Cheryl’s was Bosch, Truesdale’s oven came from Frigidaire, but other brands also have reports of exploding glass doors. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received about 450 reports about this occurrence since 2019.
What Causes Oven Doors to Shatter?
“There are two main reasons why oven glass can break spontaneously,” explains Mark Meshulam of Chicago Window Expert. “One type of oven glass is soda-lime glass, which is essentially the same as window glass. It’s heated and cooled rapidly to make it tempered. Another type is borosilicate glass, commonly used in laboratory glassware or older Pyrex products. Borosilicate glass is much more resistant to extreme temperature changes. The shift to using soda-lime glass in modern ovens has led to an increase in these types of breakages, as it’s less tolerant of the thermal cycles the glass undergoes.”
However, oven explosions are also likely caused by a nickel sulfide inclusion—a tiny flaw in the glass. “It’s only about a tenth of a millimeter in diameter, but that little ball has some unusual properties,” says Meshulam. “Over time, it’s trying to break free, and sometimes, an event like the high heat of a self-cleaning cycle can trigger that spontaneous failure.”
Despite this, Meshulam reassures homeowners that using the oven’s self-cleaning feature is generally safe. “Most people will go through their entire lives using the self-cleaning function without ever encountering this problem,” he explains. He also believes that microscopic chips and flaws can cause ovens to explode even when they’re not on. What’s particularly concerning, though, is that the door may shatter long after the initial damage occurs.
Prevention Tips
While some microscopic damage may occur during production, shipping, or installation—factors beyond a homeowner’s control—there are steps you can take to prevent damage at home. A few everyday habits can contribute to the development of tiny scratches or chips on the glass. These include using harsh cleaning methods or applying excessive physical impact to the oven door.
