How to Replace Your Oven Door Handle

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Flamingo
August 24, 2020
Oven Repair

The handle of your average home oven is a surprising center of activity. It holds the kitchen hand-towel, is used as a hand-rail, and of course, it controls access to the oven. So if your oven handle gets loose or breaks, that is very normal. Replacing your oven door handle is something anyone can do at home with a little elbow-grease, space, and some lifting ability. Because not all ovens are the same, there are two different paths to fixing your oven door handle. In one design style, the one favored by Frigidaire and Electrolux, replacing the handle is a simple switch-out. For GE ovens and those similar, you may need to open the oven door’s inner panel first. We’ll walk you through both and you can match to your oven model.  

Gather Your Tools

Put together the things you’ll need for this repair. Start with the right replacement handle, make sure it matches your oven’s brand and model. Have a normal screwdriver and a 1/4 inch nut driver as well. You may also want to wear work gloves.

  • Screwdriver
  • Masking Tape (Method 1)
  • 1/4″ Nut Driver (Method 2)
  • Replacement Handle
  • Work Gloves

Method 1 – The Easy Way

Frigidaire – Electrolux Oven Door Handle Replacement

The first method requires only that you remove the oven handle with two-to-four mounting screws and replace it with a new handle. This process is simple, but also requires an additional roll of tape.

  • Tape the Oven Door Together
    • Grab your masking tape and open the oven. Get started by pulling about 4-6 inches of masking tape and wrapping them around the edge of your oven door on all three sides. This will effectively tape the two oven door panels together while you work on the handle. The reason for this is that the screws straight through the door to secure the handle are also securing the door panels together as well.
  • Remove Handle Mounting Screws
    • Locate the two-to-four mounting screws that secure the oven handle through the back of the oven door. Remove these screws and set them aside briefly.
  • Replace Handle and Screws
    • Grab and fully unpackage the replacement handle. Align it with the existing holes and then replace the screws you just removed. Screw them securely, but do not over-tighten and strip the plastic. Instead, remember that you can always re-tighten these screws later, if necessary.
  • Remove the Tape
    • With the screws back in, you can take the tape off of your oven door. If it comes back grimy, now might be a good time to do a little cleaning while you’re already working with the oven.
  • Test Your Success
    • The final challenge is to test the new handle. Open and close the oven door a few times. Hang a towel. Invite a child or pet to romp nearby. If the handle holds, your repair was a success.

Method 2 – The Hard Way

GE Oven Door Handle Replacement

  • Lift the Oven Door Off Its Hinges
    • Open your oven to the ajar or broiling position, where it is partly open but mostly closed. From there, carefully lift the entire oven door upward off of the hinge-posts. This can be a difficult and heavy task. Consider asking a friend to help.
    • There may be hinge-clips preventing the door from lifting without releasing them first. If so, open the door all the way to find the hinge clips on the inner interior of the door. Release them, raise the door, and try again.
  • Place The Door Handle-Side Down
    • Place a towel on a table or counter, then set the oven door handle-side down. Make sure that the handle is hanging over the edge of the surface.
  • Remove the Oven Door Inner Panel
    • Remove the 6-10 mounting screws that secure the inner door panel to the outer door panel. On average, there are four mounting screws on the inner panel now facing upward. There may also be three or more along the bottom edge of the door, securing it.
    • When the mounting screws are removed, carefully lift and remove the oven inner door panel and its glass. Set this aside somewhere safe where you can get it again soon.
    • Consider cleaning the inside of your oven door at this opportunity.
  • Remove the Vent & Handle Panel
    • On some GE and similar ovens, the handle is attached to the front vent of the oven. This means you’ll need to remove the front vent panel and its brackets.
    • Find the two mounting screws holding the vent to the cabinet and remove them.
    • Unclip and pull the vent, along with the brackets and handle attached to it.
  • Uninstall the Handle 
    • If your handle is attached to the interior of the oven door front panel, remove those mounting screws and the handle now.
    • If you have an additional vent panel, remove the additional screws from the vent bracket that hold the old handle in place. Set the screws aside and discard or recycle the old handle.
  • Fit and Attach the New Oven Handle
    • Grab the new handle and align it with the preexisting holes. Reattach the oven mounting screws to secure the new handle onto the vent, or onto the oven door.
  • Return the Vent Panel
    • If you have an additional vent panel, clip it into place and secure the mounting screws in the interior of the front door panel.
  • Reinstall the Oven Door Inner Panel
    • Now fit the inner door panel back onto the front door panel and return the mounting screws to where they came from. Remember which were screwdriver screws and which were hexes.
  • Fit the Oven Door Back Onto the Hinges
    • Make sure the hinges are aligned, then lift your oven door up onto the hinge posts. Work with a friend to do this safely.
    • If your hinges have clips, open your oven completely and close the hinge clips to lock your oven door back into place.
  • Test Your Success
    • The final challenge is to test the new handle. Open and close the oven door a few times. Hang a towel. Invite a child or pet to romp nearby. If the handle holds, your repair was a success.

 —Congratulations. You have just repaired your oven door handle with nothing but a screwdriver, a nut driver, and a little know-how. For more appliance repair tips, guides, or local services, contact us today!

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