Thermostat? Oven Door Blew out

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

blissful

Master Chef
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
6,272
Yesterday I was reheating turkey from the freezer and heating some bread covered in cheese spread, in foil, at 350 and the oven started to give off smoke. This doesn't usually happen until I bake at 400 or more. I started to worry the thermostat was broken (why would it smoke at that temperature?) but after things were done I turned it off and stopped worrying about it.

Tonight, my son (19), was making granola for us, in the oven at 200 F. I could smell smoke and at 200 F there shouldn't have been smoke. He even had the family room fan on to dissipate the smoke.I was going to sleep and heard a terrible noise downstairs. I ran downstairs.
The entire front of the oven door, glass, completely blew out in small pieces all onto the kitchen floor. Seriously, in my 50 years, I've never seen such a thing. My son was standing there, with the look of awe on his face, without an idea how this could have happened. He wasn't hurt in anyway. Thank God.
He had the temperature at such a low temperature.
It's a mess, I took pictures I'll post tomorrow.
The glass kept on (for over an hour) cracking (on the floor) into smaller and smaller bits, it must be some kind of treated glass. It was like mexican jumping beans, cracking apart, little by little. We figure by tomorrow it should all be in tiny pieces.

It was a gas oven (I made sure it was off and going cold before I went to bed). I've cooked on both gas and electric, I've never seen this.
Anyone have any experience or advice? Yikes!
 
Wow, I've never heard of that. You would think that the glass is tested at temperatures the oven could not achieve, unless it somehow was compromised. You don't know if a kitchen chair banged into it, do you, if that's possible? And you would think something would shut the gas off the temps got too high, like a limit switch on a furnace. Maybe oven's don't have that safety feature...
I'd call the manufacturer, regardless of the oven's age, and talk to them. I'm curious what they say.
 
That's strange. I'm glad you're all OK.

Did the granola your son was making come out the same as usual or was it burned? If it was burned, that could mean the oven temp was way off.
 
Wow, I've never heard of that. You would think that the glass is tested at temperatures the oven could not achieve, unless it somehow was compromised. You don't know if a kitchen chair banged into it, do you, if that's possible? And you would think something would shut the gas off the temps got too high, like a limit switch on a furnace. Maybe oven's don't have that safety feature...
I'd call the manufacturer, regardless of the oven's age, and talk to them. I'm curious what they say.

I was thinking this morning, I should google this, and it appears this happens with tempered glass ovens. Kenmore, Amana, Bosch, and mine is an old Caloric, a company previously owned by Maytag then Whirlpool.
Exploding Kenmore glass oven door

About the chairs: I do know, because I RAN downstairs, the kitchen chairs were across the room and he hadn't used one for anything (he's way taller than ever needing one anyways).

He is very quiet and gentle handed, so opening the door or closing it would have been gentle. The poor guy looked like a deer caught in headlights when I ran into the room. I had mentioned to him a few months ago that I preferred he cook during the day and not at night, just because. I supposed now he understands a little better.

The oven was given to me to repay a debt in '96 and it was used at that point, it has pilot lights and no electrical parts, unless the thermostat is electrical, though I have no idea really. It's very old, say at least 20 years old, difficult to clean (I'd scrubbed off some of the finish in the past)--I plan to replace it with a basic gas oven with no or few 'features' requiring computer chips or electrical parts, if they still make them, sometime in the next year.
 
That's strange. I'm glad you're all OK.

Did the granola your son was making come out the same as usual or was it burned? If it was burned, that could mean the oven temp was way off.

He had JUST begun cooking the granola, so no it was not burned.
Thanks to everyone worrying if we were okay, we are fine.:)
 
I plan to replace it with a basic gas oven with no or few 'features' requiring computer chips or electrical parts, if they still make them, sometime in the next year.


Good luck finding an old fashioned simple machine. I had to replace my stove a while back and it is not easy to find an appliance with only the basics on it. May I make a suggestion or too to help you with your decision? I suggest that if you buy gas get one with black grates on top. The grey ones are a real bear to keep clean (voice of experience). And I suggest that you get one with four separate grates as opposed to the kind that only have one or two large grates on top. The larger grates are harder to clean especially if you have issues with arthritis. I would also look for one that has removeable trays under the burners. Many stoves are being made with one piece tops and they are also hard to clean. I want to be able to remove stove pieces and get them into my dish water for a thorough cleaning. Also you might want to see where the oven exhausts from. If it exhausts over the burners the stove top can become very hot when you are baking. I hope that some of these suggestions will be a help to you.
 
Good luck finding an old fashioned simple machine. I had to replace my stove a while back and it is not easy to find an appliance with only the basics on it. May I make a suggestion or too to help you with your decision? I suggest that if you buy gas get one with black grates on top. The grey ones are a real bear to keep clean (voice of experience). And I suggest that you get one with four separate grates as opposed to the kind that only have one or two large grates on top. The larger grates are harder to clean especially if you have issues with arthritis. I would also look for one that has removeable trays under the burners. Many stoves are being made with one piece tops and they are also hard to clean. I want to be able to remove stove pieces and get them into my dish water for a thorough cleaning. Also you might want to see where the oven exhausts from. If it exhausts over the burners the stove top can become very hot when you are baking. I hope that some of these suggestions will be a help to you.
Joesfolk, yes, good suggestions. I'll be looking for a simple easy to clean oven/stove. Grates that are removable, w/trays. My pressure canner and water bath canner will need two stove top burners to bring them up to heat. (of 4 burners)
I've never seen the grey ones you mentioned, maybe I will when I start shopping.
I don't so much mind the stove top getting hot when the oven is on, it's a good place to raise bread when I'm baking.
I won't want electronic ignition, I like having the pilot lights, the oven stays at a good temperature for making yogurt.
I'm afraid they might not make what I want. I might have to look at a used oven as a possibility. We will have to make do for a few months with our micro/convection oven until the $$ situation changes, but, by canning season next year, I'll absolutely need an oven/stove.

I look at it this way
~in life~ remember, it's not a problem, it's an opportunity
~and~ for every door that closes, a window opens (or sometimes bursts a window of glass out onto the kitchen floor):LOL:

Here is a picture of our mess. The gray panel behind where the glass originally resided is metal. The black/glossy chips on the floor are the pieces of glass we swept up after the explosion.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN2193.jpg
    DSCN2193.jpg
    38.3 KB · Views: 383
I suspect the burning smell/smoke is not related to the window shattering. The glass issue is probably just something that happened because of it's weakening over time. A small invisible crack develops and with just the right stress, shatters.

The smell and smoke may be from the cheese spread on your bread or something else that spilled in the oven. Something like a cheese spill doesn't take a lot of heat to burn.

Just a guess on my part.
 
I suspect the burning smell/smoke is not related to the window shattering. The glass issue is probably just something that happened because of it's weakening over time. A small invisible crack develops and with just the right stress, shatters.

The smell and smoke may be from the cheese spread on your bread or something else that spilled in the oven. Something like a cheese spill doesn't take a lot of heat to burn.

Just a guess on my part.

I don't think the burning smell/smoke is related either, though, my son thinks maybe the smell was the glass deteriorating--I'm not convinced. I don't think glass 'smells' or 'smokes' when it degrades.

I think we rarely heat that oven over 400F and the residue from the baking/cooking, starts to burn at higher temperatures. I bake all the time, so does my son, roast turkey, heat pizzas, beef pork and venison roasts--we cook in there almost daily.

I'm one that takes the convection/micro outside once a year and burn off any residue at 500F just so it won't smoke at all during the winter. (We don't bake at high temperatures in it for the most part.)

It wasn't the cheese (the loaf was wrapped in foil) but I do get the point and agree with that.

The only test I need to do is test oven temperature now, and frankly, after my google search, I think it was just tempered glass giving way after years of use. (I'm thankful for my 15 years of use.) No jolt needed, no weakness needed, no temperature needed, just a freak accident. I can see this happening after years of use, what I can't understand is new ovens bursting oven glass after only months of use (found on google searches).

I'm content in needing to replace this appliance, and I appreciate all your input and thoughts on what has happened. I'm thinking it's a once in a lifetime occurance. All of you, thank you for being there!
 
Just wondering, now that I see the picture, is the oven still usable? Will it be safe to operate without the glass?
 
Just wondering, now that I see the picture, is the oven still usable? Will it be safe to operate without the glass?

I'm thinking yes.
I tested the temperature at 200 and 250F, everything was right on temperature.
I should test it at higher temperatures.
I'm just nervous that it might be temperamental (pun intended).
Nobody gets my jokes.;)
 
The glass in the picture looks like what you get with exploding Duralex and Corelle. They don't break when you drop or knock them. They apparently store all of those bumps and then one day with a light tap or nothing at all, it just crumbles or explodes.
 
I know it's been over a year but we just replaced the stove. (since it worked, it just looked terrible and no money)
It's a lower model, black, GE (ugh), at least we have an oven and stove with an oven door now.
I couldn't find anything with pilot lights unfortunately. This will greatly reduce my yogurt making abilities. :mad:
I have to rethink my cooking capabilities with this stove.
 
I had my Kenmore oven door glass "explode" too although mine wasn't as theatrical as what was described above. I had the stove for quite some time, years. I had been of the habit of cleaning the inside of the glass (along with the rest of the oven) with Easy Off oven cleaner. I had just cleaned the glass rather thoroughly within the preceding few days and I'm convinced the oven cleaner was a contributory factor. I'm not sure it's such a good idea to use such a strong cleaner on the glass.
 
A heating pad works great for yogurt.

That's what I do.

Girlfriends, sisters, my country men, my dears :LOL::LOL:....I know I have to change my ways, I just miss my old ways. Do you put something water repellent over the heating pad and place the bowl/kettle over it?

I baked and cooked on the new stove yesterday and today. (baked beans, short ribs, pizza) I don't want it to get dirty.:LOL::LOL: It's much taller (by 3 inches) than the last one--I feel like I have to cook on my tip toes.
 
Back
Top Bottom