Oven element caught fire today

[HawkeyeScott]

My wife was baking this morning and said rather urgently for me to come into the kitchen. I did and saw her with the over door opening looking at the bottom element, which was basically on fire. Actually, it looked like someone was welding it. The oven was off but it kept going around the element. I was stumped on how to put out the fire, since I didn't really know what was feeding the fire in the first place.

Anyway, I unplugged the oven and it stopped. The element actually broke off in one area, it was so toasted.

This is a first for me. You guys? Home Depot can get one for $39 plus shipping. Internet forums say it's a pretty easy fix. Not sure if we should use the stove top while we wait to get the part. Shook us up a little. (Reminded me of the time my dad lit a propane torch at the kitchen sink and it nearly burned our house down before my mom figured to throw the torch out the kitchen window and into the snow. Another story for another day...)

Thnaks a lot for any replies. I'll be anxious to see what you think.

-Scott

 

[Cup of Joe]

My bright idea to set the oven on self clean led to the same thing. You will notice the flash and clear sound of welding when it burns a hole in the element if you are anywhere close to the kitchen. It was the broiler element in my whirlpool wall mount oven for me. Still have not replaced it but I probably should.

No more self clean for me.

 

[Seguino]

Unscrew the old one where it goes through the rear wall, unscrew the old wires and screw the new one in. It's that easy. If you have an appliance repair shop nearby, check them out. They may already have the part .

 

[JHZR2]

Scary. Our oven is a really neat white enamel unit from 1962, and is 40" wide, so not exactly easy to replace and look proper in our kitchen.

Haven't had any issues knock on wood, but our receptacle did get a bad humming connection so we had to replace and rewire.

But I don't want this to happen - it's a good head's up...

 

[fdcg27]

What manufacturer?
We had the bottom element on ours do exactly the same thing. It also continued burning after removing the power from the oven.
I used a large amount of water to put it out.
Water is not always effective for burning metals, but I thought a large enough amount would cool the element to the poit that it would stop burning.
This did work.
I think there must be magnesium used in the element, since it burns well, and there aren't that many widely used metals that do.

 

[UncleS2]

This happened to Mom's oven, about three years ago- the day before Thanksgiving! My brother & his family were there- wife & 4 kids(3 are triplets!)- and I was there helping with the cooking, & saw a small section of the element get brighter, go almost white, & then burn through.

I got on the phone- just *try* to find an appliance repair shop open at 3 pm the day before Thanksgiving- especially in the small towns of NE Texas!

But I had the cookstove model # & finally tracked down an element about 25 miles away. Hotfooted over there, got back home, & had it up & going agin abut 3 1/2 hrs after it died.

The repair itself is pretty simple & easy, as noted above. It's sure lots cheaper than a new stove! Just be sure you have the right element. And good luck.

 

[HawkeyeScott]

It's a GE model. Like I said, Home Depot can ship one to me. But there is a shop 10 miles away that will be open tomorrow. Lowe's doesn't do mail order parts and this is the place they recommend. They say that shop will have it in stock or can get it in 1 day. So if they're competitive, I will go there.

I think what has me the most curious is why this happened. Not sure of that yet. Also, a great lesson to make sure things like ovens, dryers and toasters are all really OFF when they're supposed to be. We were thankful we weren't leaving as soon as Kelly pulled the dish out of the oven.

 

[rjundi]

If something drips on it and stay is causes a hot spot and makes it weaker. It has happen with our burner elements a few times as my wife lets water boil over often.

The problem is she got scared with the welding and left it on. It fried either the electrical wiring(looks okay) or the thermostat control itself. The burner is broken.

 

[eljefino]

The welding was probably 110V if the floor of the oven was neutral, heat part 2-phase 220, and the oven switch turned off the other phase which normally would be good enough. Seems like not that failproof a design.

There was and perhaps is debate over oven/range controls: front and center, kids reach up and turn them on. Rear, you have to reach over/through a burner fire to turn them off. I'd have the controls on the rear and a big red emergency stop button on the front... that interrupts both phases and all power.

 

[Cup of Joe]

I should add for kitchen fire suppression a small CO2 extinquisher would be my 1st choice since CO2 cools the burning material and smoothers the fire by displacing oxygen. Add to that the fact you can use as much as you like within reason and no mess to clean up.