Your Oven Door Is Stuck Shut Or Locked
Has your electric oven finished baking/roasting and you can't open the door because it's stuck locked? Here we explain what might be causing this issue and how to resolve it.
THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:
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The door lock is damaged
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The thermostat on the locking mechanism is defective
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The safety thermostat has tripped or is defective
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The temperature sensor is faulty
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The 500 degree thermostat is not working
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The cooling fan is broken
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The programmer is stuck
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The door unlocking mechanism is broken
WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
Wear suitable protective gloves if you need to dismantle anything.
There is a risk of getting cut or injured.
The door lock is damaged
The door lock prevents the door from being opened when the oven's pyrolytic function is active. The lock mechanism also signals whether the door is closed or not. If the lock's striker pin is bent, broken, out of position or not coming into contact with the door when it's closed, the appliance will not heat up. You can check the condition of the lock yourself. It will normally be located beneath the oven's main control panel.
The thermostat on the locking mechanism is defective
To prevent you getting burned, the locking mechanism thermostat keeps the lock in place if your oven is too hot (such as when its pyrolytic function is active). When problems arise, they're usually caused by an oven cooling issue. You should be able to see yourself whether the cooling fan is stuck or has stopped working. Wait for the oven to properly cool down, then try opening the door again.
Purchase an oven locking mechanism thermostat
The safety thermostat has tripped or is defective
The safety thermostat is the component that prevents the oven from overheating. If it gets tripped, your oven will turn off completely, with the door still locked. This generally tends to occur during pyrolysis. Some thermostats can be reset. To do this, open up the back of the oven and locate the thermostat in question. You'll see that it has a red button in the middle, which you need to push. When you do this you'll hear a click, indicating that the thermostat has been reset. Some thermostats instead have a small hole into which you have to push the end of an unfolded paperclip in order to reset them. The hermostat can also be checked and tested using a multimeter in ohmmeter mode. Simply place the meter's two probes on the thermostat's terminals. It should show continuity. If it doesn't, you will need to replace it. Also bear in mind that if your thermostat has tripped, it will be another part or component that's reponsible for causing the overheating (e.g. a stuck fan, etc.). Check all the various components.
The temperature sensor is faulty
The temperature sensor lets the main circuit board (PCB) know whether your oven has reached the required temperature or not. If the sensor is faulty, it will detect the temperature as being too high, which will cause the appliance's door to lock and may result in the oven displaying an error code. Modern temperature sensors should normally give readings of around 535 ohms at room temperature, depending on the brand. You can check this yourself using a multimeter in ohmmeter mode.
Purchase an oven temperature sensor
The 500 degree thermostat is not working
Some older ovens used to have 500 degree thermostats fitted. This regulates the temperature during pyrolysis and controls whether the oven door is locked or not. If it's defective, the door will not open.
The cooling fan is broken
The cooling fan will normally be located somewhere at the top of your oven's interior. If its coil is broken and the fan is longer turning, your oven will overheat and go into safety mode. This will cause the door to stay locked, in which case you simply need to wait for your oven to cool down: the door should then unlock. Carry out a careful check of the fan afterwards, and replace it if necessary.
The programmer is stuck
The programmer allows you to set the pyrolysis process running for a specific time. If it gets stuck, the oven will remain in auto-clean mode and the door will refuse to open. You can stop your oven operating using the selector button, then put the programmer back on manual. Once you've done this, you'll then need to wait for the oven to cool. If the door is still stuck locked, we recommend running the pyrolytic function again. The door should then open once it's finished.
The door unlocking mechanism is broken
Not all locking mechanisms are the same; they can vary from model to model. Some are operated by a small motor, whilst others use a coil or wax. Unfortunately, most are very difficult to check or replace without dismantling the oven. Important: to prevent accidents, and before doing any work on your oven, make sure you carefully unplug it at the mains and turn off its electricity supply.