Testing Oven Temperature

Preparation for Professional Technicians

Tools Required:

Digital Multimeter with temperature measurement functions.

Thermocouple that is compatible with the multimeter, sample: Type-K thermocouple with standard shrouded banana jack.

Steps for Testing Oven Temperature

Place 1 rack at the center of the oven and position your thermocouple at the center of the rack, ensuring it is not touching any metal parts of the rack.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Note: DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR until the data gathering process is complete.

After preheating, write down the first CUT IN temperature and the first CUT OUT temperature. After 20 minutes, start recording the temperatures. As the oven begins to cool down, the thermostat or electronic control will turn the burner or heating element back on to raise the temperature.

At a setting of 350°F, this will typically be around 330°F to 370°F, but it could be higher or lower. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.

Wait until the oven cools down and the control turns the element or burner back on. Write down the CUT IN and CUT OUT temperatures again.

Repeat these steps until you have recorded five CUT IN and five CUT OUT temperatures.

Add the CUT IN & CUT OUT temperatures together.

Refer to Fig. 1 for sample data.

Add these numbers and divide by 10 to get the overall AVERAGE of your oven temperature.
Example: TOTAL = 3539 / 10 = 353.9°F average temperature.

General Information

The point at which the element comes on is called the CUT IN temperature.
The point at which the element goes off is called the CUT OUT temperature.
In electric ovens, it is common for the temperature to continue to rise even after the element has turned off. Most ovens will have an indicator light to signal when the element is on or off.

Oven Calibration

Most newer ovens equipped with electronic control units can be calibrated. Always refer to the appliance manual (calibrate the oven only if necessary).

General Procedure: Oven Temperature Calibration

These steps are only a sample and cannot be used as a guide for other brands of appliances. The following sample calibration steps are for a Whirlpool oven. Always refer to your use and care manual for calibration instructions.

Temperature Calibration for Whirlpool Model: WOS51EC7AS

Plug in the oven or connect power.
Press SETTINGS until “TEMP CALIB” is displayed.
Press START. The current offset, if any, is displayed in a temperature range from -30°F (-18°C) to 30°F (18°C).
Press the 1 keypad to increase the temperature in 5°F (3°C) increments.
Press the 2 keypad to decrease the temperature in 5°F (3°C) increments.
Press START to activate the desired temperature.
Note: If START is not pressed within 1 minute, the adjustment will be ignored.

Common Complaints

Common Issues or Complaints:

Oven temperature fluctuating and not stable.

Below is a list of possible reasons for unstable oven temperature:

The user may have canceled the initial settings and set the oven to a lower or higher temperature. The displayed temperature in the oven control may not match the initial setting. This is normal as the oven fluctuates between CUT IN and CUT OUT points, and the built-in logic averages the gathered data.
Defective oven sensor: Oven sensors rarely fail but can occasionally malfunction. Check the sensor’s resistance value against the oven sensor chart.
Thermal fuse failure: If the oven exceeds safe operating temperatures, the thermal fuse will open and cannot be reset. Check cooling fans, the oven sensor, or a shorted relay in the control board.
Faulty oven relay control board: The relay may be shorted or have partially closing contacts.
Faulty oven elements: Check the elements to ensure they are within the correct resistance values and not shorted to ground.

Disclaimer

The information provided on the Advance Appliance Ltd. website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice. We recommend consulting a professional appliance repair person for all your appliance repair needs. While every effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we cannot guarantee that the information is complete or free of errors. Advance Appliance Ltd. disclaims any liability for damages resulting from the use of this information. This disclaimer applies only to information on our website and not to any other sources of appliance repair information.

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