingham

Should you observe any of these early signs, hesitation can be your worst enemy. At Oven Repair Express, we offer an impeccable electric cooker repair service in Birmingham. Proactive homeowners often avoid more significant inconveniences by seeking our expertise at the first hint of trouble.

Please familiarise yourself with these early indicators, and remember: acknowledging a problem at its inception saves both time and money. And for those in Birmingham, the solution is just a call away at Oven Repair Express. Trust in our excellence and ensure your oven’s continued reliability.

Gas or Electric Oven – Which One is Best for My Kitchen?

Your oven is one of the most important home appliances, it helps you cook on a daily basis. If you’re in the market for a new oven, selecting one for your kitchen can be a difficult decision considering the numerous options available. Start by considering whether you want a gas or electric oven. There are advantages to both gas and electric ovens, so have a look at the pointers below and then make an informed decision.

Gas Ovens

They use natural gas, propane or other flammable gas as a fuel source and let you take control of the heat more quickly. Gas ovens are almost always used in commercial settings which may influence your choice. However, their benefits make them an attractive choice for homeowners as well. Let’s take a look at their pros and cons.

Pros Cons
  • Gas oven is cheaper than electric oven. Both propane and natural gas are relatively cheap and burn cleanly.
  • Gas hobs provide instant heat that are easy to control. When you turn the flame off, the food can stay in situ without the worry of overcooking.
  • Most gas appliances have low maintenance. Electric ovens usually require more frequent maintenance needs than gas counterparts.
  • Gas hobs are more difficult to clean.
  • They don’t distribute the heat evenly, so you may notice that the top of the oven is hotter than the bottom. Baking requires rotation and placement farther from the heat source.

Electric Oven

There are three types of choices available to the customers when we talk about the electric ovens and are as below:

  • Free standing models – They can fit into the desired space.
  • Built-in styles – They can fit between cabinets.
  • Models built into the wall

There are normally two electric heating elements in an oven – one on top of oven cavity and another one at the bottom. The upper one is used for browning the food and the lower one to heat the oven cavity. They have the temperature sensor connected to a thermostat, which regulates the temperature in the oven. Here are some pros and cons listed below.

Pros Cons
  • They are easy to clean, and have a more stable and smooth surfaces for pots and pans.
  • Electric ovens come with more optional features such as fans and grilles, than their gas counterparts.
  • They heat up more consistently.
  • Electric ovens are safer than the gas ovens.
  • Electric ovens cost more to run.
  • Electric hobs take some time to heat up, especially if the pans are large.
  • A smooth ceramic cooktop can shatter if you drop a heavy item on it or splash cold water on a hot burner.

The Advantages of Using a Convection (fan) Oven

Convection ovens are known for their popularity in the hotel industry / commercial cooking facilities. However, recent domestic designs follow this convection method in order to reap the benefits of this commercially designed oven. A convection oven can cook more quickly and thoroughly than conventional ovens and at relatively low temperatures too. They use a fan which circulates the heated air inside, and in doing so cooks the food quickly. This also helps cook the food at a same rate, no matter where it is placed in the oven – your food will be evenly cooked! This blog will help you understand more about convection ovens.

They cook evenly

If you have ever baked something and found the top of your food has baked before the bottom, you should consider a fan oven. They will be able to get a more even result throughout. The fan inside the oven allows the hot air to circulate and maintain the consistent temperature within.

Shorter cooking time

Efficiency of the fan in the oven makes it possible to cook food at lower temperatures. Where you would normally to be cooking at 350 degrees, you could potentially cook food at only 300 degrees in a convection oven.

Multiple dishes at a time

If you are throwing a party at your home, you may need to cook more than one dish in the oven at the same time. If you try to cook more than one dish at a time, the temperature will drop in conventional ovens. This in turn makes one dish cook faster than the other leaving you with uneven, undesirable food. This isn’t the case with the fan assisted models. They ‘see’ different foods as one single item and cook it all at the same rate. In a fan assisted oven, you can put dishes anywhere you want in the oven – without any risk of burning!

Why professional oven cleaning is a better idea than self-cleaning

People often regard professional oven cleaning as an extravagant expenditure, so they consider self-cleaning their ovens instead. Self cleaning might seem handy by reducing appliance maintenance costs, but it can actually be quite hazardous to your health. You may not be aware that self-cleaning can contribute to respiratory issues and can potentially cause damage to the internal components of your oven. Here is how self-cleaning oven feature might be doing more harm than good:

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The self-cleaning process can cause the inside of your oven to get extremely hot. When leftover food is spilt and heated up at very high temperatures, the danger of carbon monoxide increases. CO (Carbon Monoxide) is a hard-to-detect gas that is toxic to humans and animals. To avoid this CO buildup, one should clean the oven without heating up the charred food. To reduce the amount of CO produced during cleaning, your oven cleaners can use the certain methods to minimise these emissions.

Cleaning Products and Tools

Off-the-shelf cleaning products can sometimes be toxic and won’t get into all the nooks and crannies of your oven. Professional oven cleaners use safe, non-toxic cleaning products, and have all the necessary tools to dismantle your oven’s components to ensure a deep clean. A deep-cleaned oven heats up quicker thus saving you both time and money on your energy bill.

No risk of damaging internal components

Sometimes self cleaning can cause damage to your control panels, which are very costly and time-consuming to repair. Choosing a professional cleaning will ensure peace of mind.

The Oven Repair Express specialists use a professional cleaning system that is safe for your oven and its surroundings. We aim to complete work with minimal disturbance and we pride ourselves in our professionalism and quality service. Please phone for more information.

How can I prevent my oven from overheating?

Most modern electric appliances have made a name for themselves with high-end, innovative technology. Modern kitchen appliances, especially ovens will unfortunately fail occasionally. The most common problems with ovens are intermittent issues with overheating. There is also a risk of oven components becoming damaged and then causing faults. Several factors result in overheating problems, so let’s take a look at some of the reasons.

Why is it overheating?

  • Thermostat – This is responsible for regulating the temperature of your oven by maintaining the desired temperature, it turns the heating off & triggers it back when the temperature drops below the desired range. In case the thermostat fails, it senses the temperature incorrectly and hence failing to trigger the temperature on/off response.
  • Heating Element – The heating element turns on when triggered by the thermostat. If it doesn’t receive the signal to stop heating, the oven can overheat.
  • Temperature Sensor – If the sensor fails to sense the temperature, your oven can overheat.
  • Oven fans – A failing oven fan can cause hot spots in the oven that burn and overcook food.

How can you prevent it?

Monitor the ovens effectiveness
Most of people don’t pay attention to their kitchen appliances and that’s understandable considering how busy our lives are. You should know how long it is taking to heat the oven to desired temperature and how quickly it cools after baking. If you keep monitoring this issue, you may just prevent some oven faults.

Find the right oven repair expert

If your oven is overheating and you don’t want for it to fail completely, call an experienced oven repair expert now. An expert is well-versed in all oven heating issues, and will have experience of all major brands. In an ideal world, look for a ‘no-fix, no-fee’ company, but these are very hard to find!