Oven & Stove Repair near you

An oven that burns food on one rack and undercooks it on another isn't always broken. Settings drift over the years, and many electronic controls let the owner adjust the temperature offset, as the manual explains. Check with an oven thermometer set in the middle of the oven after a full preheat, and read it several times, since every oven cycles above and below its setpoint. A reading that is far off, or that keeps climbing, points to the temperature sensor, the thermostat or a relay on the control board.

The door gasket holds heat in and protects the knobs and the cabinets beside the oven. A torn, flattened or missing section lets heat pour out around the door, which slows preheating, browns one side of the food and can overheat the cabinetry around a wall oven. Hinges that no longer pull the door shut cause the same trouble. Gaskets and hinges are routine parts, while a cracked inner door glass should be replaced before the oven is used again.

Control boards and touch panels fail from heat, moisture and power surges. Before replacing one, a careful technician confirms that the board is really at fault rather than a sensor, a door lock switch or a loose connector feeding it bad information.

On an electric range or wall oven, the appliance technician works on the elements, switches, sensors, door locks and controls. The circuit, breaker, receptacle or junction box that feeds the appliance is electrical work. In Ontario, the Electrical Safety Authority tells homeowners to hire a licensed electrical contractor to install permanent wiring and outlets. In Quebec, the CMEQ states that no one may do electrical work of any kind for others without being a licensed electrical contractor. Moving from gas to electric, or adding an induction cooktop, often calls for a new circuit, so plan on an electrician.

A gas range or cooktop adds regulated work: burners, valves, the pressure regulator, the connector to the supply pipe and conversions between natural gas and propane. Pulling a gas range out to reach a part or clean behind it means disconnecting and reconnecting the gas, which counts as gas work too. TSSA says only registered fuels contractors may legally do fuels-related work in Ontario, and in Quebec the RBQ requires a gas licence for contractors, whose workers hold an Emploi-Québec certificate of competence. Other provinces have their own gas safety authorities.

If you smell gas in the kitchen, don't light a burner, flip a switch or use your phone near the range. The gas utility's advice is to leave the area immediately and call its emergency line or 911 from a safe distance outside, then stay out until responders say it's safe to return.

Health Canada notes that gas stoves produce gases and ultrafine particles and that a range hood can reduce pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Weak, lifting or yellow flames, soot on the bottoms of pots or fumes when the oven runs call for a gas technician, not just more ventilation. Health Canada also advises having fuel-burning appliances inspected by a professional at least once a year or as the manufacturer instructs, and installing a carbon monoxide alarm in the hallway outside sleeping areas. Never use a range or oven to heat the home.

A freestanding or slide-in range can tip forward when a child climbs on the open oven door or heavy weight is set on it, and anything hot on the cooktop comes down too. Health Canada warns that children sometimes pull themselves up on or climb appliances and furniture, and advises regularly checking that they are stable and secure. Ranges come with an anti-tip bracket, fastened to the floor or wall, that holds one of the rear legs, as the installation instructions show.

Elements, igniters, sensors, switches, door gaskets, hinges and door locks are routine repairs, and a range or wall oven with a sound body is usually worth fixing for them. The harder calls are a cracked glass top, a control board or touch panel that is no longer made, rust through the oven cavity, or several failures at once. A built-in wall oven has to fit an existing cabinet cut-out, which can make repair the more practical path.

When replacing, switching between gas and electric or induction brings in an electrician, a gas technician or both. The Electrical Safety Authority reports more than 500 residential electric stovetop fires each year and names unattended cooking as the leading cause, so safety features count. Health Canada suggests looking for extras such as hot-surface indicator lights when buying a stove.