When you’re working on getting a delicious meal on the table, your oven should be your unfailing ally. That’s why you need to deal with any defect as soon as you detect it. In this case, hearing certain sounds is a good way to realize something is wrong with your oven. So what do you do if your oven starts making noise when heating up?
Well, the first thing you need to do is figure out what kind of oven you’re dealing with. As you can imagine, gas ovens and electric ones are capable of making different noises. A sound that may be normal if coming from a gas appliance could be worrying in an electric oven. So understanding the range of normal sounds your oven can make is a good first step toward establishing whether it needs repairs.
Why Does Your Oven Make Noise When It’s Heating Up?
When it comes to kitchen appliances, noise is simply a factor you’ll have to put up with. Even the quietest dishwashers on the market are going to sound off when the water comes rushing in. Similarly, even if the oven you have is generally silent, you’re bound to hear those fans whirring once in a while.
With that in mind, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the noises you should expect to hear, before thinking about the deviations. So let’s start by establishing the baseline sounds a gas oven makes when heating up.
Gas Ovens
Even though people have recently started acknowledging the eco-friendly nature of electric devices, most still prefer gas ovens. So what does a gas-fuelled burner have to do with the kind of noises you might hear from your appliance?
Well, as the gas is released into the burner, you might hear some hissing sounds. Needless to say, that’s not something you’ll hear from an electric oven. However, it’s a fairly normal occurrence for gas appliances.
While we’re in the normal range of noises, it’s important to note that older ovens may also emit a clicking sound. As the oven heats up, the heating element might click as it works to reach the set temperature. In fact, the temperature controls inside the oven may sound off later on as well.
Remember, the gas usually shuts off after the oven gets to the temperature you need. So if the heat dips below that point, the clicking may indicate that the appliance is trying to reach it again.
If the elements heat up too quickly, you may hear more distinct popping sounds, too. Of course, that kind of noise could also be the result of food residue boiling inside the oven.
But typically, abrupt booming sounds that happen as the oven is heating up are caused by dirty igniters.
Over time, grease and food residue can build up on the igniter that’s supposed to heat up and light the gas. When the element has to heat through the filth to light the gas, it can cause that scary popping sound. Still, that’s a fairly rare occurrence, since the noise is usually a sign that some of the buildup was burned off.
Cooling System
Whether you have a gas oven or an electric one, the noise you’re hearing as the appliance is heating up may be the result of a faulty cooling system. To be fair, gas ovens tend to heat up more evenly, so they don’t need fans to distribute the warm air. Conversely, electric ovens may need that circulation even as the appliance is heating up. With that in mind, let’s talk about what kind of sounds can come from the cooling system.
As we have established, most ovens are going to produce a subtle humming sound while they’re processing food. That’s because we usually turn the fan feature on after the oven has finished preheating. Still, if you make a habit of engaging the fan while the oven works to get the temperature up, it may be behind the noise you’re hearing.
So what exactly is causing the noise? Well, if you’re not hearing the standard humming sound, it may be the result of:
- Loose fan blades rattling against the surfaces around it
- A faulty fan motor, screeching as it turns the blades
- Wobbly body panels or door locks, vibrating as the fan shakes the whole oven
Naturally, all these issues have fairly simple solutions. At best, it’ll be a matter of tightening a few nuts and bolts. At worst, you might have to order some replacement parts — or get your repair guy to do it for you. Either way, you won’t have to suffer for much longer.
How to Stop Your Oven From Making Noise When Heating Up
Once you realize the potential reasons your oven is making noise as it’s heating up, you might feel anxious to resolve those underlying issues. Granted, most of them aren’t going to cause a kitchen catastrophe if you don’t fix them right away.
Still, wanting to keep your oven fully functional is understandable. So without further ado, let’s see how you can go about fixing your noisy oven.
Adjust the Air Shutter on Your Gas Oven
If your gas oven has been making loud hissing sounds during the preheating stage, you might want to adjust the air shutter. As we have established, most gas ovens make that noise, so it’s nothing to worry about. Still, if it’s gotten louder, there’s either too much gas or too much air flowing to the burner.
Luckily, the solution is simple enough. You’ll find the shutter just behind the burner gas valve. Just loosen the screw that holds the sliding plate from moving and turn on the burner. Then slowly adjust the shutter until the flame turns blue.
Of course, if the sound persists, you might want to check the gas valve as well. Hissing could also be an indicator that the gas isn’t flowing through the proper channels. If you’re really worried, get a professional to check the oven — it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Clean the Gas Igniter
In a gas oven, the igniter is supposed to light a small amount of gas to start the heating process. But if the element is dirty, it’ll have to work overtime to heat through the buildup. During that time, the gas will keep accumulating in the chamber. So when the igniter finally lights it up, you may hear a scary booming sound.
The good news is that that kind of popping noise only occurs once in a while. After all, it’s an indicator that the igniter has burned some of the deposit off. Still, you might as well clean the part off every once in a while.
Since the igniter is usually under the bottom of the oven, it shouldn’t get dirty too quickly. But that panel has slits in it, allowing the heat to climb into the oven. So some grease and food particles may make it onto the igniter. Again, this issue isn’t too dangerous — it won’t cause your oven to explode.
Still, you might need to bring in a technician to clean and possibly replace the igniter in question. If you decide to do it yourself, try not to use too much force, as that can result in a gas leak later on.
Needless to say, food buildup can also happen to the stove igniters. To clean those, you’ll just want to pop off the metal covers and gently brush any residue off with a toothbrush.
Make Sure the Fan Is Functional
Believe it or not, a faulty cooling system can actually cause problems even when the oven is off. To prevent that, you’ll want to get behind the back panel inside the oven to make sure everything is in working order.
After unscrewing the back panel, take a look at the fan blades. Try to spin them manually to make sure they’re not running into any obstructions. If they’re colliding with the surfaces around them, try to push all the parts where they belong. Alternatively, you could use some pliers to bend the tips of the fan blades.
On the other hand, if the blades are stiff and unmoving upon closer inspection, you might be dealing with a motor problem. Remove the nut that’s securing the fan blades, then take off the fan itself and the two washers around it. When the shaft protruding from the back of the oven is bare, try to wiggle it back and forth. If it’s loose, you might want to order a new motor.
To replace the part, you’ll want to get to the back of the oven and unscrew the cover to get to the motor. At this point, you should have your replacement ready to go. After detaching the wire that connects to the motor and unscrewing the bracket that holds it in place, put the new motor on the bracket and put the part back in.
Lastly, simply connect the wire you removed back to the motor and put the fan blades on from the inside of the oven. That should take care of any squeaking sounds and vibrations the fan was causing.
See if the Heating Elements Need to Be Replaced
Like gas igniters, electric heating elements can make popping and crackling sounds as they heat up. That tends to happen when they have to work through layers of buildup. Naturally, you’ll want to turn the oven off if that happens.
To remove the buildup from the coil, you’ll probably have to let a cleaning solution sit on it for a while. Remove the shelves from the oven, followed by the bottom panel. Then apply whichever cleaning solution you plan on using. As you can see, even something as simple as a baking soda and vinegar mix should do the trick.
Of course, if you end up having to replace the element, just make sure you get the exact one you have. Then, simply:
- Unscrew the plate holding the element in place
- Detach the wires that come out from the back of the oven as you try to slide the coil out
- Put the new heating element in and attach the wires to it
- Push the coil back until the metal plate connects with the back wall
- Screw in the plate
Alternatively, just call in an expert. They’ll know if the element needs to be replaced at a glance.
An Oven That Makes Noise When Heating up Might Be Dangerous!
Ultimately, while some noise can be an indicator that your oven is working normally, certain sounds can point to various issues. But typically, the noise will be accompanied by other symptoms, such as overcooked or undercooked food pointing to uneven heat distribution. So really, it’s in your best interest to get the problem sorted as soon as possible. Hopefully, the steps we’ve discussed will have done just that.
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- By Soundproof Living