While there’s nothing like the smoky flavor you get from a wood-fired oven, ovens powered by gas and electricity make it easy to produce delicious food without the trouble of keeping a fire going. From cakes to roasts to frozen chicken nuggets, many of the meals we enjoy require the intense, controlled heat of an oven. Modern ovens come in all shapes and sizes, and at Andy’s Appliance Repair, we specialize in servicing single and double ovens as well as warming drawers. Because what is a kitchen without an oven?

The average person probably has the most experience with electric ovens. These are the dependable models you’ll find in many apartments and homes. However, the world of ovens is a lot bigger than hardworking electrical units. There may even be types of ovens you don’t know about! The experienced, friendly team at Andy’s Appliance Repair is familiar with the oven’s many different forms, and we want to share the possibilities!

Electric Ovens

Trusted by people and their families all over the country, electric ovens use electricity to heat up elements fastened to their inside walls. Electric ovens are generally the cheapest, which makes them a great option for a wide array of applications. That being said, they tend the cost more to power in the long run when compared with gas ovens.

Electric ovens are popular for more than their initial affordability; they are also very easy to use. Today’s electric ovens come with a lot of bells and whistles that open up a lot of possibilities. Electric ovens are also easier to clean than other ovens; you just lock the door, choose a setting, and let the oven do its thing. They come with convection or conventional heating methods, so buyers have choices to make within the type. You can get electric ovens as single units or double units, and our team can help you out either way!

Common Issues for Electric Ovens

If you switch the oven on but nothing happens, it’s time to figure out what is going on. Our expert, nationally-recommended team has the expertise to troubleshoot the issue and get it resolved. Here are some of the most common issues we run into:

• Power Problems
  • If that element doesn’t glow orange and produce heat, something has happened. A fuse may have blown, which is a common enough occurrence in the home. You can check the circuit breaker, but if all is good there, you will want to give us a call so we can get your oven back online.
• Heating Element Problems
  • Oven elements can wear out or get damaged. If you’re seeing broken pieces on your element, it’s time to give us a call (even if the element still heats up). Keep in mind that there is a broil element and a baking element in the bottom of your oven, and one might still work. Don’t limp on with one element only. Instead, get our help.
• Wiring Problems
  • You want the knobs on your oven’s control panel to talk to the elements. If the wiring gets old or damaged, that communication may break down. No matter which brand you have, we can carefully get into the wiring of your oven and either fix the problem or recommend and install a new unit. We will get you baking again!
• Thermostat Problems
  • Maybe you put a cake in at normal temperature for the normal amount of time and find that it’s charred or raw. If the elements in your oven are clearly functional, the problem may rest with the oven’s thermostat. Your oven uses a thermostat bulb to sense where exactly the temperature is within the oven. It may have come loose or fallen out. If it is still intact, it may need to be recalibrated. Our Omaha oven experts can quickly assess the issue and get things back to normal.

Gas Ovens

These ovens have been in existence since the 1800s. They use a pilot light or an electronic circuit to ignite and consume natural gas in burners. A thermostat within the oven monitors the temperature and turns off the gas once the heat gets high enough. Gas ovens are usually more expensive than electric ovens, but because natural gas is so cheap, you’ll probably make back that extra cost in energy savings.

One of the main complaints people have about gas ovens is that they tend to heat items unevenly. If you struggle with food browning or you love to bake, make sure you consider your options carefully. Gas ovens come in both single and double formats to fit your needs. The team at Andy’s Appliance Repair can make sure your gas oven keeps going strong.

Common Issues for Gas Ovens

As oven experts, we’ve encountered a lot of the issues that trouble gas ovens. Just like any other appliance, they have their weaknesses! Here are some of the most common ways that gas ovens can struggle:

• Gas Smell
  • The smell of natural gas isn’t something you want to notice in your home, especially not in the kitchen. It can indicate a very dangerous situation. When a gas oven starts smelling like natural gas, something is off. Most commonly, it will be a gas valve opening too soon and preventing the gas ignition to reach the correct temperature. When things get unsynchronized like this, gas leaks. You may also smell gas because a gas valve is damaged by a hole or slit.
  • No matter why you’re smelling natural gas, it is an urgently dangerous situation and should be addressed right away to prevent it from causing an explosion or fire. Even if there’s no fire, gas fumes are poisonous. Don’t try to fix the issue yourself; let our experts safely troubleshoot and solve whatever is going on.
• Delayed Ignition
  • One of the things that people love about gas ovens is the fact they don’t have to wait fifteen minutes for them to heat up. They heat up quickly and prevents the inconvenience of waiting. If your gas oven isn’t responding like it usually does, an ignition port may be clogged. This is another situation where you will want to give our world-class team a call in Omaha. Delayed ignition can result in a fire or explosion inside your oven, leading to damage to the glass pane and other parts. We offer same-day service, so we can quickly get to your home, figure out what is going on, and safely solve the issue.
• Inferior Burner Lighting
  • When you use your gas oven, you want it to function at full capacity. However, gas ovens will sometimes fail to light up completely. You may have to turn the heat up all the way just to get basic baking done. When this happens, you’re probably seeing the results of restricted cross-over ports. We can easily visit your home and clean the ports out, returning your oven to its old, efficient self. It’s a solution that is simple and inexpensive, so don’t pay extra for inefficient baking when it’s so easy to get your oven back to normal!
• The Burner Failing to Light
  • When you turn your oven on, you should see the pilot light turn on. It is usually located at the back of the oven. If it doesn’t turn on at all, there’s a good chance that the pilot light electrode is dirty and requires some cleaning. What is the pilot light electrode? It’s a small metal rod between the two tubes connecting to the burners. It can be cleaned with a toothbrush, and afterward, it should light up without a problem! If it doesn’t, you’ll want to call our Omaha oven repair team for a professional solution.

Warming Drawers

Taking your kitchen to the next level is as simple as installing a warming drawer. These lower-wattage electric ovens can replace the need for a microwave when it comes to keeping dinner warm or thawing out frozen food. They can also be fantastic tools for bakers who need their dough to rise in a warm, safe place. High-quality warming drawers have moisture controls, which makes waiting food taste fresher.

• When it comes to the issues that trouble warming drawers, they’re going to be pretty much the same as the issues that affect electric ovens. Either way, if your warming drawer is not doing its job, we are your answer in Omaha!

No kitchen is complete without an oven. Even if you don’t use your oven regularly, it’s important to ensure it is ready to work when you need it to. We are the only nationally-recognized service company in Nebraska, so contact us for all your appliance repair needs!

The terms “conventional” and “convection” are pretty similar, and they can make your eyes cross. However, they describe two types of ovens that are very different. As you may imagine, conventional ovens have been around for a long time. They heat food conventionally, or traditionally. Convection ovens function differently and should be used accordingly.

Many people grew up with conventional ovens. However, when they build houses or buy newer homes with convection ovens, they don’t know how to use them. However, convection ovens offer some really great advantages. We’re going to break down the differences between these oven types and explain what that means for your baking.

The Similarities

If you look at a conventional oven and a convection oven beside each other, you won’t notice many differences between them. Why? Because they are identical except for the extra feature included with the convection oven. The convection oven has an extra fan and exhaust system for ensuring the heat gets evenly distributed throughout the entire oven. Many times, you have the option of using the system or not.

The convection system can be found in both gas and electric ovens. In fact, many ovens have them and their owners have no idea!

What Does Convection Mean for Baking?

When you simply have burners inside a box (which is a conventional oven), some spots of the oven will get hotter than others. This can mean unevenly baked bread and other baking tragedies. The convection oven was designed to solve this problem by circulating heat through the entire oven. The exhaust system also pulls moisture out of the air, which can give you fantastically crisp results. When the heat is spread evenly, you enjoy the following results:

• Faster baking.
• No more food that is too dark on top and too light on the bottom.
• Crispness where you need it and nowhere else.
• Bonus: convection ovens are more energy-efficient than traditional ovens because they get the job done faster. They don’t take as long to warm up, and once they’re warm, they bake things quickly. If you are passionate about restricting your environmental footprint, a convection oven can be a fantastic option.

Is There a Downside to Convection Ovens?

Though a convection oven can give you amazing results, there is one place it won’t be your friend: any baked good that needs to rise. We’re talking bread and cakes, which need time to rise in the oven as they cook. A convection oven will bake so quickly and evenly, the exterior of the dough will cook solid before it can rise all the way, leading to lopsided shapes and strange textures. Additionally, a convection oven will dry out recipes meant to deliver moist products like flan, cake, bread, and souffle.

These negatives are the reason why convection ovens can be changed back to conventional ovens with the flip of a switch or turn of a knob. Having an oven that can do both (and knowing how to use it) can truly take your baking to the next level.

How to Use a Convection Oven Right

Using a convection oven correctly is the key to enjoying amazing food. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Lower the temperature. Experts recommend you bring the recipe temperature down by about 25 degrees. Because the cooking is so much more efficient in a convection oven, the temperature just doesn’t need to be as high. This is a good way to avoid sad, burnt results!
• Check in frequently. You probably won’t need to leave your food in the oven as long as you’re used to. Make sure you don’t fall into the habits you used with your conventional oven! Use the oven light to check on your food, especially as things get close to finishing. Opening the oven door will disrupt the airflow and make the process less efficient.
• Don’t crowd your dishes. Though it may be tempting to jam a bunch of dishes into the oven, a convection oven will not do well with this. Because it relies on air circulation, the more you fill it, the less-effective the circulation becomes. You’ll get uneven results that just won’t do. Be patient and don’t overfill. Try to bake one dish at a time. You’ll still be fine; the oven will cook things so quickly, you’ll be able to get the next round of food in before you know it!
• Use the right dishes and pans. The lower the sides of your dishes and pans, the more effective the air flow is. The food will have more area exposed to the hot air and be able to cook well.

These simple adjustments will ensure that you and your convection oven get along great. If you’ve done everything you can but the oven still gives you bad results, we recommend you contact us for same-day service in Omaha.

We need our appliances to work, and there’s really no convenient time for them to have trouble. If your oven is struggling to get the job done, you need to decide how to proceed. Do you simply toss it out and get a new one? Pay for a professional to stretch the current oven’s lifespan a bit longer? Which one is going to be best for your budget?

At Andy’s Appliance Repair, we believe that knowledge is power, and we want to give our clients the power to make smart decisions. That is part of what makes us so highly-recommended in Omaha; we put our clients’ interests first. When you’re trying to figure out if you should have us repair your oven or install a new one, here are some insights that might help you.

What is the average lifespan of your oven?

The answer to this question depends on the make and model of your oven. The internet is usually a great resource for people who want to strike out on their own. We can also answer this question, as we have a very deep knowledge of pretty much every oven brand and model out there.

• If the oven is less than halfway through its life, repair is a great choice. There’s no need to pay for a replacement when the unit still has so much life in it.
• If the oven is getting on in years, paying for repairs may be the equivalent of throwing your money in a hole. Chances are good the oven is outdated and not even able to use energy efficiently. In this instance, investing in a new oven is probably your best bet. Even if it’s a big cost, you’ll see energy savings and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with using an oven at its best.

Whether you need repair, replacement, or a little expert advice, our Omaha oven repair team is here to help. Contact us for excellent, same-day service today!