An oven works on a heating mechanism. This is the universal principle for all ovens. There are two types of ovens, electric and gas ovens. In both scenarios, there is a thermostat system set up inside the oven for heating maintenance.
The accurate working of an oven is measured by how much time the oven is heating up to a certain level? What are the heating capacity and efficiency of the oven? All these factors depend upon different components of the oven. In this article, we will highlight the role of the temperature sensor device, some problems related to it, how to test the thermostat, and how to solve its functional issues.
Working of the oven temperature sensor
A temperature-sensitive thermostat controls the heating inside the oven compartment. The thermostat regulates the heating inside the oven. The thermostat is located in different ovens, i.e., behind the back panel, beneath the backsplash, under the exhaust hood, or below the control panel.
The thermostat consists of an oven temperature-sensor probe that measures the heat inside the oven. The temperature sensor alters the resistance of the sensor. Temperature control is connected to the sensor through electrical wiring; whenever the resistance in the sensor changes, the temperature control reads it and opens or closes the relay fitted inside, which turns the heating system inside the oven on and off.
Symptoms of bad oven temperature sensor
The following listed symptoms tell that the oven thermostat is faulty.
- Longer cooking duration: when the sensor is not gauging the proper temperature, the food won't cook on time; it will take longer than usual. Hence the oven processing becomes slow.
- Cooking is uneven: when even heating is not set up inside the oven. The food is also baked unevenly, half of it might be cooked, and the other half might be raw.
- Overheating: if you have set up a certain temperature, but the oven's temperature rises above that very rapidly. The oven gets overheated. This means that the temperature sensor is not performing its functions.
- Insufficient heating: sometimes, the oven does not heat up, or the temperature rises so slowly that no cooking can be done.
Testing the thermostat
If you want to test the faulty thermostat of your oven, you can follow the following steps.
- Firstly, unplug the oven.
- Then find the thermostat in your oven.
- Remove the thermostat from the oven.
- Use a Multimeter to test the thermostat. The Multimeter must be calibrated, and the dial should be turned to the lowest ohm rating.
- Place Multimeter on the thermostat.
- If the thermostat is working properly, then the reading on the scale will be zero or close to zero.
- If the Multimeter shows no reading, then the temperature sensor is defective.
Solutions to a bad thermostat
You can solve the temperature sensor problems quite easily these days. You can call a technician service or get reliable online help. Sometimes, the manufactures also offer repair services for the customers, depending on the extent of the damage. There are good teams designed for the service of oven components. If the damage is severe, you might need to replace your oven thermostat.
Final word
If your oven is not heating up properly, then make sure to check the thermostat. Since it is an all-time functioning part, there are high chances that a thermostat can go bad. Don't worry; you can always solve the issue.
