How to fix an oven door that won’t close properly

The oven is an essential household appliance, found in almost every kitchen. Regular maintenance and care will ensure it functions at its best and provide you with the optimum cooking results.  Over time, your oven door is subject to wear and tear. Excessive force when opening and closing the door or a damaged seal can prevent your door from operating properly. When this happens, the oven will not retain and distribute heat evenly. Our troubleshooting guide shows you how to fix an oven door that won’t close properly.

An oven door that fails to close properly can cause:

• Reduced energy efficiency – your oven has to work harder to retain heat
• Unevenly heated food
• Undercooked food
• Loss of heat

Troubleshooting guide

Check for obstructions

First things first, let’s check for an obstruction. Sometimes a simple obstruction could be preventing your door from closing properly.

Inspect your racks and rack guides

Start by checking your oven racks. These are designed to fit inside your oven and can slide out as required.  During cooking, you may have swapped an oven rack, which is causing the issue.  Carefully and firmly push your oven racks into place.

Take a close look at your oven door seal

Every oven has a heat resistant strip, known as a door seal or gasket the helps seal the oven door. This is usually located on the outer edge of the oven or the inner edge of the door.  Over time, seals can weaken, causing hot air to escape and preventing the door from closing properly.

Inspect your door seal for any signs of wear or tear, defects or warping.  If you see any damage, you will need to replace your seal.

Replacing your seal is quick and easy. Check out our guide: Replace your oven door seal in 4 easy steps

Give your oven seal a thorough clean

If your seal is intact and secured correctly, give it a good clean with warm soapy water and a soft bristled brush or microfibre cloth. Grime and crumbs can get trapped in the seal and prevent your door from opening.

Check the oven door hinges and springs

Broken hinge springs or faulty hinges may also prevent your door from closing properly. Some ovens will not work at all if the door is not shut properly.  

Dirt, grease and food scraps can get stuck in the hinge components and prevent your oven door from closing properly. Clean the hinges properly using soapy water and a toothbrush to get to all the hard-to-reach spots. Using a soft cloth, wipe clean. If your hinges have any signs of rust, you can try removing with a ball of steel wool to clean.

Loose or improperly aligned hinges can keep your door from closing all the way. Loosen the screws and then re-tighten them. Then check to see if that makes a difference.

Constant use and general wear and tear can damage to your hinges over time. If the hinges are damaged or bent, it will prevent the door from opening and closing properly. If either hinge is faulty, we recommend that both hinges are replaced. You can buy replacement oven door hinges here.

Inspect your door latch

If your oven has a self-cleaning feature, it will also have a safety door latch. During a cleaning cycle, the oven latch will prevent the door from opening. Sometimes the door latch will remain in the locked position and will need to be disengaged. If the door latch is damaged or broken, you will need to replace it.

Check that your door has not warped

In some instances, the door may become warped. When this happens, the door will not line up correctly and will not form an effective seal. The best fix is to replace your oven door. Removing and installing a new oven door can be done safely and easily.

Find your oven and cooktop spare parts at Statewide

To find the correct part for your oven, you will need your oven model number.

• If unsure where to find your model number, check out our guide. Most manufacturers will place their details on the inside door frame.
• Then search on our website to find the correct oven part.

All the latest on the Statewide blog

Visit our blog for to find out how to replace your oven door seal and a guide to common oven symbols, settings and functions.

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Shop for oven spares from Statewide Appliance Spares. We have Australia’s biggest range of oven and cooktop spare parts at competitive prices, backed by our lowest price guarantee.