Kenmore Elite range safe to use after melting LED bulb?

Question

I ran the self clean cycle that melted the LED lightbulb and I can't clean the resulting metal out of the socket. I'd like to know if the oven is safe to use with that residue and effects of the melted bulb? There is a very fragile skin running down the wall of the oven wall that disintegrates with a slight touch but the main part of it doesn't come off.

Answer 1

You'll need to heat the plastic enough to soften it, then unscrew the remaining bulb parts. Turn off the breaker before that second step.

As long as plastic remains in the oven it'll stink and could pose health risks. You'll want to scrape it all away with a razor blade and other tools.

Use only bulbs labeled for oven use. LEDs probably never qualify.

Answer 2

One important point first: Turn off the power while cleaning up.

You're likely to be poking metal tools into the light fitting which, depending on where you live and how your oven is built, will have 120V or 230V on it. And your other hand could well be grounded via the oven chassis, making for one of the worst ways to get shocked.

But cleaning up is definitely feasible.

I would start cold in the hopes of the plastic being brittle. If the oven wasn't perfectly clean to start with, removal will be easier. You'll need scraping tools and long-nose pliers (the latter to get the base out).

I have helped clean melted plastic out of an oven after a friend put a plastic container in there. That was more than you have, but near the front. It took a couple of hours of scraping and scrubbing to get it out.

If yours has a self-cleaning coating, that may get damaged in removing the plastic. Some warmth to soften it will allow the use of gentler tools (wooden probably).

Finally once it's all gone and you've got the bulb cover back in place properly, run the self clean cycle again before cooking. Probably with the kitchen well ventilated. This is to burn off any residue before food gets in there - but I do mean residue and not as a way of getting rid of the bulk.