Self-Cleaning Oven Fire – Why This Happens And How To Fix This?

Last Updated on September 3, 2021 by Emma W. Thomas

Many oven users have reported oven fire when it is in self-cleaning mode. There are possible chances that the fire caused some big piece of food stuck inside or due to grease. The heat rises high and comes in contact with these things that cause fire itself. If you see that your oven has caught fire, please use the cancel button. At times, it can happen that it is not working. So, it will be better to switch off the circuit. The fire will eventually slow down once the cleaning process stops. It is better to keep dry powder for the kitchen or fire extinguisher Co2 if the fire keeps growing. 

One of the major issues for the self-cleaning oven is that the temperature reaches very high to burn the stuck food or grease. Sometimes the steel door can be defective, and the heat gets a pass. The 500 degrees heat cannot get evolved. For the self-cleaning oven, a pyrolytic effect is needed. 

12 Reasons of Self-Cleaning Oven Firing

The most important thing to remember about a self-cleaning oven is that it’s a process, not a one-click solution. Here are some reasons to know before you go for self-cleaning functionalities.

1. The oven has a tendency to overheat during the self cleaning process. To avoid a fire, most manufacturers have placed a thermostat inside the oven so that it doesn’t overheat.
2. Some ovens have a self-cleaning function where they will automatically shut down the gas and turn off the oven when it is finished. However, this feature is not always reliable and causes issues such as unsafe levels of carbon monoxide from exhaust from the oven.
3. You might forget that the oven needs to cool down before turning on again
4. Essentially, this happens when there is too much gas in an oven and due to which there are more flames that come out of the oven with every turn. The excess gas gets into a chamber that vents into a chimney or flue. This starts a chain reaction that ends up overheating the oven and burning it.
5. It is an over firing device, so it fires the gas when the temperature exceeds what is required for cooking.
6. It shuts off when it detects that the temperature of the oven has decreased below its minimum temperature requirement for cleaning or gas fire.
7. It works similar to a thermostat where the heating element will automatically turn on and off depending on if there are any objects inside or not, but in addition to this, it has sensors that detect if there are any hot objects in or near within a certain distance of the door’s opening position.
8. Over-firing an oven can happen when the user is unaware of the oven’s internal temperature. It can also happen when too much baking material is left in the oven.
9. Some reasons for over firing an oven are: burning food, leaving food in the oven too long, incorrect settings, and faulty appliances.
10. Some of the most common reasons for this are lack of proper knowledge and understanding, not following instructions properly, faulty operation or operation of wrong appliance, and lack of skills or tools to clean the oven properly.
11. Unintentional Use of an Oven Time Setting – Some oven time settings can be set too low or too high, leading to the oven overheating and sometimes even catching fire. You can avoid this by checking your time setting before turning on your oven.
12. Overheating – As mentioned above, overheating is a common cause of fires in an oven. This is especially true if you’ve left your kitchen window open or have left other doors open.

What to Do To Prevent This Self-Cleaning Oven Firing?

It is definitely not good to keep the racks inside the oven when the self-cleaning is going on. The high heat will damage the racks terribly, and you may not able to use it anymore. 

Putting such fire is not an easy task. Here are some vitals to remember: 

You must have known what the initial checkpoints are now, but we want to highlight some more. 

1. The first step to take the correct action is to keep yourself calm. Such situations can be worrying, but you may end up doing something wrong if you panic.

2. Please restrict yourself from opening the oven window in the middle of the oven fire. The fire may grow more as it will give access to have oxygen. Also, you might get yourself burnt. 

3. Please keep the oven remained closed and allow the time for the fire to die.

4. Please DO NOT PUT WATER on self-cleaning oven fire. Water will increase the flames more than to reduce.

5. If you cannot control the fire with a fire extinguisher, it is better to call the fire brigade. Sometimes these fires are stubborn and not at all easy to get rid of. 

6. You must wear a mask while cleaning kinds of stuff like this. Also, wearing rubber gloves is important. It will guard you against inhaling harmful gas or touch anything. 

7. Always keep a dustbin brush while cleaning the oven fire. It will help you to clear up the stubborn food particles. 

8. If you do not have a dustbin brush, you can also use a vacuum cleaner to get the particles loose. 

9. The last and final step for cleaning the mess after an oven fire is with a damp sponge. The more you wipe the whole place repeatedly, the more you ensure a clean oven with no particles left. 

10. If you are unaware of the steps and want to take some more help, you can directly get in touch with any oven cleaning services. You can also take help from the company with the oven you have bought. 

FAQs

Is self-cleaning oven-safe? 

Ovens that have the self-cleaning option and, if used, can produce unhealthy burning like fumes. When the self-cleaning mode is on, the heat must progress very high so that all the invisible and stuck food particles get burnt. These gases circulate in the air and can cause tremendous health effects. So, it would be best if you cleaned the oven yourself as it will be less harmful. You can also take professional help to clean the ovens. 

The gas that is emitted from the oven is carbon Monoxide. This gas is not at all good for animals and human beings. If the room is closed and does not have proper ventilation, it can cause breathing issues. It should not be inhaled as it is poisonous. 

Can The Self-Cleaning Oven Be Turned Off Early? 

Yes, most of the cleaning ovens can be turned off early. Now, there is an option given to lock the door completely in all the modern ovens, and it can’t be opened. The door can be opened only when all the stuck particles are burnt. 

How Much Time Does A self-Cleaning Oven Can Take? 

The time can be within 1 hour to 3 hours. It depends upon the amount of dirt and dust in the oven. You may experience some smell in the oven after the cleaning is done. But it will fade eventually after each use. 

How Can We Clean An Oven Fire?

There is no big difference in cleaning the oven fire. You can use the fire extinguisher or use baking soda or salt to loosen the food particles. Once you have done this, you can opt for the normal process of cleaning the oven. 

Is It Possible For A Dirty Oven To Catch Fire? 

Food particles that remain stuck can indeed ignite the fire. If you repeatedly cook on the uncleaned oven, it produces fumes with carbon and will cause extra smoke. In such situations, there can be any hazardous fire. 

Bottom Line.

Self-cleaning oven fire is common and generally happens because of the temperature. In this article, we have jotted all the doubts you may have due to the open fire. When you are purchasing an oven, it will be best to have a clear knowledge of this. Most of the companies of ovens also do servicing of the ovens to avoid such fires. You can also learn from the correct techniques so that you can tackle such situations. If you know someone who might face a lot of trouble due to a self-cleaning oven fire, you can share this article with them. In the end, we want to have a safe and hassle self-cleaning oven at home.