Electric Oven Overheating
ray_co...@3com.com
This is my first posting to this newsgroup, thanks for any help you can
provide...
I have a double built-in electric oven with the following problem. The
oven overheats to maximum temp no matter where you set the thermostat
control (e.g., set to 300 deg-F, read 450+ deg-F). Could somebody please
expain how to troubleshoot this? I understand the basics, i.e., where
sensor is located, how sensor connects to thermostat control, etc. I
just need some hints/suggestions what to do? I should add there is no
seperate bake/broil switch, this is all built into one (rotary type)
thermostat control.
The wierd thing is both top and bottom ovens have the same problem even
though they have totally seperate sensors and thermostat control dials!?
The only hint I can give you is my wife was using both ovens to make pies
and I'm wondering if somehow the sensors got too dirty from soot? (It
does look pretty dirty in there...) If so, maybe I just need to know how
to test sensors. (P.S.- Have voltmeter, will travel).
Thanks again for your kind assistance if possible.
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Robert Gracie
Hello????
What make is the unit and how old is it. Are you using the same test
thermometer to test the temps in both ovens??
--
Robert Gracie
ray_co...@3com.com wrote in article <8810254...@dejanews.com>...
ray_co...@3com.com
In article <6603rv$r1d$1...@gte2.gte.net>,
"Robert Gracie" <nom...@gte.net> wrote:
>
> Hello????
> What make is the unit and how old is it. Are you using the same test
> thermometer to test the temps in both ovens??
> --
>
> Robert Gracie
>
cleaned the sensor in the top oven based on my theory below and it had no
effect on the problem.
I was wondering if they might be a common reference voltage circuit for
both thermostats that is faulty so that both ovens always read "cold"??
In answer to your last question, I am using the same test thermometer for
both ovens (purchased at H/W store for this purpose).
Sam Goldwasser
On an oven that old, I sort of doubt it is rocket science :-). Do you feel
a click when rotating the temp. knob indicating that it is switching on/off?
If so, then I would suspect something bypassing the thermostat entirely.
The fact that both ovens failed at the same time suggests something other
than sensor.
I don't suppose it has a self cleaning feature (when did they appear?) which
might be activated by mistake/due to a fault?
--- sam : Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Lasers: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/3931/lasersam.htm
Usually latest (ASCII): http://www.pacwest.net/byron13/sammenu.htm
Robert Gracie
Hello ???
The ovens are going to be controlled separately. I cannot think of any
thing that would cause **both** ovens to loose temperature control at the
**same time**. There are two methods of "powering" up the bake elements.
It is either done by the direct thermostat control and or a hot wire relay.
I guess there could be a weird short somewhere that would cause this, but
that is **very** unlikely. I think you might be better off calling a
qualified service company to properly and safely diagnose the unit. That
is if you thing the unit is worth the cost of a service charge!
--
Please let us know how it goes!!!!!
ray_co...@3com.com
In article <SAM.97De...@colossus.stdavids.picker.com>,
s...@stdavids.picker.com (Sam Goldwasser) wrote:
>
> On an oven that old, I sort of doubt it is rocket science :-). Do you feel
> a click when rotating the temp. knob indicating that it is switching on/off?
> If so, then I would suspect something bypassing the thermostat entirely.
>
Yes, I do hear a click when I turn the temp knob and a little light comes
on (which I think indicates the heating coil is coming on). But isn't
that what's suppose to happen when the oven is cold and you are turning
on??
>
> The fact that both ovens failed at the same time suggests something other
> than sensor.
>
I think you're right...
>
> I don't suppose it has a self cleaning feature (when did they appear?) which
> might be activated by mistake/due to a fault?
>
Hmm, this sounds like a possibility. How does the self cleaning feature
work, does it turn on the heating coil??
>
> --- sam : Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
> Lasers: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/3931/lasersam.htm
> Usually latest (ASCII): http://www.pacwest.net/byron13/sammenu.htm
>
> In article <8810818...@dejanews.com> ray_co...@3com.com writes:
>
> In article <6603rv$r1d$1...@gte2.gte.net>,
> "Robert Gracie" <nom...@gte.net> wrote:
> >
> > Hello????
> > What make is the unit and how old is it. Are you using the same test
> > thermometer to test the temps in both ovens??
> > --
> >
> > Robert Gracie
> >
> It is a Whirlpool (M/N KV1500PS?), approximately 30 years old. (P.S.- I
> cleaned the sensor in the top oven based on my theory below and it had no
> effect on the problem.
>
> I was wondering if they might be a common reference voltage circuit for
> both thermostats that is faulty so that both ovens always read "cold"??
>
> In answer to your last question, I am using the same test thermometer for
> both ovens (purchased at H/W store for this purpose).
>
Sam Goldwasser
> In article <SAM.97De...@colossus.stdavids.picker.com>,
> s...@stdavids.picker.com (Sam Goldwasser) wrote:
>> On an oven that old, I sort of doubt it is rocket science :-). Do you feel
>> a click when rotating the temp. knob indicating that it is switching on/off?
>> If so, then I would suspect something bypassing the thermostat entirely.
> Yes, I do hear a click when I turn the temp knob and a little light comes
> on (which I think indicates the heating coil is coming on). But isn't
> that what's suppose to happen when the oven is cold and you are turning
> on??
What I meant is that there may be a 'click' at the temperature where the
thermostat is telling the coil to turn on/off (in addition to the bake/broil
settings selection). When cold, this click would be way down or non-existent.
As the oven heats, it will move up the temperature dial.
>> The fact that both ovens failed at the same time suggests something other
>> than sensor.
> I think you're right...
>> I don't suppose it has a self cleaning feature (when did they appear?) which
>> might be activated by mistake/due to a fault?
> Hmm, this sounds like a possibility. How does the self cleaning feature
> work, does it turn on the heating coil??
Self clean uses the heating elements to burn off debris at a very high
temperature. However, there are supposed to be interlocks so this cannot
happen except when selected and then only with the doors locked. I don't know specifically how your oven does it.
The next step would be to do some electrical tests to determine if the
controls/thermostats are actually working. If you are not confortable
doing this or don't have a multimeter, then a professional should probably
be called in.
ray_co...@3com.com
In article <SAM.97De...@colossus.stdavids.picker.com>,
s...@stdavids.picker.com (Sam Goldwasser) wrote:
> >> I don't suppose it has a self cleaning feature (when did they appear?)
which
> >> might be activated by mistake/due to a fault?
>
> > Hmm, this sounds like a possibility. How does the self cleaning feature
> > work, does it turn on the heating coil??
>
> Self clean uses the heating elements to burn off debris at a very high
> temperature. However, there are supposed to be interlocks so this cannot
> happen except when selected and then only with the doors locked. I don't know
specifically how your oven does it.
>
OK, how's this for a crazy idea? Just before this problem started I took
the door off the oven and re-set it in place. The door is made to be
removed easily for cleaning purposes, I think. Is it possible that I put
it back wrong in some way that activated the self-cleaning circuit?
Thanks for this and all other suggestions, I really appreciate your time.
> --- sam : Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
> Lasers: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/3931/lasersam.htm
> Usually latest (ASCII): http://www.pacwest.net/byron13/sammenu.htm
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
Sam Goldwasser
>OK, how's this for a crazy idea? Just before this problem started I took
>the door off the oven and re-set it in place. The door is made to be
>removed easily for cleaning purposes, I think. Is it possible that I put
>it back wrong in some way that activated the self-cleaning circuit?
Not knowing exactly how your oven is wired, I can not really say for sure.
At this point what you really need is either a wiring diagram or to do some
exploratory surgery to see how it is wired. Ovens are not complex systems
but sometimes the wiring is hard to follow because of the insulation and
difficulty in getting inside panels etc.
ray_co...@3com.com
In article <SAM.97De...@colossus.stdavids.picker.com>,
s...@stdavids.picker.com (Sam Goldwasser) wrote:
> At this point what you really need is either a wiring diagram or to do some
> exploratory surgery to see how it is wired. Ovens are not complex systems
> but sometimes the wiring is hard to follow because of the insulation and
> difficulty in getting inside panels etc.
Thanks to Sam and everyone else who took the time to respond to this. I
have found the problem (at least on the bottom oven), as follows. There
actually is an adjustment screw on the thermostat dial. On mine, it's
behind the knob and you make the adjustment by turning the little screw.
Mine also has a lite that comes on when the bake coil is activated. The
lite helps with the adjust- ment because when the oven's cold it should
come on as soon as you go from OFF-to ANY TEMP (except broil). So I
adjusted it so that happens and now oven works fine.
I should add that I also got a wiring diagram from Whirlpool which really
helped to understand what's going on better. Customer service faxed it
to me.
>
> --- sam : Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
> Lasers: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/3931/lasersam.htm
> Usually latest (ASCII): http://www.pacwest.net/byron13/sammenu.htm
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------