Ovens are a heavy investment for any household. So, it isn’t ideal to toy around with it and do things that will end up with you having to replace the oven within a couple of years. But what are these things that will break the oven? Today, we will talk about the 7 most important things you should avoid doing in order to prevent your oven from breaking. So, let’s get right into it. 
1. Overloading Your Oven When You are Cooking 
People generally think that just because there is a lot of space in the oven, it should all be used at once. This couldn’t be further from the truth! If you cram the oven with too much food, it will cause the oven to not heat efficiently due to a lack of air circulation. This is actually the least of your worries. Worst case scenario, it becomes a fire hazard for the entire home and can cause significant damage to objects around it. So yeah, the next time you are having a feast, don’t overload the oven.  
2. Putting Foil Under the Oven 
Although it might seem like a good idea at first to put foil under the oven in order to easily catch anything that is falling from the oven, it is actually a shortcut to breaking the oven completely. Yes, you will, in fact, catch anything that drips down. But you will also hinder the airflow below the oven, resulting in turning your oven into a ticking time bomb, as it will not get enough airflow, and the heating elements will, sooner or later, be damaged. After the heating elements are damaged, you can expect a complete oven failure to ensue as well. 
3. Cleaning the Oven Dials and Coils 
This is the only part where cleaning is not recommended. Cleaning the oven dials and coils can damage them and cause problems down the lines. These items were made to withstand high thermal variations. Cleaning them with alcohol or other chemicals can have a negative effect on them. It can leave chemical traces and cause unequal heating to occur and possibly some mechanical damage. So, it’s better not to give a reason for the mechanic to come to your home.    
4. Using it as a Heat Appliance 
This might (and should be) seem like a no-brainer. You should not use the oven to warm your room/home. The oven is not made to circulate in a residential unit, and it can suffer a permanent malfunction which will result in a need for oven repairs. By leaving it open and used as a heater, you leak a lot of carbon monoxide emissions into your home and risk getting serious tissue damage, poisoning, and even, ultimately, death. So, don’t be stupid and don’t use the oven as a heating appliance.  
5. Using the Self-Cleaning Option Exclusively 
The self-cleaning option definitely comes in handy; however, should it be the only way you clean your oven? Hell no! The self-cleaning tool is not meant to be used as the exclusive way of getting rid of dirt and bacteria build-up that has been present for weeks or months. It will not fully do the job you expect it to do. This is why it is vital to manually clean the oven along with using the self-cleaning option from time to time.  
6. Not Checking the Oven Gasket 
Checking the oven gasket is always a good idea. It can help you see whether there is any leakage or if the oven doors have become faulty. The best way of seeing whether there is a problem is by checking if there is any escaping vapor condensing on the oven door. This is the time when you need to consider replacing the oven gasket. Also, don’t forget to treat your oven gasket with care and clean it with a watered rag from time to time. The more attention you give the oven parts, the longer the appliance will last; the same goes for cabinets as well.  
7. Using Aluminum Foil Linings to Make Cleaning Easier 
Yes, we all want to make cleaning as easy of a task as possible; however, is it worth risking the entire oven for ten extra minutes of cleaning? Surely, burnt crumbs and droppings of food aren’t worth the risk. Risking the entire oven is because of the highly reflective foil. It will result in a loss of efficiency and cause the heat to be reflected at different angles and make some spots too hot while others become not hot enough. This will not only make the food overcooked in some spots and undercooked in others, but it will also damage the drip pans and cause damage to other parts of the oven. 
Bonus Pro Tip 
Here we will teach you the dollar bill method of checking the seal of your oven. The benefits of a working seal on your fridge and oven include energy efficiency, a smaller energy bill, reduced carbon emissions, your food not getting properly cold/heated, and it takes longer to properly bake the food. With this test, you don’t even need to spend a dollar (literally), let alone pay for a mechanic to check it.  
The way it works is that you place a paper euro/dollar, or whatever, part way across the seal and then close the door. Then, after you have closed the door, you should gently pull the bill towards yourself. If you can feel resistance, don’t worry, everything is working as intended. However, if you can easily take it out, you have a problem, there is a seal leak. If you don’t have a problem on the first attempt, repeat this process around the entire door to make sure that every side is perfectly sealed.