Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - Maytag Electric Oven SPARKS!!!!

Earlier this evening, on my way home from work, my wife was heating dinner in the oven when she realized a strange light emitting from the oven. When she looked inside the bottom heating coil? was spitting out sparks even though she had turned off the oven. The sparks were coming from one specific area but it was not smoking. It looked like someone was welding inside the oven. What should we do?

Shut the breaker off to the oven and you will need to replace the bake element. It is an easy do-it-yourself repair:)

...heating coil? was spitting out sparks even though she had turned off the oven.... looked like someone was welding inside the oven. What should we do?

This proves to you what a good idea it will be to unplug the unit when replacing the element!, (or be certain the correct circuit breaker to this is turned off - most likely a double 40 or double 50 amp), and not just having it in the off position.

Yeah, we flipped the breaker off right away and the spark stopped. Also, in order to get my oven away from the wall I have to unplug it so there is no danger of electrocution. I searched around town for a bake element today and unfortunately no one stocked one, although on a friday I got several answering machines, but one place has one on order for me and it should be in on Monday! Also, they gave me the cheapest price I could find at 32 bucks. I did find it online for 27 but thats without shipping and handling.

Thanks for the help!

You mentioned about having to pull the oven away from the wall. Usually all you have to do is undo the 2 screws that hold on the element and pull it out some, and there is usually enough slack in the wires to just change it out with your head inside the oven. It becomes even easier if you can slip off your oven door.

I might give that a go. I replaced the temp sensor about a month ago and found it was pretty easy to just pull it out, take the back off and do it that way. I assumed that this would be the same. I guess when the part gets here tommorrow I will play it by ear!

Just be sure that if you have the kind where the wires get screwed to the element, to be sure to hold that metal square piece with a pliers good and tight, while you tighten the screw down good. Otherwise that square peice, and the internal element wire connected to it, will bend.