# Why did my oven door blow open?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 19, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999 "2012-08-19T22:04:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Coustralee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Coustralee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coustralee)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/21 "2012-08-20T14:21:28Z")
i have a friend who tells the story of a friend who blew the door off his oven, he closed it and blew custard powder into the flames. you get a nice explosion if you can ignite the fine particles, ive seen similar done with flour. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/22 "2012-08-20T14:43:59Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > About a month ago I had just finished cooking with the oven at an unremarkable temperature (425 or so). I shut it off, and about 15 minutes later we heard a loud “pop” and the glass on the front just shattered into a million pieces. (At least it’s safety glass so not all of it went into the floor.) > > The nice lady on the phone at the customer service center said that this wouldn’t have happened if I had left the oven door open as it cools down, as I should be aware that I’m supposed to. So I was on the hook for the $150 replacement assembly. It wasn’t hard to put it–the worst part was getting the other one off without shredding myself. That’s insane. It doesn’t even make sense. The thermal shock would be BIGGER if the door is left open. I never leave my oven door open to cool down. Sounds like a manufacturer that is cutting corners and/or shitty customer service. I’m guessing both. Ovens are not supposed to to do that. Or am I putting my life in danger by leaving my oven door closed? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/23 "2012-08-20T15:14:41Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > About a month ago I had just finished cooking with the oven at an unremarkable temperature (425 or so). I shut it off, and about 15 minutes later we heard a loud “pop” and the glass on the front just shattered into a million pieces. (At least it’s safety glass so not all of it went into the floor.) > > The nice lady on the phone at the customer service center said that this wouldn’t have happened if I had left the oven door open as it cools down, as I should be aware that I’m supposed to. So I was on the hook for the $150 replacement assembly. It wasn’t hard to put it–the worst part was getting the other one off without shredding myself. What brand and who did you talk to? I’ve never in my life heard of this being _required_ to prevent an oven door from shattering. I think you were given the run around. Athena - you might need a new dining room suite, too, just to be sure. Pig poltergeists are tricky. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/24 "2012-08-20T15:28:13Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > The nice lady on the phone at the customer service center said that this wouldn’t have happened if I had left the oven door open as it cools down, as I should be aware that I’m supposed to. So I was on the hook for the $150 replacement assembly. The nice lady on the phone is a company shill. [**Is it a GE**](http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1229661--when-ge-glass-oven-door-shatters-who-pays-for-repairs) or [**a KitchenAid**](http://www.moneyville.ca/article/918253--roseman-self-cleaning-oven-exploded-in-use)? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/25 "2012-08-21T16:03:02Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Athena - you might need a new dining room suite, too, just to be sure. Pig poltergeists are tricky. Athena, you’re one of my favorite posters, so I’m only thinking of your safety and welfare here. You may want to redo a bathroom or two as well - just to be on the safe side. These things can travel! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/26 "2012-08-21T17:45:08Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Athena, you’re one of my favorite posters, so I’m only thinking of your safety and welfare here. You may want to redo a bathroom or two as well - just to be on the safe side. These things can travel! Well hell! Someone not only knows who I am, but likes my posts! _blush_ And yeah, I think the entire first level has to be redone. You don’t want to take chances with poltergeists. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/27 "2012-08-21T17:57:31Z")
If you’ve got pig poltergeists there’s no better way to rid yourself of them than with a big, bad [Wolf](http://www.subzero-wolf.com/oven). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/28 "2012-08-21T18:04:58Z")
> [@Coustralee](#): > > i have a friend who tells the story of a friend who blew the door off his oven, he closed it and blew custard powder into the flames. you get a nice explosion if you can ignite the fine particles, ive seen similar done with flour. I concur about the flour. (Isn’t that essentially what happens in a grain mill fire?) Anyhow, when I was a kid, I learned somewhere that you can throw “fireballs” if you hold a lit lighter or match with one hand, and throw a sufficiently dispersed cloud of flour with the other hand at it. It was tricky, as if the flour was too clumped, you’d just put out your fire, but get it fine and dispersed, and you’ll get a rather impressive ball of fire. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/29 "2012-08-21T18:13:46Z")
The computer programmer in me wants you to cook another ham and see if it happens again. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/30 "2012-08-21T23:15:00Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The computer programmer in me wants you to cook another ham and see if it happens again. I think we all want that. Then again, I’m a programmer too. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/31 "2012-08-22T00:49:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I concur about the flour. (Isn’t that essentially what happens in a grain mill fire?) Anyhow, when I was a kid, I learned somewhere that you can throw “fireballs” if you hold a lit lighter or match with one hand, and throw a sufficiently dispersed cloud of flour with the other hand at it. It was tricky, as if the flour was too clumped, you’d just put out your fire, but get it fine and dispersed, and you’ll get a rather impressive ball of fire. The Mythbusters build team got a [rather spectacular result](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRw4ZRqmxOc) with powdered coffee creamer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/32 "2012-08-22T01:25:42Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I think we all want that. > Then again, I’m a programmer too. > > -D/a I do too and I [del]copied[/del] wrote an Applescript. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/33 "2012-08-22T01:43:55Z")
Dudes! I’m a programmer too, but heck if I’m going to risk a ham to debug my oven! It’s a HAM for God’s sake, not some second-rate subroutine! ---
**Author:** ![Coustralee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Coustralee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coustralee)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999/34 "2012-08-22T14:34:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I concur about the flour. (Isn’t that essentially what happens in a grain mill fire?) Anyhow, when I was a kid, I learned somewhere that you can throw “fireballs” if you hold a lit lighter or match with one hand, and throw a sufficiently dispersed cloud of flour with the other hand at it. It was tricky, as if the flour was too clumped, you’d just put out your fire, but get it fine and dispersed, and you’ll get a rather impressive ball of fire. we had a teacher who demonstrated it to us with a tin that had a funnel full of flour, a tube and a lit candle. She put the lid back on the tin and blew the flour out from the tube, the lid flew off and a flame at least a foot high jumped out [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-oven-door-blow-open/631999.md?page=1)