Do-It-Yourself Stove Repair

One of the most-used appliances in the home is the stove. Given a conventional stove that incorporates the cook top as well as the oven, the family is dependent on this device. When it breaks, daily life can be quite interrupted.

Several options for fixing the stove are available. From calling in the appliance service repair guy found in an internet search to locating a brand specific technician to the do it yourself, the proper direction of fixing the stove usually depends on the severity of the problem and the comfort level of the do-it-yourselfer.

Some problems are quite complicated and best left to the service pros. Ailments such as replacing an ignitor switch or fuel regulator on a gas stove or an electric stove/oven whose self cleaning feature does not work may be complicated to repair and may require parts that a service tech can obtain much easier than you can. However, other problems such as a gas stove whose burner is not producing a flame or an electric stove that does not produce a consistent heat on one or more burners may be problems that can be solved by the savy do-it-yourselfer.

Easy Repairs for Some Common Stove Issues:

As mentioned, some stove issues are simple and can be repaired by the homeowner.

Electric Stove Burner Will Not Heat: Often times a burner will stop producing heat when it is turned on. To determine if it is just the one burner, switch burners on the stove top. If the switched burner heats, then it is the burner itself. This is easily repaired by purchasing a new burner found at most big box home repair stores. If it is more than one burner, it is often the surface element switch and again, a big box store should have that part.
Gas Burner Will Not Light: This is one of the most common problems on a gas stove. The issue that has come up is that the ignitor element is clogged with fuel particles and needs cleaning. This is accomplished by lifting the stove top, removing the circular burner part, and then cleaning the ignitor. The best cleaning tool for this job is a small tube brush that can be pushed into the ignitor. This will remove those particles and the stove should ignite perfectly.
Oven Will Not Heat: With both electric and gas stove/oven units, a very well known problem is that the oven will not heat. In most ovens, there is a fuse located under the cooktop. Once this fuse is replaced with one of the same type, the oven should be back in business. (These fuses can be found, again, at a local big box home repair store.)

For every homeowner, there is almost always some home project to do, and the costs can add up over the long haul. Simple do-it-yourself home repair projects can save time and money. With a bit of research and some basic handyman skills, owners can tackle these simple issues, saving the big problems for the pros.