Have you noticed that your oven is making a buzzing noise, and now you are wondering what it means? Well, there can be plenty of reasons for noise, but not all of them indicate a serious issue. So, before you rush to throw your oven out of the window, be sure to read my article. Here I explain the many different causes of oven noise and how to eliminate this noise. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll know when the issue is serious and when it can be fixed with a simple solution.
Oven noises indicating a malfunction
Circulation/convection fan
If you’ve bought an oven with a fan, you’re likely familiar with the gentle hum it produces while helping to distribute heat evenly. However, if you notice that your convection oven fan’s noise has suddenly become unusually loud, accompanied by a rattling noise, it could suggest that the fan blades or the fan motor have got covered with debris, causing undesirable sounds. To fix this problem, all you need is to regularly clean the oven along with its internal components, ensuring that nothing obstructs the rotation of the fan blades.
The cooling fan
Many people wonder why the oven is making noise when off, but the explanation is simple. Most modern ovens feature a cooling fan that kicks in at the end of the cooking time to disperse hot air and lower the temperature inside, causing a buzzing sound. However, if the noise is too loud, make sure to investigate the fan area. It could be that it’s been obscured by something or clogged with debris, making it operate at a higher intensity than usual.
The fan motor
If your electric oven makes noise when heating up, accompanied by squeaking, rumbling, grinding, and clicking, this isn’t a good sign. In most cases, this means that the fan motor has failed. To play it safe, be sure to contact a professional technician to check the noise source and replace the fan if necessary.
Loose body panel
If the oven isn’t new, the noise source could be a loose body panel. Over time, the constant heating and cooling cycles that ovens undergo may cause the panels to expand and contract. This can, in turn, lead to the loosening of screws or fasteners holding the panels in place, resulting in an annoying rattling or vibrant noise whenever the oven is in operation. The good news is that this noise can be easily remedied by tightening loosened bits.
Failed heating element
Sometimes, people hear a funny noise when preheating the oven, which can signal a heating element malfunction. If you suspect the heating element has failed, listen for rattling or buzzing. Should your worst expectations come true and you find that the noise definitely comes from the heating element, address the issue promptly by inviting a technician.
Other types of noises that an oven can produce
Ticking or crackling
Explaining different types of noise can be difficult, especially if you’ve not heard many of them before, but not all of them actually indicate a problem. For example, if your electric oven’s making a popping noise, this sound is most likely natural. The ticking and crackling sounds are caused by the expansion and contraction of metal parts during the oven’s heating and cooling and don’t need any particular attention.
Booming
The booming sounds in gas ovens aren’t rare, but luckily, they don’t always indicate a malfunction. In most cases, all you need to do is clean the oven burner igniters from dirt and debris that obstruct the popper flow of gas and air, and the noise will subside.
In Conclusion
To bring it to an end, while a weird noise coming from your oven may certainly make you worry, it’s not always a reason to panic. First, ovens by different brands don’t necessarily make the same sounds. And second, some of the sounds are natural, stemming from the physical properties of the oven’s normal operation. Regardless, regular maintenance of the oven never hurt anyone. By checking the internal parts of the oven and having it maintained professionally, you can prolong the service life of your oven and save your family budget, which is a big plus in anyone’s book.
