OK, did I just ruin my oven?

[tbyg52]

Is my wiring smoldering as I type?

I was heating a casserole in a disposable pie pan (from Super Suppers) in the oven, and the cookie sheet it was on warped and brought the pie pan into contact with the top element. (Yes, I should have lowered the rack from the height I use for pizzas, but I'm not much of a cook.....)

The oven beeped and gave an error code. I turned it off and pulled out the cookie sheet and pie pan, then discovered I was darn lucky I didn't get electrocuted, as the top burner had stayed on!

I sent my husband out to turn off the breaker, and it's still off, as I am scared of the oven now.

Anybody else had this happen to them and can tell me the outcome?

Thanks!

[NMDemDist2]

1. in the old ovens (pre autocleaning ones) you could just pull the elements out

to make manual cleaning easier.

I dunno about your unit, but either way you'll probably need a new element.

I'd call an appliance place and get a repair appointment.

[Warpy]

2. First, you won't get zapped by a heating element

unless you touch it with a bare hand while standing in bare feet in water. Anything that prevents you from getting burnt will stop you from getting zapped.

Second, what you have now is a little bit of aluminum welded to the heating element. With the oven off and the element cool, try to gently scrape as much of it as you can off. Then see if your oven will heat up without an error code.

I've had that happen to heating elements on the top of the stove (well, my ex's fault) and all I did was get rid of what I could and then use it as usual. Eventually the aluminim will oxidize to a powder and just fall off. Don't worry about having it in your food, it's not poisonous, either--it's one of the ingredients in most toothpastes.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

3. You may have

fried the switch. Clean the element as suggested. If it does not shut off ,thats not a big deal. Look phone book appliance parts replacement. Get serial number and model number off plate ,somewhere on the side of oven wall,door or back of stove.Have those numbers written down when you call the parts store. You will need a screw driver, I use the battery type and other hand tools. The electrical throw back most likely fried the switch. No Big deal.

The parts store can assist your husband on the replacement end by showing him a drawing of the switch panel and a little how to advice. They will also tell you where the plate with those numbers is ,threw your telling them the make and model.

Good luck and don't worry. Truth is stoves are very easy to fix.

And throwing the circuit breaker (shutting down the power to the unit) was indeed a wise decision. something else malfunctioned in there,I am not going in to specifics on that, however the problem is a easy fix. And you don't want your hands around a electrical malfunction of any kind. That goes double and again with 220 circuits. Again, wise choice.

110 circuit will shock you good. A 220 line will throw you across the room. No fooling. Where it comes to electricity, it is always better to know than it is to think that you know.
When we are not sure about something, that's what our books are for.

And of course if you change the switch you will have the breaker turned off. A electrical wiggy is most helpful.

[Warpy]

4. First thing I bought when I got divorced

was a little 69 cent line tester. I aint so dumb as I look.

What I don't know about are the flying laboratory stoves. Mine is a basic gas job from Monkey Ward that has the only calibrated oven I've ever had.

That the heating element might have grounded through the pan and fried some chip hadn't occurred to me.

My advice was for a stove with basic on and off dials.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

5. In the trouble shooting process

The first place you look is right where you mentioned. Naturally you clear out any foreign objects away from heating element and or contact points.
The fact that the element stays on most likely means there was no damage to the upper element. Essentially the heating element works or it don't,that's the general principal. From there you go to the switch., or the control module if it's the newer type with all the electronic goodies. Usually there are two modules ,sometimes three. Or 4 switch's one for each burner and two for the oven. Than there may be a timer.

Thats the control panel warpy.

A switch now Warpy as you know is designed to burn out before the wiring burns up . That's the built in safety feature in all stoves as you well know. If you have a electronic igniter switch in your gas stove ,it to has it's safety feature about it.

So it's boils down in probables to switch and perhaps the heating element contact where the burner plugs in. Most of the time it is the switch.

I think the last control module I replaced was about $60.00 there,there about. A pod switch ,the basic turn knob, the old reliable is between $ 15.00 and $30.00 there,there about. Top burners run about fifteen to twenty bucks a piece ,upper and lower heating elements for oven run between twenty five and fifty bucks,depending upon make and model.

If you were offended about my electrical thing Warpy don't be. Both my father and grand father were master electricians. I am just a builder.

The price ranges are based on after market pricing threw suppliers. You will not get the same kinds of pricing from Sears! That's why I suggest a appliance parts store,your local phone book.

[tbyg52]

6. >>My advice was for a stove with basic on and off dials.

Tell me. I think the first thing I'm going to do is go out and look for one. I was *not* happy when "off" did not mean "off".....!

[Warpy]

7. HAHAHA!

Part of the reason I've been dragging my feet on replacing the Monkey Ward stove is that I really hate overcomplicated appliances.

Restaurant stoves are great on/off appliances, but I don't want to burn the house down. Those things run hot.

So I keep the funky old stove with the chips and dents and the hob rings that don't quite fit and the missing broiler pan.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

8. It's really pretty simple

you shorted out the switch by doing what you are not suppose to do. (lower the tray. Unless the stove is very old or you really want a new one just because, -simply have the switch replaced.

Switch's do burn out from time to time anyway.

Ask anyone who has ever used a stove for heat about that. Extended use will burn ot burners and switchs! Or abuse.

You would be replacing a perfectly good appliance because of a mistake.

[Warpy]

9. Hey, Binky, *I* didn't do anything

I'm the one with the Monkey Ward gas stove with electronic nothing.

[tbyg52]

10. Well, yeah, I know it was not a good idea to have that pan come in contact with the element

but my problem *after* that is that I poked the "off" touchpad and it stayed on. If it had been an old-fashioned mechanical switch, I am of the opinion that "off" would mean "off." I really don't like things that you turn them off and they remain on, regardless of *what* abuse/mistake has happened to them. Strikes me as a design flaw.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

11. Well happy hunting

the both of ya !

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

12. By the way the touch pad

Thats the module ,that whole thing gets replaced . You are right in that those units are a bit more sensitive. I do know a lot of people like those . And plain old switch's burn out too. It was just a oven accident ,thats all ,it happens. Abuse was not a good choice of words really.
The metal making contact with the heating element shorted out the the control module, the touch pad.

It's been a while since I worked on one of those touch control stoves ,but I can tell you it's worth fixing. Same thing would have happened with the turn knob type. It was the oven side of the module that was not functioning ,I seem to recall buying two parts for that aspect of the problem. One of the top burners on that one did not work. That issue was different.

On the other hand a new stove is only about $550.00.,there, there about.

[tbyg52]

13. >>Same thing would have happened with the turn knob type.

Really? It would have failed in such a way that the element stayed on until I turned off the circuit breaker? Wow. I don't trust stoves anymore....!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

14. OK,same thing could have

happened with the turn knob type.As a rule the switch burns out off, but it;s been know to happen where it is a switch will not break the circuit.Look at it this way, a repair person may charge you $190.00 bucks to fix your stove or you can buy a new one for about five hundred.
It's about what you are comfortable with. Try calling a appliance parts store and tell them the make/model and what happened,than ask what did that do to keep the oven burner on. You may come out of it with a much better understanding .