OMG, how frightening! I've never heard of this happening. Normally if there's an issue with the newer self-clean ovens, they just default and stop working. Thank goodness no one was hurt, AM. Hopefully GE stands behind it's product, and that the warranty isn't only for the original purchaser.

Please keep us posted.

Nancy

Thanks Nancy, it was scary to hear the BOOM, but since the outside glass held (and no one was in the kitchen at the time), it was fine. There is a mess of glass in the oven now though.

I am thoroughly impressed with GE's customer service. My call was (relatively) quick and super efficient. One woman gave me an appointment then transfered me to customer support. The woman was kind, concerned, and promised me no charge for anything. The entire call was less than 10 minutes, which is great in the world of corporate customer service. The range is just under 2 years old and they didn't give me any flak about not being the original owner. I think if it was something other than a safety issue, I might have been charged, but since there was an explosion involved.....

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

YIKES!! I'll add your experience to all the other reasons I NEVER use the self-cleaning feature on my oven (what a huge waste of electricity or gas for starters, not to mention the toxic smells that come off the thing).

-Grainlady

AM, Make sure they check or even replace the heating elements as they may have gotten damaged in the explosion either by glass or vibration. A few months back I had a heating element catch on fire...I was in the kitchen and looked at the oven thought "gee I don't remember turning on the ovenlight" looked in and had flames coming up from the element. Prior to that I had a baking dish break in the oven and we think that some glass remenants were on the coil and when I went to heat it up the next time...fire! Luckily no damage, turned off power to it and through baking soda on it.

I have to say I also like GE's customer service. Don't get me started on Whirlpool though!

Good luck, Heidi

Arabella, I had the same thing happen to me last year. It was a Kitchenaid stove. I was out of the room but heard a weird noise and came back into the kitchen to find that the glass door on the oven shattered. Just the inside glass. I wasn't using the cleaning cycle at the time. I was just baking bread. Ended up costing me $139.00 to have the glass replaced.

Unlike Grainlady, I have always used the self-cleaning cycle in every oven that I have ever had that came with that feature. And I've never had a problem. Since most ovens come with that feature I would have to assume that the problem of oven doors exploding is fairly uncommon. I've never noticed toxic smells. Just the smell of high heat burning off all that fat that gets splattered around when roasting chickens and turkeys on high heat.

Ann

Like Ann, I also have always used the self cleaning cycle. Anything that saves me from cleaning out the stove. I wish my refrigerator had a self cleaning cycle too!

I was prepared for the worst when calling customer service. I just had a nightmare of an experience with Geek Squad/Best Buy, and it had me ready for battle! What a relief when GE was efficent, kind and actually concerned about my safety.

Thanks for the heads up on the heating element, Heidi. I never would have thought of that.

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

Flamingo, I'm sure you and I could have a long disturbing talk about Whirlpool's customer service (or lack thereof) but I prefer to end my week on a positive note. Let's just say that I will NEVER buy a Whirlpool again.

AM, glad that things seem to be working out with GE.

Ann, I love my self-clean feature too, and use it frequently, but have to agree with Grainlady that the fumes are noxious. And my ovens are Fisher Paykel, only 3 years old. I believe it's from whatever the oven interiors are coated with to make them so heat resistant.

Nancy

Glad it worked out, AM.
I have a Thermador, and I can't tell you how many times it had to be fixed. Thank goodness I had the contract!
Hope you get everything worked out..

You're supposed to clean your oven?

Arabella, I'm just happy no one was hurt and you have had such great service from GE! I'd consider posting on the appliance forum if you run into future problems (put your kevlar undies on first)

AM glad you had a good experience with GE. I love happy endings~

Arabella

It certainly is good news that GE is taking care of you and I do know what you mean about Best Buy...the customer is always wrong.

Oh, and that self cleaning frig? The kids :)

My daughter would clean out the refrigerator as a treat to me and believe me I'd go overboard with the compliments about how she was just the best frig cleaner in the world :)

Yikes!

I started the cleaning cycle on my oven and then sat down to do some surfing and saw this!!! Now I'm on pins and needles.....1:46 to go ! LOL

Make a wish Sharon ...

Ka-boom!

Sorry, my sweet Sharon. But your comment brought a smile to my ten year old brain.

AM, I also like my self-cleaning oven and can't imagine not having that feature. And I've never experienced any explosions, yet. But, I've had several experiences with GE, while their service has always been great, their products have not been. At least, that's been our experience.

Sol

I'd bet that internal stresses in the glass finally gave way as the oven heated up for the self clean.

I've heard of it happening before.

AM, that is scary, so glad that no one was injured. Hope that you get it replaced soon, with no cost to you.

AM I'm glad the damage was contained and it only scared a few days off of your life! LOL
I agree with SOL- GE leaves a lot to be desired. I had miserable times with my last fridge. From what I've read on the Appliance Forum, they could make a better product. That said, insist on a replacement oven. Tell them nothing less will do, you can never trust this one again. I know you can be firm, just keep at it!

Too bad about Whirlpool customer service (though not a surprise)... they own Maytag, Jenn-Air, and Kitchen Aid... it's becoming hard to buy anything that isn't theirs now!

I have a GE computer keyboard and they were very quick to replace the leg in the back that props the keyboard up even though I'd broken it by being careless and had the thing for two years. They didn't charge me a cent!

AB, I'm glad that no one was hurt in the explosion and that GE was so helpful!

Here is a link that might be useful: Whilrpool brands

Oh AM - how scary! I am so glad you are all okay and it was just the inside glass.

I have a new GE range, ao I'm glad to hear that their customer service is good. I had read some iffy reviews on experiences with GE Cust Serv on EPinions, glad to hear that yours had been much better.

Jeep us posted on what the repairman says... I am interested to hear how it is resolved.

Alexa

My eye is on the clock....21:40 to go

Thanks for all the helpful responses.

Sharon - you're almost there! I'll bet you're in the safe zone, since the oven temp is probably cooling off now. Just in case, stay out of the kitchen until it's over!

AM

Whew! All clear! LOL

AM it could have been so much worse. Thank goodness it was only the interior glass and that no one was hurt. You gotta believe that the glass is well tested to withstand the temps of a self clean oven....don't you?

Well, that probably scared five years off you! It would have for me! Glad to hear GE didn't give you a hassle.

I don't know if I should wish I had gotten GE now or not! It did scare me enough not to want to use the self-cleaning feature. Actually, I never cleaned my old oven, but it never got hot enough to splatter anything around. I guess that since I'm under warranty right now, I should be okay, but I would hate to have that kind of disaster.

Glad you are okay.

Lars

I'm glad everything worked out well for you AM. I've used the self cleaning feature on several ovens I've had over the years. I'm just not into the punishment of having to clean the oven the old fashioned way, especially as much as I use mine. I'm kind of scared now because mine is a GE too.

Lars, don't let it scare you. Almost all stoves come with that feature now. If it was a frequent problem you would hear about it more often. And besides, when the glass in my oven door exploded I was just baking. I didn't have the self cleaning cycle on. And I know that my experience isn't going to make you afraid to bake in your new oven.

I'm going to need a new stove soon and I've been considering the GE with the double oven.

Ann

Another here who's been using a self-cleaning oven since the '80s without a problem on several different ranges. I do a lot of roasting (now with convection) & so my oven gets splattered. I really don't like the smell of the hot fat on the oven walls when I'm baking delicate things like cookies/cakes, or even bread so I clean my oven frequently. There's nothing toxic with using the self-clean feature...now using Easy Off...that's another matter...don't breathe if you're using that stuff!

I think it was just a defective piece of glass. Stuff happens. I'm so glad nobody was hurt. Talking about stoves & possible dangers seems like a good time though to remind everybody to keep a fire extinguisher in plain sight & handy in the kitchen!

Sorry you were scared. It would have scared me too. Glad customer service was easy...always good to hear.

/tricia

Wow, AM, that must have been startling!
Glad your experience with GE was so different from mine (so far at least).
My all-time worst customer-service nightmare was dealing with GE over my stove. Maybe they have reformed.

AM,Glad everyone is okay! My heating element exploded last year while I was preheating the oven. It caught fire and even though it was just a small flame, I couldn't get it out and ended up calling the fire department. Scary! Hopefully they will get you up and running soon.

Tracey

I was in a kitchen fire in Mexico City (by myself at the time!), and so I always make sure a fire extinguisher is close by.

Ann, I think you are right that this is more of an anomaly than a frequent occurrence, and so I'll rethink my fears. I'm planning on baking something interesting tomorrow.

Lars