Oven Door Handle Fell Off? 4 Reasons And How To Easily Fix It

An oven handle is not a component that anyone thinks about often. Still, it’s one part you handle the most as you open and close your oven door. Unfortunately, the handle can fall off after a while, but why does that happen, and how do you fix it?

If your oven door handle fell off unexpectedly, you’re not the first victim. Like many mechanical devices, oven handles can get loose and fall off due to regular wear after being used for many years. However, aggressive use, excessive pressure, and hard impact can also break the handle off. You can replace it by clamping the door’s outer glass to secure it before undoing the two screws holding the handle in place. Then, attach the new handle and tighten those screws securely.

This guide will explore why an oven door handle can fall off. Then, you’ll learn the step-by-step process for reattaching your existing handle or replacing it with a new one.

Note: We’ll be using a Kenmore oven as an example in this article, but the same principles will apply to most ovens out there.

Why Your Oven Door Handle Fell Off

Before diving into the step-by-step process for fixing this problem, it’s essential to understand that an oven handle coming off is not uncommon. The oven handle is mounted on the door exceptionally well, but remember that it’s still not indestructible.

Here are the reasons your Kenmore oven handle can fall off:

1. Constant Opening And Closing

Firstly, an oven handle can fall off because of constant opening and closing over an extended period. That reason becomes even more likely as the oven gets older because by then, the handle would have been pulled open and pushed closed countless times throughout its lifespan.

On top of that, some users open and close their oven doors more often than others. That’s why there are no hard and fast rules for how long it’ll take before the oven handle falls off.

For example, some households only use their open a few times a week. Therefore, the number of times they open and close the oven door is relatively minimal.

That’s nothing compared to people who have used their ovens multiple times a day for years. In those cases, the screws that hold the oven handle in place will wear out much quicker, causing the handle to fall off sooner.

Read: KENMORE Oven Is Not Heating? How To Fix It?

2. Regular Heat Expansion And Contraction

Besides regular opening and closing, the oven handle can also fall off due to repeated heat expansion and contraction.

Remember: the oven gets extremely hot when you use it, and even more so if you use the self-cleaning function regularly. Whenever that happens, the metal screws that keep the handle mounted to your oven door will expand as they get hot and contract when they cool down.

After countless times of that happening over several years, the screws will come undone, and the oven handle will simply fall off.

Seeing as how the oven’s heat causes that problem, it doesn’t matter if you pull the handle gently or not. The handle will still fall off at some point.

Read: Kenmore Oven Shows F10 Error Code And Beeps. How To Fix?

3. Excessive Pressure (Why Kenmore Oven Handle falls off)

Unfortunately, your oven handle can also fall off due to excessive pressure. For example, leaning on the handle or pressing down on it too hard can also undo its screws over an extended period.

In more severe cases, the handle might even break off entirely if someone was to apply too much downward pressure on it. For instance, some users might habitually lean on the oven door handle regularly, which exposes it to excessive pressure, which causes it to fall off.

Read: Why Oven Not Cooking Evenly?

4. Hard Impact

Lastly, oven handles can also fall off due to hard impacts. That can quickly happen if a heavy pot, pan, or other cookware falls directly onto the handle.

Like the excess pressure mentioned earlier, the handle could fall or break off entirely.

How Do You Fix A Kenmore Oven Handle?

An oven handle falling off can be pretty inconvenient, but it’s not the end of the world. You can reattach the oven handle quickly or even replace it if yours has broken off.

Here’s how you can fix a Kenmore oven handle:

Step 1: Secure The Door’s Outer Glass

Firstly, you must secure the oven door’s outer glass before doing anything related to the handle. A clamp will be convenient for this purpose as it keeps the glass in its place.

Keeping the outer glass secure is critical because it allows you to open the oven door fully and undo the handle’s mounting screws without it falling to the ground.

Once you’re confident that the glass is secure, you can proceed to Step 2.

Read: Oven Cooling Fan Noise. What Causes And How To Fix It?

Step 2: Remove The Screws Securing The Handle

The next step is to remove the two screws that secure the handle to the oven door. You’ll have to do this even if your handle has fallen or broken off, as the screws are likely still in their holes.

You must open the oven door fully to access the screws as they’re on the inside of the oven door. Once you find them, you can unthread them completely from the door.

Step 3: Remove The Old Handle

With the screws undone, you can remove the old handle from your oven door. Be sure to remove any broken pieces that might be stuck on the door.

This step would also be an excellent opportunity to clean away any debris underneath or around the part where you’ll be securing the door handle.

Although that might not seem like a big deal initially, foreign objects, dust, or debris that’s stuck can prevent the door handle from being secured to the door correctly.

Read: Why Frigidaire Oven Not Heating – Common Causes And Solutions

Step 4: Install The New Handle

After removing the old handle and any remnants, you can install the new handle onto the oven door.

Start by lining up the new handle with the mounting holes. Then, insert the screws from inside the oven door and tighten them just enough to hold the handle in place.

Once the handle is perfectly lined up, you can tighten both screws with a screwdriver.

Remember only to make the screws hand-tight, as excessive tightening can damage the handle and the door.

Also, don’t forget the clam you used to secure the door’s outer glass earlier.

Step 5: Test The Handle

For good measure, you can end this process by testing the new handle on your oven door. First, pull the handle gently to ensure it stays in place without any unnecessary play or movement. If there is any movement, you should double-check the screws to ensure you’ve tightened them correctly.

You can consider this job complete when you’re confident that the new handle is secure.

Can You Use An Oven Door Without A Handle?

Your oven will still function normally, even without a door handle. However, you should not use the appliance until you’ve securely reattached the handle to the door.

Remember: the oven door gets extremely hot when you’re cooking or baking with it, and you could burn your hands if you touch it. Having the handle there prevents you from having to do that.

Final Thoughts

Of all the components in an oven, the handle is the least complex one you’ll interact with. Still, it’s one of the most important ones when it comes to your safety and convenience. The handle lets you open and close the oven door quickly and safely.

Oven handles can fall off from regular wear and tear or excessive pressure and aggressive use. Thankfully, replacing them is straightforward, as you only need to tighten two screws inside the door to reattach a handle. When replacing or reattaching the handle, be sure to clamp the door. Doing so will secure the door’s outer glass and prevent it from falling and shattering.