It’s a minor hassle when your over light bulb dies! However, people can struggle with replacing it so we’ve provided details on which bulbs to use and a step by step guide on changing them. Our typical recommendation is the GE Appliance Bulb however read on to make sure it’s compatible with your oven!
About Oven Light Bulbs
When your oven’s light bulb dies, you may want to replace it with any bulb you have to hand. That is a mistake as bulbs made for appliances are specially designed to work in hostile environments. For your oven, you will need a bulb designed to withstand heat of up to 400 degrees. Also, it features a rugged filament to protect against the vibrations from opening and closing the doors.
Similarly, before using the bulb, it’s also important to check the wattage and base size. Bulbs with these specialized features can be a halogen light bulb or SES bulb and are used in a lot of home appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, ranges, and more.
Step 1 – Understand What Bulb Type you Need to Replace
Now, before you replace your oven light bulb, it’s important to know what type of bulb is needed. One thing you can do is remove the faulty bulb and carefully check its specifications such as its type, color, base, and wattage. We provide step by step instructions on how to do this below. The bulb specification should also be listed in the manual.
Don’t forget to turn off the power to your oven and make sure it’s cold before you start replacing the bulb.
Step 2 – Get a Replacement Bulb
After checking the details on your faulty oven light bulb or reading its manual, the next thing you will want to do is to get the new bulb. There are a lot of options available on the market and it can be a daunting task for you to select the best among them. So, we have recommended a few reliable options below.
GE Appliance clear light bulb helps you see your food while cooking and can withstand low and high temperatures.
Can last more than 3000 hours.
Designed to withstand low and high temperatures, making it ideal for both ovens and refrigerators
Features rugged filament to resist vibrations
This 40W appliance light bulb from General Electric can be used with a variety of home appliances. The bulb has been designed to work both in high and low temperatures, meaning you can use it with your ovens and refrigerators. Additionally, it’s rugged filament ensures safety from vibrations.
The bulb features an E26 standard medium base and an A15 shape. It works on 40W of energy and has a brightness of 400 lumens.
Other key features of this oven light bulb include a lifespan of more than 2000 hours and a 2700K warm white color temperature. Moreover, it can work at a temperature of up to up to 570°F. Overall, this bulb is an excellent light source for indoor, residential, and commercial use.
- Lasts longer than many of its competitors
- Easy to install
- May not be as energy-efficient as other bulb types
- Incandescent light sources are usually fragile and need careful handling
Features a warm white 2700K color temperature
Has an average life of 1500 plus hours
Has the capability to work in high temperatures
This oven light bulb from WSDCN features an E14 base type and operates on 15 watts. The package comes with two bulbs, each with a diameter of 22mm and a length of 48mm.
The bulb can work in high temperatures and provides you enough light to monitor and cook your food. Besides, it’s reliable, energy-efficient, and has a good lifespan.
This incandescent oven light bulb can fit into the ovens made by Whirlpool, Roper, Admiral, Amana, Estate, and many others. Before replacing your original Whirlpool oven bulb, read the user manual carefully and make sure its part number matches with this one.
The bulb features a 3000K bright white color temperature
Consumes 50-Watt energy during the operation
Can last up to 2000 hours
This General Electric oven light halogen bulb is designed for your ovens, stoves, and a lot of other home appliances. It’s extremely bright and offers full visibility when cooking or monitoring your food.
The bulb operates on 50-Watt energy and features a T1 bulb shape. As for the lifespan of the bulb, it can last up to 2 years.
This is another great bi-pin base halogen light bulb for your oven. It uses 20-watt energy to produce energizing bright white light for you.
The package comes with two light bulbs that you can use to replace model number WB25X10019 and WB36X10213.
Furthermore, the installation is easy – just pull the faulty bulb out and replace it with this one by simply popping it in. It fits several oven brands including GE, Samsung, Kenmore, Elite, and Maytag.
Step 3 – Install the Bulb
How to Change an Oven Light Bulb?
Now that you know some basics about oven light bulbs and also have reviewed some reliable replacements, the next question is how do you install it? Here, we will guide you through the process, step by step.
- First, get the right bulb for your oven. You can check the oven’s manual to find the right model and if for some reason the manual is missing or you can’t find it, you can alternatively use an online service.
- Before you start removing the faulty bulb, make sure the power to the oven is off and its temperature has returned to room temperature.
- Locate the bulb inside your oven. It’s often placed behind the cover or a shield. You can use a flashlight if there isn’t enough light in the room.
- Once you locate the oven bulb, remove the cover that keeps it protected by simply exerting a little pressure on it. Now twist the bulb gently to unscrew it.
- Replace the new bulb using some cotton gloves and install the protective cover back in its place. Power on your oven to test your brand new bulb.
How to Remove the Plastic Shield to Change the Oven Light Bulb?
Oven light bulbs are protected by a plastic cover that needs to be removed before installing the faulty bulb. These covers are installed differently in different models. Sometimes, you’ll need some tools to remove the cover. Follow these simple steps below to easily remove the cover.
- Find the plastic shield, pull it gently, or twist it and it will come off.
- Sometimes, a wire clip surrounds the plastic shield which is screwed in the back. In that case, you can remove the clip and gently unscrew the plastic cover to avoid any damage.
- Once the cover is removed you can then unscrew or pull out the bulb, depending on the type.
- After you replace the bulb, you need to repeat the process in reverse, to put the cover back on before finishing the job.
Things to Consider When Replacing an Oven Light Bulb
LED vs Incandescent
When we talk about an incandescent bulb, it’s the bulb type that has been around since Thomas Edison first invented the bulb back in 1879. These bulbs feature filaments that glow when current passes through them, releasing light and heat.
LEDs, on the other hand, work with electrons and photons. When electrons flow, photons are produced, which is the light we can see. Unlike an incandescent bulb, LEDs produce almost no heat. Moreover, LEDs last longer and consume less energy to produce the same amount of light brightness as the incandescent bulb; however, they are quite expensive compared to their alternatives.
Lumens and Brightness
Lumens measure the amount a brightness a bulb emits. For instance, a 60-watt incandescent bulb produces a brightness of 800 lumens while a 100-watt bulb would produce about 1600 lumens. Before purchasing the right bulb for your oven, you will probably want to look for these numbers.
Light Color Type
Light color is another important feature of an oven light bulb, which is measured on the Kelvin temperature scale. A bulb with a Kelvin temperature range of 2700K to 3000K will produce yellowish light, which is the standard color type for incandescent light bulbs. From 3000K to 4000K, the bulb will generate bright white light while from 5000K to 6500K, it will produce bluish-white light which is easy on your eyes.
Bulb Size and Type
Oven light bulbs come in different sizes and types. They also feature various types of screw-in bases. In this guide, we have included some bulbs with A15, T8, G8, and G9 shapes.
While the incandescent light bulbs have screw-in bases, some halogen bulbs like the GE, which we included in the list, feature a bi-pin or looped terminal. However, it entirely depends on the model you are using and which type of bulb you need for replacement. Therefore, it’s always recommended to check the manual and look for the bulb shape before you plan on getting one.
Don’t Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in Your Oven
CFLs aren’t designed for ovens. While they can be a great option to save energy in your home compared to incandescent light sources, it’s not safe to use them with high-temperature appliances such as an oven.
Why can’t you use CFLs with ovens? When electricity passes through a fluorescent lamp, it generates ultraviolet (UV) light as it contains gas inside. This ultraviolet light and the white coating inside the bulb produces light that we can see. And why are the CFLs so energy-efficient? Because they produce light without using heat.
However, this energy-efficient bulb can easily break when used in the ovens, where the temperature sometimes can go over 400 degrees.
Brand Specific Instructions
Bosch, Neff and Siemens Ovens
Sometimes, cooking grease and dirt can jam the plastic shield which makes it difficult to remove when you intend to replace the oven light bulb. However, some helpful tools are available that fit the covers of the Bosch, Neff, and Siemens Ovens. These tools are available in 48mm and 63mm diameter sizes and help you apply some extra force to remove the cover easily.
Bosch
While removing the oven light bulb from a Bosch oven, first you will have to make sure the oven is switched off. Then you’ll find the bulb at the top of the oven protected by a glass panel. The panel can be removed by simply unscrewing it to the left and then you can unscrew the bulb.
Whirlpool
To remove the light bulb from a Whirlpool oven, find the glass bulb cover in the back of the oven and turn it counterclockwise. Similarly, turn the light bulb counterclockwise to separate it from the socket. Now you can replace the new bulb and reinstall the plastic cover.
Indesit
The light bulb of the Indesit oven is situated in the rear of the oven. However, in some cases, it can be installed on the roof or the sides of the oven as well. Turn the lamp cover anti-clockwise to remove it and do the same for the bulb to unscrew it out. Now screw in the new bulb and reinstall the glass cover back.
Dimplex
In Dimplex ovens, you can locate the bulb in the top-right corner. Turn its glass cover anti-clockwise until it comes away and then remove the faulty bulb by twisting it to install a new one.
Common Questions Relating to Oven Light Bulb
Appliance light bulbs come in different shapes and sizes. They have a range of bases, wattages, color types, and finishes. Appliance bulbs are specially designed bulbs that are used to replace oven light bulbs, microwave bulbs, and refrigerator bulbs. The A15 incandescent light bulb is the most common appliance bulb available. And then there are LED appliance bulbs that consume less energy and have a longer life.
While some oven models have a light that turns on automatically when you open the electrical door, others have a manual switch that you can use to manually operate the light.
If your oven has a manual On/Off switch, you can turn on the light to check on your food without opening the door. The switch is provided on the control panel or you can find it somewhere above the door.
When you set the switch to the ‘on’ position and the light bulb doesn’t turn on, you’ll have to replace it with the new one.
The Verdict
GE Appliance clear light bulb helps you see your food while cooking and can withstand low and high temperatures.
Can last more than 3000 hours.
Designed to withstand low and high temperatures, making it ideal for both ovens and refrigerators
Features rugged filament to resist vibrations