We just moved into a new apartment that has a stove with a self-cleaning oven. When we use the cleaning cycle, the smell is terrible. It fills the whole apartment even with the kitchen windows open and the exhaust fan on high. I've never had one before. Is this normal?
Theresa
Yes, this is normal. Self-cleaning ovens incinerate the accumulated crud at a very high temperature. The burning smell is typically unpleasant. Place a fan exhausting in the nearest window so that it does not impact the other rooms. The odor will be short-lived following the end of the cycle. Continuous-cleaning ovens do not have this "feature."
Thank you
Also, the more often you clean the oven the less build up of food thus less stink. The Fuller Brush Man
Hi Theresa
Yes it is normal! However, if you have a front vent on the oven, all of the heat is extracted through this vent. Inside this vent is also a burner that kicks on super high heat when the oven is in self cleaning mode. It runs during normal cooking also to burn off the smoke that would normally enter the home.
If you do have this vent on your oven, you can use a flexible aluminum duct to duct the odors to outside during the cleaning cycle. But for safety reason, this vent tube should also be powered by a fan at the output end or internally along its route. You do not want to cause any backpressure whatsoever on the internal oven fan, as higher heat than the manufacturer designed the oven for could occur. Our exhaust tube is drafted, meaning the exhaust fan draws cold air into the tube at or near the oven vent and the cfm of the exhaust fan is much greater than the internal oven fan. The draft vent near the oven vent allows room air into the exhaust tube without creating a negative pressure in the oven itself.
Sounds complicated but it really isn't. My old house was designed with this temporary exhaust vent in mind, thus mine was made rigid and the exhaust fan permanently mounted in the wall. Everything just clicked together so to speak and anytime the oven was turned to self clean, the exhaust fan would also turn on, whether or not the duct was affixed to it or not.
TTUL Gary
I've never seen anything like that. What brand oven did you have?
It was an Amana, but the original add-on vent was made by Thermador.
TTUL Gary
"Vox Humana" verbositized:
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