Most electronics and appliances have features that protect them from power surges and outages. But even with these safeguards in place, it’s possible to encounter errors and malfunctions after an electrical interruption.
Ovens are particularly prone because they’re hardly ever plugged out. So when a power outage strikes, expect your oven to experience a few performance hiccups.
On the upside, the problem can be solved by simply resetting your oven. So how do you do that exactly? Here’s a short guide.
- Turn off the circuit breaker and unplug the unit for at least one minute.
- Restore the power and check the unit after the allotted waiting time.
- Some units have a dedicated reset feature that you can use to resolve minor errors.
- In case of electrical damage, call a professional as soon as possible.
Changes in the flow of electrical current into your oven can cause problems with its wiring. This may result in problems with its various functions once the power returns.
In some cases, you may be able to fix the errors by resetting the unit. But when it fails, you should be ready to have it serviced.
Resetting an Oven After a Power Outage
1. Turn Off the Circuit Breaker
Head over to your circuit breaker and turn off the switch that controls the electricity in your kitchen. If it’s already tripped, then you already know there was probably a power surge before the outage.
Check the fuse to make sure it’s still in good condition.
Keep the circuit breaker turned off for at least one minute. While you wait, head over to your oven and unplug it from the wall socket.
2. Restore Power and Reset
Turn the circuit breaker back on and assess how other appliances and electronics in your kitchen respond to the return of power. By now, you can plug the oven back in to see whether it will start to work.
A good way to check whether your oven is working properly would be to start a self-cleaning cycle. If the unit doesn’t work properly or you can’t press some or all of the buttons, you may have to reset the unit itself.
A power cycle is the only option for some units to reboot and reset the appliance. However, more sophisticated ovens can have a reset feature that you can enable through the settings interface.
Check your manual to learn how to reset your oven based on its make and model.
Ovens encountering errors after a power outage can display an error message to help you troubleshoot the problem. These error codes vary depending on the manufacturer.
Check your manual to find out what your oven’s error codes mean.
3. Inspect Your Unit
If your oven still doesn’t work after turning on the power and resetting the unit, you might be looking at more extensive damage. Burnt wires can impact performance, restrict functionality, and limit your ability to change the settings.
Carefully inspect your unit to look for electrical problems. Some issues that point to potential electrical failure include:
- Flickering oven lights or lights that don’t turn on at all.
- Inability to press some or all of the buttons.
- Appliances in the same circuit seem to work properly.
- The smell of burning electrical wires.
Keeping a defective oven plugged into a power source can become a fire hazard.
If electrical wires in the appliance were burnt and stripped during the power surge, they could spark and cause disastrous accidents if allowed to persist without resolution.
If your oven shows signs of internal electrical damage, unplug the unit and call a professional to check the unit and your home wiring.
Summary
A power outage can often only cause minor errors with your oven. These can be resolved by performing a power cycle and a simple reset.
If your oven sustains more serious damage relating to its wires, you need to ensure you get it serviced as soon as possible to prevent further complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Does My Oven Display Flash After a Power Outage?
Whether intentional or not, cutting the power to your oven reboots the system. So if you had a power outage in your area, your oven would likely reset to its original settings.
To indicate this, the oven’s display will flash all zeroes to let you know you must set the time. In most cases, an oven will not work until the time has been set.
What Is the Lifespan of an Oven?
Most ovens today are designed to last between 10-15 years. However, an oven’s component becomes more sensitive to power surges and outages over time.
So if you’ve got an older oven in your kitchen and a power outage occurs, you should expect to encounter more errors and malfunction.
