How to Replace Your Oven Door Switch

The oven door switch is a little feature that most of us never think about. After all, having the oven door open isn’t a big deal except for letting some heat escape. Some people open their ovens during cooking all the time and if you do need the oven to stay closed, you’ve got the lever-shaped door lock.

The oven door switch is actually surprisingly important for two reasons. First, it influences how the oven light works. For many ovens, the door switch turns on the light if the oven opens and turns it off when it closes unless the oven light switch is on. Even more importantly, the door switch tells the oven whether it’s safe to use the cleaning function and the cleaning function may turn off if the door is opened. So the oven won’t self-clean if the door switch has stopped working.

In this article, we’ll walk you through replacing an oven door switch which is a simple repair with an interesting step. 

Gather Your Supplies

It’s always best to gather your supplies before starting a repair. The most important item you’ll need, of course, is your replacement door switch. you can find the right part by checking the owner’s manual for your oven’s make and model. Find the part number and gather the rest of your supplies when the ordered replacement switch arrives. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Screwdriver – Phillips and Flat
• Work Gloves
• Prop Stick
• A Friend (optional)
• Replacement Door Switch

Safety First

– Disconnect the Power

Because this is a replacement of an electrical component, there is a risk of dangerous shock. Therefore, you’ll need to cut the power to your oven. If you can’t reach the plug, as is very common with emplaced ovens, then you can switch the breaker that powers the oven instead.

– Wear the Gloves

This repair also involves handling potentially sharp surfaces inside your oven so it is especially important that you wear work gloves to protect your hands. 

Open the Top

– Open Oven Door

Open the oven door all the way to access the front of the door switch and the underside of the cooktop lip.

– Remove Screws Beneath Cooktop Lip

Underneath the front lip of the cooktop, you’ll find two screws with their heads pointing toward the floor. Unscrew them and set them aside.

– Carefully Pull Cooktop Forward

You will need to lift up the front of your cooktop, but first, you’ll need to pull it forward. There are two hinge tabs at the back of the cooktop and you’ll need to pull the cooktop forward until those are free. It’s okay to wiggle and lift the cooktop as you pull it free.

– Lift and Prop Cooktop

Once the cooktop is free of the hinge tabs, you can lift up the front of the cooktop like a box lid. Use a piece of wood or a sturdy stick to prop it open, bracing on metal. Be careful not to damage the oven insulation underneath. 

Remove the Old Door Switch

– Identify Door Switch

The door switch is a small cylindrical part set into the upper right or left corner of the oven door aperture with wires through the back. Identify your door switch and prepare to proceed.

– Disconnect the Wires

Remember which color of wire is on top and then disconnect the wires. If you’re worried about remembering, snap a quick phone picture.

– Release the Locking Tabs

With the flat-head / slot screwdriver, press down on the metal locking tabs of the door switch which will allow the switch to come loose.

– Pull Out Door Switch

Pull the door switch out through the front of the oven and set it aside. The switch can now be thrown away or kept for electronic recycling. 

Install the New Door Switch

– Push New Switch Into Place

Slide the new door switch into place through the now-vacant hole in the front of the oven door aperture. Press until you feel the locking tabs click.

– Connect the Wires

Using your memory or the phone photo, reconnect the wires in the same way that they were connected to the old door switch. Now it’s time to put your oven back together. 

Reassemble Your Oven

– Remove the Prop and Lower the Oven.

You’ll need to reverse the process you did to open the oven top. Start by removing your prop stick and gently lowering the cooktop back onto the oven body.

– Fit Hinge Tabs Below Upper Control Panel

As you start to slide the oven cooktop backward, be sure that the tabs fit neatly underneath the control palen.

– Line Up Sides of Cooktop

You also want to make sure the sides of the cooktop settle correctly over the top of the oven body, not leaning to the left or right.

– Push Back firmly

Now firmly and carefully push the cooktop back into place. You may need to wiggle it and vary your force to get it fully into place.

– Return the Mounting Screws

When the cooktop is ready, you’ll be able to return the mounting screws underneath the lip of the cooktop. 

Test Your Success

– Restore the Power

Finally, you are ready to test whether or not your repair was a success. Start by restoring power to your oven. Plug it back in if you can reach the plug or switch the breaker back on if you can’t.

– Open and Close the Door

Next, try opening and closing your oven door with the oven light manula switch turned ‘off’. See if the light comes on when you open the door and turns off when it’s closed.

– Run a Self-Cleaning Cycle

Then you can do a test-run of the self-cleaning cycle. If the oven runs the cycle all the way through, then your repair was a complete success. 

Congratulations

You have just completed an in-depth oven repair beyond the usual capabilities of a homeowner. Replacing the oven door switch is a quick and interesting repair that shows you a way the oven can be opened most people do not know about. For more insights or for an appliance technician’s assistance, contact us today!