Oven smells like burnt plastic when it’s running If you turn on your Whirlpool oven and instead of your favorite dish’s delicious flavor, a foul odor of burned plastic spreads throughout your kitchen, don’t get upset. This unpleasant circumstance is not necessarily caused by a broken appliance. Most often, the smell of burnt plastic appears in errors in the use of the oven. This situation can also be completely normal the first time the appliance is turned on. The smell of burning plastic when you turn on the oven can be caused by several things. Some are easy to fix on your own, while others require the assistance of a qualified technician. A foreign object Following the rules of operation not only guarantees the long life and good performance of your oven but also, above all, your safety. Be careful when using your oven. Sometimes, the smell of burning plastic can be caused by foreign objects inside the oven. It could be plastic food boxes, spatulas or spoons. If you notice any suspicious odors, turn off the appliance, open it carefully, and allow it to cool. Then remove foreign objects and wipe the interior with a damp cloth. Leave the door open for drying and ventilation. A new purchased oven If an unpleasant smell appears when you first turn on the oven and you’re sure there are no foreign objects inside – don’t be alarmed, this is normal. To get rid of these odors quickly, wipe the inside of your new oven with a damp cloth. Before turning the oven on for the first time, completely remove all packaging material, including the protective plastic parts. Then select the manufacturer’s recommended mode, set the temperature to 400 degrees, and turn on the oven for one hour. During this time from the oven may emit extraneous odors, smoke. This happens because the factory grease on the internal elements burns out. To reduce the concentration of the smell of burning, try to provide effective ventilation of the kitchen – open a window or turn on the kitchen hood. Then you need to cool the oven. In order to do this, open the door and a fan will turn on to provide air cooling to the interior. After cooling it down, wipe the oven with a damp cloth and dry it. Faulty wiring Another reason for the burning plastic smell could be a problem with the electrical wiring. Ovens must be wired through a separate power supply line with three-wire copper cable and a separate fuse box. If the connection is improperly made and the old wires are not designed for such power, they will overheat and smell unpleasant. It is also possible to smell burning plastic if the plug or wiring of the appliance were damaged when connecting the oven. In this case, when heated, they will emit an unpleasant smell. Another common mistake with electric ovens is to place the socket directly behind the oven. In this case, it is also possible for food, dust, and moisture to get on the plug. Also, it will cause an unpleasant smell over time, and can lead to a short circuit. Any of the above causes requires you to immediately turn off the appliance and call a service company for diagnosis and repair. Trouble with temperature control A special device, the thermostat, controls the temperature in the oven. If it fails, the temperature may rise excessively, causing the oven to overheat. In this case, do not try to repair the device yourself. This can lead to disastrous consequences, up to a fire in the apartment. It is also possible that the insulation on some wires in the oven itself is damaged. Such a situation is not normal, but is possible when using the appliance too often at maximum heating temperatures. In this case, a qualified diagnostics of the entire wiring of the oven is necessary.   If the causes of the burning plastic smell are due to technical problems, never try to make repairs yourself. Firstly, in such cases a qualified diagnosis of the fault is required. Secondly, it may be necessary to replace some of the components. Only a qualified technician with sufficient experience and knowledge can perform a quality repair. The technician will be sure to check all components and contacts, repair them or replace them with new ones. San Diego Appliance Repair Company is ready to provide the most professional service you deserve. We pride ourselves on our exceptional customer service, commitment to our customers, our employees – and the well-being of our planet. We believe in sharing our success with our employees and giving back to the communities in which we live. We strive to provide a mutually rewarding, gratifying work environment that fosters personal development. That’s our simple secret to success. Contact us. (619) 719-5005   [email protected]