Tell me more ×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 3 down vote favorite
1

I recently purchased a house, and it came with a gas oven. I've never owned or used a gas oven before, and the oven takes an extremely long time to preheat (like hours). I replaced the door gasket after reading up a bit online about common problems, but it still seems to heat very slowly.

What are my next steps? It does heat, so it seems like it's getting gas and all, and I'm planning to take the front off and give it a thorough cleaning, but I'm curious if there are any other "first look" steps I can take that might help before calling a specialist.

share|improve this question
1  
the gas jets are most probably blocked. Just need a good scrub.. or sometimes replacing... either or- you need to open it up and inspect it properly. – ppumkin Aug 24 '11 at 20:45
Thanks, @ppumkin, sounds like a good idea. I'll do that tonight! – Brad Aug 26 '11 at 12:49

1 Answer

up vote 2 down vote accepted

I'd start by checking the valve, make sure it's all the way open. If the oven has a cook top, you can probably lift up the top and find the valve towards the back where the gas line comes out of the wall and into the oven.

If the gas appears to be cycling on and off while the oven is heating, then perhaps it's a bad thermostat.

Beyond that, perhaps there's a clog in the burner. I've never cleaned a burner to know if it's a DIY job, so I'll defer to others for advice there.

As always, when working on a gas appliance, be sure to turn the gas off first before taking things apart.

share|improve this answer
Will do. The broiler seems to ignite and work fine, and it looks like the igniter for the actual oven is working too, but the gas never seems to light, so a blocked jet sounds like it might be the problem. I'll try that first. Thanks! – Brad Aug 26 '11 at 12:48

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.