Why Does Oven Glass Sometimes Explode or Shatter?

Hundreds of news outlets are reporting a flurry of exploding ovens. Occurring with no obvious cause, many consumers are experiencing the glass of their oven door shatter spontaneously, sending shards flying across the kitchen.

Read this article to learn why oven glass doors might explode or shatter — and how you can prevent it from reoccurring.

Here at Stevenage Glass, we are experts when it comes to glass. If you need replacement glass for your oven door, contact our team for a quote – or see our oven door glass replacement page for more details.

Please note: We can only replace the oven glass, we can not replace the oven door. In most cases, the oven door will be fine, it’s just the glass that needs to be replaced.

Why does oven glass shatter or explode?

It may appear that your oven glass door is shattering spontaneously, but it’s usually the result of lots of micro-cracks developing over time.

The majority of modern ovens use tempered glass. Tempered glass is a type of glass manufactured in extremely high temperatures and then rapidly cooled. This process makes tempered glass around four times tougher than regular glass.

However, unlike regular glass, tempered glass may ‘explode’ when exposed to continuous stress. Unfortunately, micro-cracks resulting from stress are not always noticeable —  until the glass is no longer able to cope and shatters into tiny pieces.

Any impact on your oven glass can contribute to these micro-cracks.

What causes micro-cracks?

There are several reasons your oven door could be cracked:

Physical impact

This includes resting dishes, pots and trays on an open glass door.

Forceful cleaning

This includes pressing too hard on the glass or using the wrong types of cleaning products.

Fluctuating temperature

Materials expand and contract when exposed to contrasting heats. Placing a cold dish on a hot oven door may cause the glass to contract and expand rapidly, leading to weakness or damage.

Some factors may be entirely out of your control:

• The oven glass may be damaged during transit
• The oven glass may be damaged from improper moving or installation
• There may have been flaws originally as a result of manufacturing errors

How to prevent your oven door glass from shattering

• Don’t slam your oven door
• Never rest dishes or pans on your oven door
• Try to avoid striking your oven door with pans or any other kitchen utensils
• Ensure all oven racks are pushed all the way in before closing your oven door
• Use only official oven-glass cleaning products

How to clean broken glass safely

When cleaning up broken glass, here are some key rules to follow:

• Ensure children and pets are kept away from the area
• Wear gloves to sweep up the shards using a dustpan and brush
• You can use your phone’s torch to see if you have missed any smaller pieces (they will glint in the light)
• Use duck tape to pick up smaller shards of glass and glass dust
• Use a damp paper towel to collect any remaining pieces
• Check the wider area – glass travel quite far when broken
• Never attempt to vacuum broken glass

Replacing glass oven doors

If your oven glass door has exploded, replace it with perfect-fit, high-quality glass. Use a professional such as Stevenage Glass. We supply oven glass that is hand-cut to the exact specifications you need.

Stevenage Glass are a family-run business providing bespoke glass cutting services for customers across Stevenage, St Albans and beyond.

If you need replacement glass for your oven, window or anything else — we can help. We even offer a 24-hour emergency call-out service.

Contact our team for a free quote! Send us a message online, or call us on 01438 540 140.