MY COOKIES

[darkroxas45]

Well the oven finally crapped out and overheated so bad, the cookies I was baking didn't even really flatten out before burning so bad they burst to flames as soon as I opened the door. Hopefully we can find one for cheap, hopefully free.

[dendawg]

Your best bet would probably checking Craigslist or maybe the Habitat For Humanity ReStores, assuming there's any in your area.

[darkroxas45]

Your best bet would probably checking Craigslist or maybe the Habitat For Humanity ReStores, assuming there's any in your area.

I'm hoping FreeCycle to pull up a good one.

[wolfie]

Gas or electric? Mechanical or electronic controls? Personally, I wouldn't touch either gas ovens, or electronic controls (leave to the pros), but if it's an electric oven with mechanical controls you might be able to fix it.

Look for a rod around 1/8" diameter along one side (or the back) of the oven a few inches down from the top. Coming out of one end is what looks like a bare wire that disappears through the oven wall (and connects to the temperature control). This rod is actually a sealed tube, and the "wire" is another tube. When the oven gets hot, the gas in this tube expands, and a bellows inside the control unit tries to turn off the switch leading to the heating element. The dial is connected (inside the control unit) to a spring that tries to "squish" the bellows to keep it from turning off the switch. The higher the setting, the harder this spring "squishes" the bellows, so the hotter the gas has to get in order to turn off the switch.

If anything (mechanical damage during cleaning, corrosion, etc.) eats through the "rod", "wire", or bellows, the gas inside will escape, so it won't get enough pressure to turn off the switch.

Try turning the oven on to its lowest setting (usually 150 degrees Farenheit). If you've got an oven thermometer, put it in, otherwise put in an ovenproof dish with water in it. Watch the thermometer/dish, and the heating elements. The oven should start cycling in the neighbourhood of 150 degrees (elements will glow red when on, turn black when off). If the thermometer goes well above 150 degrees (or the water starts boiling, indicating you've reached 212 degrees) without the elements turning off, you've got a dead thermostat. From your description (oven shouldn't get hot enough to literally burn the cookies) I suspect that's what happened to you.

Get the model number of the stove/oven (should be on a sticker on the back), and get a replacement thermostat/control assembly from an appliance parts dealer (or if you're not comfortable replacing it yourself, call a repair place, explain the diagnostic steps you took, let them know that from this, you suspect the thermostat has died, and give them the model number). You might be pleasantly surprised (i.e. the cost of the part, or the estimate for parts and labour, could be substantially less than the cost of replacing the whole stove/oven).

[dalesys]

... the cookies I was baking didn't even really flatten out before burning so bad they burst to flames ...

I sense Seraph of the hot hand blessing you. Beware of peacocks. Pay no attention to geeks bearing gifts.

[darkroxas45]

Try turning the oven on to its lowest setting (usually 150 degrees Farenheit). If you've got an oven thermometer, put it in, otherwise put in an ovenproof dish with water in it. Watch the thermometer/dish, and the heating elements. The oven should start cycling in the neighbourhood of 150 degrees (elements will glow red when on, turn black when off). If the thermometer goes well above 150 degrees (or the water starts boiling, indicating you've reached 212 degrees) without the elements turning off, you've got a dead thermostat. From your description (oven shouldn't get hot enough to literally burn the cookies) I suspect that's what happened to you.

Get the model number of the stove/oven (should be on a sticker on the back), and get a replacement thermostat/control assembly from an appliance parts dealer (or if you're not comfortable replacing it yourself, call a repair place, explain the diagnostic steps you took, let them know that from this, you suspect the thermostat has died, and give them the model number). You might be pleasantly surprised (i.e. the cost of the part, or the estimate for parts and labour, could be substantially less than the cost of replacing the whole stove/oven).

Thanks for the tip.

[darkroxas45]

I sense Seraph of the hot hand blessing you. Beware of peacocks. Pay no attention to geeks bearing gifts.

But what if I'm the geek bearing gifts? Of peanut butter cookies cooked in someone else's oven.