>>> HELP!! Anyone know how to calibrate an electric oven? <<<

Before I go any further, I want to thank any and all who have the answer. Also, I did look through about

2000 headers/subjects and didn't see this question addressed.

I have a 10 year old Jenn-Air (which is a Maytag under the hood).

Model # is - SVE47500W (electric)

I need to know how to calibrate the stupid oven which is about FIFTY degrees off - to the cool side.

I've still got the Owner's Manual I've been to Jenn-Air and Maytag sites I've even got the wiring diagram.

NOWHERE is calibration mentioned!!!!

***HELP***

It turns expensive Rib-Eyes into pot roasts. It turns cookies into mini-frisbees. It turns me livid when I try to factor the settings to where it should be - but my temp gauges ALL tell me that I'm not good at "accounting for" temps.

TIA!

Reply to
Mr. Frugal
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"Mr. Frugal" wrote in news:XnsA079B70EFCAF6NunyaDamnBizness@74.209.136.94:

Well, I put on my reading glasses and got a magnifying glass to facilitate the view of the wiring diagram.

Unless someone has a better idea, it looks like I have to go and buy a sensorand maybe a circuit board.

Grrrrrr....

Reply to
Mr. Frugal

This looks like a place that might be able to help if you asked them.

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Sometimes it's helpful to know if it ever worked right. Did the error happen all at once, or drift over time? Has it been serviced before? Wires don't always get put back correctly.

A missing shield or bent part could be the issue. If the sensor can "see" the element, it will shut off way earlier than one that is shielded from the direct infrared.

Assumes you are measuring the temperature accurately.

Are you interested in cooking well or are you just pissed 'cause the readout is wrong. Something as simple as fixing knob calibration may be an expensive proposition for an otherwise functional unit.

A sticker that says, "Set temperature 50 degrees higher", works wonders for solving the problem at low cost.

Would be interesting to know what percentage of the time, the service guy knows about calibration and would perform it as an alternative to charging you $400 for a new control board.

Reply to
mike

This appears near the end of the user's manual: " The oven temperature can be adjusted if all oven temperatures are too low or too high and the length of time to cook ALL foods is too tong or too short. Do NOT adjust the temperature if only one or two items are not baking properly. To adjust

  1. Touch the Bake Pad.
  2. Enter 500° by touching the number pads: "5,0,0."
  3. Touch and hold the Bake Pad for 8 seconds until "00_'' appears in the Display.
  4. Touch the appropriate number pads to enter the offset temperature. (Allowable range is -35° to +35°,) Note: Touching the Broil Pad will change the - sign to a positive number or back to a negative number. Note: Do not change the temperature setting more than 10° before checking the oven.
  5. Touch the Cancel Off Pad to return to the previous Display. Important: The oven Should be adjusted only 10o and the oven should be tested, (We recommend baking two 9" yellow layer cakes using a purchased box mix.) If the oven temperature is still too low or too high, repeat the procedure described above. "

I take it that an extremely accurate thermometer would work better than two

9" yellow layer cakes but who knows...
Reply to
John McGaw

On 6/21/2012 8:22 PM, John McGaw wrote: ...

:)

Also might want to check how uniform a temperature gets across the oven from upper to lower rack, front to rear, etc...

Reply to
dpb

I have used my Fluke teperature probe for stuff like this.

conclusion........ ovens vary greatly and theres NO precision in their temperature control.....

Reply to
bob haller

John McGaw wrote in news:UOPEr.382525$% snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-15.dc.easynews.com:

I really *did* look in the owner's manual I have! Didn't see that!

Thanks very much... you saved my frugal (cheap) rear some money. Thought it would be a sensor getting replaced.

Reply to
Mr. Frugal

My cheap Mastech multimeter also has a temp probe (though the short leads make it only barely useful) and I only ever thought of checking my Samsung electric oven today after reading this message. It's 40 deg F. *lower* than what the oven thermometer says. But I could only reach so far into the oven and it feels there's quite a bit of difference depending on where exactly you measure and which heating elements are turned on.

I always thought those oven thermometers are more like a guide rather than a scientific instrument. To calibrate one sounds like a lot of work for a rather dicey outcome.

------------------------------------- /_/ ((@v@)) NIGHT ():::() OWL VV-VV

Reply to
DA

Guys I am not familiar with your ovens but as for calibration you must remember that your reference probe must be at the same location as the original OEM probe perhaps even tied to the existing one in the oven other wise it will read different. You can not assumed that oven is wrong unless your probe is right where the old one is.

Reply to
Grumpy

No, you want business end of the probe where the cooking takes place. It doesn't matter what the oven says.

Reply to
krw

Newer electric ovens, yours included, cannot be calibrated. It is necessary to remove the circuit board, exam it, may be a weak solder joint type problem, and then either you've repaired it or you are blessed with replacing it. I understand that new boards are expensive, I also understand that they might still have an unacceptable range on/off. My wife bakes bread, needs 450 degrees with no more than 10+/- swing. After talking with a good friend, repairman, I am at the point of buying a gas oven because most of them can be calibrated. When we set ours at 450 the top temp is about 456, the bottom drops to 404. GRRR is not even close. John

Reply to
hardhead

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