Self-clean preparation is the short list of jobs done in a cold Viking oven before its high-heat cleaning cycle, so nothing left inside is damaged while the door is latched.
as used by Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds, (206) 210-3547
08 Care Handbook
Self-Clean: What to Do Before You Start the Cycle
For a Viking owner in Edmonds it decides whether the cycle ends with fine ash to wipe out or with warped racks, melted foil and a smoky oven.
| What you are looking at | Normal | Watch | Call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racks and rack supports | Racks out; supports out on gas self-clean ranges, in on VESO and VEDO wall ovens | A rack forgotten inside: expect discolouring | A rack or support warped out of true |
| Oven floor and walls | Large spills wiped up; no foil, liners or pans | Heavy spills left to burn off as smoke | Foil melted onto the oven surface |
| Door and frame | Washed by hand up to the gasket, rinsed and dried | Cleaner or water run onto the gasket | A gasket pulled, torn or flattened |
| The fan during the cycle | A fan heard at some point while the clean runs | Not sure it ran: listen next time | No fan at all: service before cleaning again |
The order that works
- Let the oven cool and turn every control to OFF.
- Take out the racks and anything stored inside. The rack supports come out on Viking’s freestanding gas self-clean ranges but are designed to stay in on its VESO and VEDO wall ovens; hand-washing is covered under oven racks.
- Wipe up large spills.
- With detergent and hot water, clean the door up to the gasket, the frame and about two inches inside it. Rinse, dry, and leave the gasket untouched.
- Ventilate the kitchen.
Once it is running
On the gas self-clean ranges the latch engages within about 30 seconds, cleaning takes roughly three and a half hours, and the door stays shut about half an hour more. The outside of the oven gets hot enough to burn. On a range with two ovens, only one can self-clean at a time.
A latch that will not engage, or will not let go once cold, calls for a self-clean lockout repair visit; the lock work is priced on the self-clean lock repair cost page.
Self-clean preparation: questions owners ask
- Can I use oven cleaner first to loosen heavy soil before a Viking self-clean?
- No. Viking's use and care guides rule out commercial oven cleaner inside a self-cleaning oven and on the raised parts of the door, since it can give off hazardous fumes and damage the porcelain. Detergent and hot water on large spills is enough. Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds, (206) 210-3547.
- Why is the door gasket left alone when the door is cleaned?
- Viking treats the gasket as essential to a tight seal and says not to clean, rub, wet, move or bend it; disturbing it can spoil the clean and later baking. Wash the door up to its edge and stop. A torn gasket is worth a look from Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds, (206) 210-3547.
- Is smoke or a smell during the first few cleans a fault?
- Usually not. Viking's manual for its gas self-clean ranges says early cycles may smoke and smell while the binder in the oven insulation cures. Keep the kitchen ventilated. Heavy smoke from an older oven is worth a call to Viking Appliance Repair Edmonds on (206) 210-3547.
- Signed
- Hollis Yamada
- Specialism
- Service technician — refrigeration and cooking
- Years in practice
- 21
- Holds
- EPA Section 608 certified
