Did you ever encounter a problem with your oven leaking brown liquid?
If you notice some kind of brown or dark liquid leaking out of your oven, here are things you may need to know.
Find out what are the causes of this problem and what can be done about it. Then, you can also read about ways to clean the brown liquid and get rid of it in the most efficient way possible. Let’s dive right into it.
Risks Of Oven Leaking Brown Liquid
Your oven is a complex appliance with various heating elements that offer a separate compartment for the grill and the oven.
Next, we have the oven, which consists of the oven rack, broil element, light bulb and assembly, hidden bake tray, convection fan, fan blade, convection baffle, and the double baking elements. These components do not always need lubrication with the exception of the fans since they are already lubricated.
However, if you notice your oven leaking brown liquid, it could be grease. This is a residue of whatever you have cooked in the oven. Hence, you need to be on the lookout for this and to get it cleaned up the right way.
It is quite easy to tell if there is grease leaking out of your oven. For instance, you can simply observe any drips and spills on the floor when you open the oven door. Even if you are not using the oven, this brown liquid may be observed.
Eventually, the grease that has accumulated may flow out of your oven’s hidden bake tray when you have finished cooking.
But to know for sure if there is grease leaking from your oven, you can observe the smell each time you use this unit. When you observe a burning smell, or if you have discovered some kind of a smoke when you turn the oven on, this means that there is grease present.
You should also look out for light or dark hazy smoke plumes that come out of your oven door or vent. When there is smoke, this means bad news for your safety. Smoke not only impacts the quality of your food but also the flavor.
And let’s face it – no one likes a smoky dinner on their plate, right?
Additionally, there are health risks involved with smoke due to grease leaking out of the oven. Smoke can trigger allergies and respiratory concerns.
If there are nearby pets, the smoke smell can also irritate these animals. They may act wildly or also experience some physical symptoms.
And lastly, grease increases the likelihood of the oven catching fire. Although it is not very common, it is definitely dangerous. If you leave the oven unattended, fire may occur because of accumulated grease. This is common with ovens without a self-clean feature. Plus, there is a chance of the fans leaking lubricants, no matter how rare this instance may be.
Causes Of Oven Leaking Brown Liquid
Now that you know the risks involved when there is grease leakage from the oven, let us talk about the causes.
New Ovens
For instance, if you notice there is a smoke rising out of your brand new oven, there is nothing to worry about. New electric ovens generally have residual lubrication that was done during the manufacturing process.
There is also a factory element that’s oil-based, which is bound to burn, and this produces smoke when you turn the oven on. The oil also leaks into the carriage box when the oven is in transit.
With this in mind, there is the need to “burn in” the oven before you start baking or cooking. Switch it off if you notice that it is turned on by default. Then, remove utensils on it such as pots and pans. If you have placed any of these on the racks, then take them out since the smoke may stain these utensils.
Close the door and set the unit to bake at the temperature set by the manufacturer. The typical temperature is 500 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour or so. The heat will also burn the grease out, which means there is no more risk of the smoke baking or leaking out of the oven.
Used Ovens
If you have a used oven, the grease may come from leaks when you bake. For instance, if you bake meat, then there may be some grease leaking out of the food and onto the oven. This is particularly true with high-fat foods such as fatty meats and pizzas. Once the fat is exposed on the racks, grease may end up splattering on the roof and walls of the oven.
The fat coming out of the steak may also flow right on the rack and build up on your hidden bake tray.
There are also cases when grease spills occur because of inexperience in using the oven. You may have added too much oil even when you have a baking sheet, then cook the food in very high temperatures. This may puncture the baking sheet, then the oil will leak into the interior of the oven.
In other cases, adding extra oil can cause some spills and eventually leak out of the door and several other crevices in the oven once it cools down. And of course, regardless of how careful you are when using the oven, there are still risks of the oils and fats melting on high temperatures. The oil vapor condenses to the fats and oil, which then lines the sidewall and leak over time.
Cleaning Up Brown Liquid And Spill Issues
Grease spills can definitely mess up your oven. Not only will it cause the oven to look unsightly, but it also creates an unsavory smoky flavor to your dishes. Cooking utensils can also get stained because of the grease, as well as your clothes.
With this in mind, you may want to know how to clean your oven leaking brown liquid. Here are the steps to follow.
- Turn the oven off and let it cool properly.
- Remove your bakeware or trays in the oven. This way, you can clean the interior more easily without any obstructions.
- Scrape the grease and oil off the sidewalls and other parts of the oven using your plastic spatula. If you have a removable hidden bake tray, you may want to remove this, too, since it usually accumulates a lot of grease.
- After scraping all the oils and fats off, grab a blotting paper and get rid of the remaining oil traces and grease in the oven. You need to make sure that you use only the right cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer.
- Using a prescribed degreaser, spray this on the racks, sidewalls and your hidden bake tray. Remove the stains that are still present and let the cleaning solution cut the marks out completely. You may also scrub using a scouring pad before wiping down the surface with clean paper towels.
- Lastly, dilute mild dish soap in water and moisten the paper towel with it. Wipe the bottom of the oven and wash the degreaser off completely.
- Let the interior dry by leaving the door open for half an hour or so. This will also help to remove the accumulated odor and moisture naturally.
An alternative to the degreases is baking soda and water mixture. Apply the same process but the only difference is that you are using a thin layer of baking soda paste.
Bottom Line
Oven leaking brown liquid is a sign of grease accumulated in the unit. There are safety risks involved with this, as well as a negative impact on the quality of food you cook. Thus, it is best to remove grease using the steps we have enumerated and make it a habit to get it clean each time you see brown liquid leaking.
