While a burnt smell in you oven may mean there is grease or bits of food in it, other oven smells could be an indication that something is really wrong. In this article, we will talk about the common oven smells and what you can do to get rid of them.
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Oven Smells Like Gas — How To Fix
If your oven smells like gas after you’ve turned it on, it’s normal. The reason for the gas smell is the combustion which happens in the burner. The smell will dissipate in a few minutes as the oven is used. If the smell doesn’t dissipate, some of the oven’s components may have failed. Below, we talk about each one and show you what to do about them.
1. Igniter
The igniter lights the gas sent from the safety valve. If the igniter fails, it won’t heat up to light the gas. This will prevent the oven from turning on and cause it to smell like gas. If your oven smells like gas and it won’t turn on, follow these steps to replace the igniter…
Step 1: Unplug the oven from the outlet.
Step 2: Also shut off the gas supply for safety.
Step 3: Open the oven door.
Step 4: Remove the two oven racks and set them aside.
Step 5: If there are any screws on the oven interior’s bottom panel, get a Philips screwdriver.
Step 6: Use the Philips screwdriver to unscrew the bottom panel.
Step 7: Take out the bottom panel from the oven.
Step 8: Take out the two screws which hold the igniter to the burner tube. Depending on your oven’s model, the igniter will be on the left or right.
Step 9: Carefully pull the igniter.
Step 10: Disconnect the wire connected to the igniter.
Step 11: Next, get a multimeter to test the igniter.
Step 12: Turn the multimeter’s dial to the lowest ohms setting.
Step 13: Touch the multimeter’s probes to the pins in the igniter’s wire connector. If you don’t see a reading on the multimeter when you do this, the igniter is faulty.
Step 14: Get a replacement igniter and take it to the oven.
Step 15: Connect the wire plug to the new igniter and secure with the screws.
Step 16: Reposition the bottom panel in the oven.
Step 17: Return any screws which hold it in place.
Step 18: Shut the oven door.
Step 19: Turn the gas supply back on.
Step 20: Plug the oven’s cord back into the outlet.
The video below will show you how to replace the igniter in an oven.
2. Safety Valve
If the igniter isn’t faulty but your oven smells like gas, you should check the safety valve next. To replace the safety valve in your oven, do the following…
Step 1: Shut off the oven’s gas supply.
Step 2: Unplug the oven’s power cord.
Step 3: Get a Philips head screwdriver.
Step 4: Open the door of the oven.
Step 5: Take out the two racks in the oven and set them aside.
Step 6: Use the screwdriver to take out the screws holding the bottom panel in place.
Step 7: Take the panel out of the oven.
Step 8: Also unscrew the shield which covers the burner tube.
Step 9: Remove the shield from the oven.
Step 10: Take out the screw at the front of the burner tube which holds it in place.
Step 11: Move the tube to the left and go to the oven’s rear.
Step 12: Take out the screws which hold the safety valve’s cover. The cover should be on the lower right.
Step 13: Set the cover aside and disconnect the wires from the safety valve.
Step 14: Unscrew the gas supply tube from the safety valve.
Step 15: Take out the two screws which hold the safety valve in place.
Step 16: Get a new safety valve and position it on the oven.
Step 17: Hold the valve in place with the two screws.
Step 18: Connect the gas tube to the safety valve. Do not overtighten it.
Step 19: Connect the wires to the safety valve.
Step 20: Reposition the cover on the oven’s rear and secure with the screws.
Step 21: Go to the oven’s interior and reposition the burner tube.
Step 22: Secure the burner tube with the screw.
Step 23: Return the heat shield and secure with the screws.
Step 24: Reposition the bottom panel in the oven and hold it in place with the screws.
Step 25: Return the racks to the oven.
Step 26: Shut the door.
Step 27: Plug the cord back into the outlet.
Step 28: Turn on the gas supply.
The video below will show you how to replace the safety valve in an oven.
If your oven smells like gas but the igniter and safety valve aren’t faulty, contact a technician.
Oven Smells Like Burning Plastic
If your oven smells like burning plastic, do not be alarmed. New ovens have this smell often because they are being used for the first time. To get rid of this smell, follow these steps…
Step 1: Open the oven door and take out the racks.
Step 2: Shut the door and turn the oven on.
Step 3: Set the oven to heat at the highest possible temperature.
Step 4: Leave oven to run for an hour.
Step 5: After an hour, turn the oven off.
Step 6: Wipe the oven interior with a damp cloth.
Step 7: Return the racks to the oven.
Step 8: Shut the door.
If your oven smells like burning plastic but it isn’t new, contact a technician.
Oven Smells Like Chemicals
To get rid of the chemical smell in you oven, do the following…
Step 1: You will need to “burn in” the oven. First let the oven cool down.
Step 2: Take out any racks and trays in the oven.
Step 3: Turn the oven on and set it to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer. It is normally somewhere from 400 to 600 degrees.
Step 4: Leave the oven on for the recommended length of time. This is usually around 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 5: Turn off the oven and return the racks.
Oven Smells Of Oven Cleaner
To get rid of the oven cleaner smell, do the following…
Step 1: Pour a cup of water into an oven safe dish and squeeze one lemon into the dish.
Step 2: Place the dish in the oven and set to bake at 120 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes.
Step 3: After 30 minutes, take out the dish and leave the door open.
Step 4: Wipe the oven interior with a cloth.
Oven Smells And Smokes
If your oven smells and smokes, it probably means that there is grease and leftover bits of food in the oven. To stop the oven from smoking, you will need to clean it. There are many different ways to clean an oven Read this article: How To Clean An Oven [Detailed Guide] to learn about different ways to clean your oven.
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Oven Smells After Cleaning With Baking Soda
To get rid of the baking soda smell in your oven, do the following…
Step 1: Pour 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar into an oven safe bowl.
Step 2: Place the bowl of water and vinegar into the oven and set the oven to 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes to an hour.
Step 3: After about a hour, take out the bowl and wipe the oven with a towel.
Oven Smells Like A Dead Animal
If your oven smells like a dead animal, do the following…
Step 1: First, find the dead animal and get rid of it. If there isn’t one, skip this step.
Step 2: Take out the racks in the oven.
Step 3: Spray the oven interior with an oven cleaner.
Step 4: Leave for about 30 minutes.
Step 5: After 30 minutes wipe the oven with paper towels.
Step 6: Get an oven safe bowl and pour equal parts of water and vinegar into it.
Step 7: Place the bowl in the oven and set it to 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
Step 8: After 30 minutes take out the bowl and leave the oven door open.
Step 9: Sprinkle about 4 drops of fragrance, say rosewater for instance.
Step 10: Leave the oven door open for 1 hour.
Step 11: After an hour, shut the door.
Oven Smells Like Rotten Eggs
If you smell rotten eggs in your oven, turn it off immediately and open all the windows in your house. This is to prevent gas buildup. This smell probably means that there is a gas leak. Gas leaks are dangerous and could result in explosions or fires. Call your gas company. They should send someone to inspect and identify the problem. Stay outside in order to avoid inhaling any of the gas. If there isn’t a gas leak, contact a technician to identify and fix the issue.
Electric Oven Smells Like Gas
If there is a gas smell coming from your electric oven, some of its components may have started to fail. Since electric ovens don’t use gas, a gas leak can’t be the cause of the smell. When faced with a problem like this, turn the oven off immediately. Contact a technician to identify and fix the issue.