In this post, we cover all the possible reasons for your ovens making noise as well as what might be responsible for the weird noise coming from your oven. However, whenever you're concerned about oven noise - especially with a gas stove - call your local appliance repair person for help.
We have probably all heard the popping, clanging, and puffing sounds coming from our ovens and thought, “I wonder why my oven makes noise when heating up.”
The good news is that ovens very rarely blow up! However, from 2014 to 2018, U.S. fire departments were called to more than 170,000 house fires each year sparked by cooking. Even though most of them started from cooktops rather than ovens, it’s a good idea to be aware of anything unusual happening in your oven.
This is a situation we’re trying to avoid - your local appliance repair pro can properly diagnose the problem with your oven
It is good to know what a clicking noise means compared to a buzzing noise, popping noise or a puffing noise, so I would know when I should call the appliance repair company, when I could do a repair myself, and when it was just a normal sound that all ovens make.
Whether you have a gas oven or an electric oven, a wall oven or a free standing oven, hopefully after reading this, you’ll be better able to identify the sounds that are normal and the ones that should have you running for cover. Okay, maybe not quite running for cover but at least running to shut your oven off as quickly as you can!
If you have a gas oven sounds like a small explosion just went off inside of it, you might naturally be a bit concerned. And you are right to be concerned, though it isn’t critical enough that you need to evacuate or anything like that.
This gas oven sound can be a loud noise, or a much more subtle puffing sound.
While the booming noise is fortunately not a sign that your oven is likely to blow sky high anytime soon, it is a sign of a problem that you should take care of.
A booming sound when turning on a gas oven usually indicates that your oven’s igniter is weakening in its old age.
For safety reasons, older ovens should be replaced
The igniter has two functions that are supposed to work simultaneously. First, it opens the gas valve to allow the gas to begin to flow. Second, an electric current heats the igniter until it glows. This combination of gas and heat is what actually turns on your gas oven.
However, when your igniter becomes old and no longer functions as well as it should, this results in a delayed ignition. It can let more gas than necessary into your oven before the igniter gets hot enough to light it. You hear the boom when all that extra gas finally ignites.
This situation is not as scary as it sounds. Like I said, your oven is very unlikely to explode. But you really should get that igniter replaced soon - like in the next week or two, not next year.
If your gas oven is making a rattling noise, it probably has a body part coming loose. Particularly if it has recently had some repairs done or its outer shell has been opened for another reason, a rattling noise most likely points out a body panel that’s just a bit loose.
The good news is that this is one you can probably fix yourself, no matter how non-existent your mechanical skills are. All you do is listen for where the rattle is coming from, or feel the different panels on the outside of your oven to figure out which one is loose. Once you’ve identified the offending panel, you simply push it more securely back into place.
Note that the rattling noise could be happening any time - while the oven is warming up or while it’s in the process of baking.
You probably have an old oven if your gas oven is making a whirring noise while it heats up. No, really - a whirring noise is generally caused by a malfunctioning mechanical timer, and newer model ovens don’t have one.
It is not a critical issue that you need to address right away, but since it is a self-contained piece, it is usually easier to replace it completely rather than repair it. Although, it is up to you whether you want to replace it at all. Your oven will cook for you just fine even without its mechanical timer.
We probably should have talked about this one first since it’s the most critical, but here it is. If your oven is making a popping sound while it’s warming up, or any other time, you need to act!
Shut the oven off immediately and also disconnect it from both gas and electricity. This pertains to both gas and electric stoves, though you obviously won’t disconnect an electric stove from the gas.
A popping noise indicates that the oven’s wiring or some other electrical component has a problem, especially if the sound is accompanied by a burning smell that isn’t from overcooked food in the oven.
In short, a popping sound indicates a fire hazard, and you need to act immediately to shut the entire appliance down and call a professional to repair or replace it. And I don’t care if you’re in the middle of cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner - eating sandwiches is better than risking your safety!
Electric ovens are a little less likely to make strange noises than gas ones are, but they still have their fair share of grunts and groans when they’re unhappy.
Mostly, listen for any noises that start as soon as you turn on your electric oven. If something sounds out of place, shut the oven off again. If the sound stops again, you’ve most likely got an issue with your oven’s motor.
Both gas and electric ovens can make noise
Other signs are the oven fan motor running very noisily or turning slowly or if the indicator light tells you the oven is on, but it isn’t heating as it should.
We are talking specifically about noises while your oven is heating up, but just in case you landed here despite your oven making noises at other times, I’ll briefly mention a few. Oven fans are usually the main culprit.
For convection ovens, vibration or rattling noises during operation could indicate a loose convection fan. Identify this by turning off the fan and listening for whether it stops. You can usually fix this by simply tightening the center bolt of the fan. In some models, it is located in the back wall of the oven.
A cooling fan can also make noise, usually while the oven is cooling down after use. Generally, this is a squeaking type of noise, and you can often stop it by lubricating the spindle of the fan motor located at the top of your oven.
Of course, if your oven makes any abnormally loud sounds it doesn’t typically make, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Get it checked out if you have any concerns.
There are also some non-noise ways your oven tells you it needs to see the oven doctor, such as uneven heating within the oven or food being overcooked or undercooked (and not because you weren’t paying attention). An oven's average lifespan is 13-15 years, so if you’ve gone beyond that, it might have more aches and pains than it once did.
Oven noise is common for all ovens, but it is good to know the difference between normal noise and a weird noise that should be cause for concern. Your oven will make some noises while it is operating as it should, so you don’t need to worry about every noise you hear.
Some of the sounds made by a normally-functioning oven include:
Take some time to listen to your oven now and then and get familiar with all of the noises it naturally makes. Knowing what is normal is the best way to identify when a sound is out of place.
