Why the Electrolux Oven Cooling Fan Keeps Running

You finish roasting, switch the oven off, and the fan keeps blowing. An hour later it is still going. A cooling fan has a real job in a wall oven, but it should not run forever. The key question is how hot the oven still is, and what the fan seems to be responding to. This article helps you separate normal after-cooling from a fault.

What the cooling fan is for

Wall ovens hold in a great deal of heat, and the controls, the door glass and the surrounding cabinetry are not meant to share that heat. A cooling fan pulls air through the cabinet to carry it away. Many ovens keep the fan on after the cycle ends until the cavity or the control area has cooled. That is normal and can last a good while after a long, hot bake or a self-clean cycle.

Convection ovens have a second fan inside the cavity, which stirs hot air during baking. Do not confuse the two. The one you hear after shutdown is the cabinet cooling fan, and it is separate from the convection fan.

Normal behavior versus a problem

Probably normal

• The oven door and the glass are still hot to the touch when you walk by.
• You have just finished a long bake, a broil or a cleaning cycle.
• The fan slows and stops after the oven has had time to cool.
• Another appliance, such as the cooktop or range below, is still hot beside it.

Worth attention

• The fan runs all night with a cold oven.
• It starts on its own when the oven has not been used.
• It runs along with a code on the display.
• The oven smells hot, or the controls feel warm when the cavity is not.
• The fan was never loud before and is now rattling or whining.

Why the fan may not stop

The temperature sensor is giving a wrong reading

The cooling logic depends on probes that report heat. If the oven cavity probe reads open or shorted, the control may be told that the oven is still hot and hold the fan on. The range code pages on this site list F30 for an open probe and F31 for a shorted probe, and a wall oven that shows one of these while the fan runs makes the link plain.

A control that did not finish its shutdown

If the control board lost the end-of-cycle signal, it may hold outputs on. A power interruption during a cooldown can cause this. In some cases a reset helps. In others a board has to be looked at.

Heat that really is staying in

If the oven is cold on the outside but hot inside, something is keeping the cavity warm, which includes a stuck relay feeding an element, a door that is not sealing, or a sensor that shows the correct high reading. The fan is then responding correctly to a real problem. A relay that stays on can heat the oven with the controls off, which is why a hot oven that should be cold is a stop-and-call situation.

A blocked cooling path

The fan moves air through vents and gaps. Dust, a trim blocked by cabinetry, items stored near the vents or a pet-hair buildup can make the fan run longer to move the same amount of air.

A worn fan motor

An aged fan motor can vibrate, whine or fail to spin down. That is mechanical rather than electronic, though the fan can look like a control problem at first.

Checks you can safely do

1. Wait. Give the oven time after a long cycle before you worry.
2. Feel the front of the oven carefully. If the outside is cool and the fan still runs, note that.
3. Check the display for a code and write it down.
4. Clear any items stored on or around the oven and make sure the vents are free.
5. Do one controlled power reset at the breaker. Wait briefly, switch back on, and see whether the fan stops.

If the oven feels hot with everything off, or if you smell a hot, burning scent, turn off the breaker and leave the oven alone. If a gas smell is ever present, leave the home, avoid switches and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.

What not to do

• Do not open the oven panel or the top trim to reach the fan.
• Do not unplug or cut power over and over. It can leave the oven in the middle of a cooldown and lock in the symptom.
• Do not use the oven if the cavity is hot while it is set to off.

Which Electrolux models this applies to

The question applies to the wall oven line: the single ECWS3012AS and the oven and microwave combinations ECWM3012AS and ECWM3011AS. Combination units carry two heat sources in one cabinet, and the cabinet cooling load differs from a single oven. The number is usually on the oven frame.

When to book a visit

Book if the fan runs with a cold oven, if a code repeats after a reset, or if the oven stays warm with the controls off. We diagnose first, share a written estimate, and repair only with your approval. Read about Electrolux wall oven repair or browse Electrolux wall ovens.

Frequently asked questions