Slight Disaster: Westinghouse Oven

[washer111]

Got up as usual this morning, and blundered into the kitchen to get something that resembles breakfast and some white tea. 

 

HOWEVER, I was instead presented with an alarming burning smell, which turned out to be coming from the oven. Quickly cycled to a fan setting, without temperature, and the odour was even stronger from the oven-vent above the door (Cooling fan).

Power is now disconnected, but this also means the stovetop cannot be used. Be interesting to see if the smell clears, then I might establish power again to see if the smell returns. 

 

Its a POR-668, and is about 2 ½ years old now. Does anyone on the board here have a clue what could be burning? Could it be vermin (We do have cockroaches around this time of year), or a serious electrical fault? 

 

Just to note, the oven was used twice yesterday, once for lunch and again for dinner. Nothing was amiss then - so I'm puzzled. 

 

[danemodsandy]

Sounds Like:

A blown cap (capacitor) on the control board of the oven. Sadly, a very common scenario in recent years. Hopefully, you have some warranty left to cover the repair.

The repair is usually a new control board. They can be shockingly expensive new; you might do some Googling to see if anyone in Oz rebuilds them.

If this is the problem, and if repairs are more than you want to spend, a vintage oven with an electromechanical clock might be a good way to go. I cannot tell you how greatly my life was simplified when I eliminated electronic control-board appliances from my house.

Electronics are essential for TVs and other entertainment equipment, computers and cell phones; they're not nearly so necessary as most people think for other purposes. This world rocked along quite well without them for a very long time.

I'm sorry you're having a problem!

 

[washer111]

Thanks for your post, Sandy! 

 

Do you think it would be safe to continue using the oven, or is there risk to other components as well?

 

If the capacitor blew, I wonder why I didn't hear the dog go off her rocker last night... Then again, she did kick the door around 6am (She sleeps at the end of the hallway), so maybe that was it. 

 

[danemodsandy]

Actually....

....In most cases where a cap blows on a control board, the oven is not usable, because the control board is no longer capable of controlling it.

If your oven is still working, that could be very good news - it might be that something else is wrong, though it's a bit hard for me to say what.

I think we should let some others chime in here!

 

[washer111]

Update:

Well, I just ran the oven shortly now:

 

The electric/burning smell (Which is not unlike that from an electric heater) seems to have mostly disappeared from the little electronics vent. 

Also tested the Fan-Based heating (plus outer grill element for Rapid Heat), and it heated fine. 

 

I'm really beginning to wonder if odour from Lasagne last night happened to impregnate the oven somehow, and linger overnight?