The Importance of Oven Insulation

Insulation isn’t used strictly in attics, floors and walls, it’s also used in modern-day ovens. Most people don’t even realize their oven contains insulation until they open it up and see several rolls, or blankets, of the stuff packed inside. While it may seem like an insignificant part of the oven, it actually plays a key role in terms of performance and safety.

Oven insulation is important for several reasons, one of which is to keep the external frame within a suitable temperature range. Without insulation, the extreme heat produced by the oven would carry over to the frame, leaving users vulnerable to skin burns. If you happen to touch the side, front or top of the oven, it could burn your skin.

Cooking a tray of chicken nuggets in an oven without insulation probably isn’t going to produce much heat on the frame, but using the oven to cook foods for hours on end will certainly warm up the exterior to the point where it causes burns when touched.

Another reason why modern-day ovens are manufactured with insulation is because it helps contain the heat where it’s needed most: in the actual oven. The entire purpose of insulation – whether it’s used in residential buildings or ovens – is to prevent thermal energy from escaping. Insulation is produced using many different materials to achieve this effect, including fiberglass, rockwool and cellulose. These materials have proven effective at trapping heat so it doesn’t spread into unwanted areas.

Let’s say you attempt to cook some chicken in an oven without insulation. You might set the temperature for 375 degrees Fahrenheit, but unfortunately you never hear the buzzer that indicates its pre-heated. This is due to the fact that too much heat is escaping through the areas where there’s no insulation. Normally, ovens are manufactured with insulation covering the top, sides and bottom. If there’s insulation missing in just one of these areas, it can result in a significant loss of efficiency.

Oven insulation also helps to protect against fires. Although rare, there have been numerous cases of fires started as a result of people using ovens with either no insulation or the wrong type of insulation. Traditional home insulation isn’t recommended for use in ovens simply because it’s not able to handle the extreme temperatures. Instead, a special type of high-heat insulation is required to ensure the heat is safely trapped inside the oven.