Hi I just baked a piece of aluminum onto the bottom of my Kenmore oven, and I've read that you can replace the bottom panel. Is this true or not? My stove is model #55502

I don't know of any way to remove that (and I'm a professional appliance repairman with 10 years experience). If your oven has a separate, removable oven bottoms, you can replace that without too much trouble, but if your oven cavity is all 1 piece, you will have to live with it.

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Your oven probably has a feature called a hidden bake element. The element is located beneath the floor of the oven. (Because of this, NEVER put aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven because it will get hot enough to melt the aluminum foil and make it bond to the bottom of your oven.) You can adjust the temperature of your oven through the electronic oven controls. Check your owner's manual for how to do this.

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I would try a copper scouring pad.
Aluminium is very soft - Mohs hardness of 2.75
Copper has a Mohs hardness of 3, just slightly harder.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardnesses_of_the_elements_(data_page)
Ceramic tile has a hardness of 7
Mohs Hardness Scale

This means the copper scouring pad should be able to remove the melted foil without scratching the ceramic - but test first to be sure.

Don't use self clean. Get some easy off oven cleaner. Self clean gets too hot and ruins expensive delicate electronics.

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Aluminum foil is not the thickness it used to be. Almost like paper thin now. If your food is cooking ok the oven is not overheating.
Eric

To all those who think this problem description couldn't be true, you're wrong. You're right that the aluminum did not get hot enough to melt though.....What happens is that the non-stick teflon coating they put on the aluminum get's too hot and bonds with the oven bottom.... like a crazy epoxy!

Furthermore, this isn't a problem in older, conventional-type ovens... this is moreso a problem with ovens that have a hidden bottom element.... The bottom element is actually directly below the oven bottom, and lining the oven bottom with foil is basically like putting it directly on the element. And that part gets extremely HOT!!!

Thankfully I've got the solution to this! But it takes some extreme patience, a lot of respect for what you're working with and some good ventilation.

I went back to my high school chemistry class to get the answer. It's Lye, aka Caustic Soda aka, Sodium Hydroxide.

I used Drano Kitchen Crystals off the shelf of the grocery store..it's about 70% lye with some added salts to aid the chemical reaction.

You'll need some plasticene, the drano, water, GLOVES!!, a lot of paper towels and wood skewers and GOOD VENTILATION.

Start the ventilation and open a window or door.
Put on your gloves.
Use the plasticene to create a dam about .25"-.5" high around the area in the oven you're looking to remove the aluminum from... the area's you're working in should be about 2.5" in diameter.
Pour in some of the drano into the dam and add enough water to touch all the sides of the dam......if the chemical reaction hasn't started (should be almost instant) keep adding the drano bit by bit until it does... the dam contents will start to boil and ammonia fumes and a little hydrogen gas will form....... hence the need for some good ventilation!!
Once the reaction is done, poke around with the wood skewer to see if the oven bottom is clear... if you're satisfied with the results, add some some vinegar in to help neutralize the solution a bit.... then use the wood skewer to remove the plasticene dam to a dish to be rinsed off ASAP.
Use paper towels to wipe up the mess on the bottom of the oven.... See your results! the area of the oven botton you treated should be free of aluminum and just be discoloured instead..... not from the drano, but from where the teflon bonded.
Repeat the process until the oven bottom is clean.

To get a 'feel' for the chemical reaction and what to expect, experiment first!... take a square of aluminum foil, go to the backyard with the foil shaped in a littlebowl and place it on a dish or pan, add some drano crystals to it then add a little water... step back from the dish and try not to breath the fumes!.. the dish will be hot!!

It took me about 6 hr to clean the bottom of my oven when this happened to me.

Hopefully this helps some other poor unfortunate souls who finds themselves in this situation!

about to do the same for a friend - hers has two visible screws through the floor at the back of the oven. the new plate has several additional holes. i have not yet removed the old, but looking at other google entries, i may just need to take out the visible screws.
not sure of the model, but it is a free-standing kenmore gas range.
gary

Trying to better define the problem....

Do you have any cuts, holes or "shorting" or tin-foil/aluminum around your bottom bake heat-element? If so, you may need to replace the baking Heat Element. (Ensure you do not use aluminum foil around your heat element to prevent your oven from getting dirty)

To replace your baking heat element, with power off; remove 2 screws securing the bake element. Slightly tug and pull towards you for about 3 inches or so and disconnect the connecting wires at each end. Then completely remove the heat element and install new in reverse manner. Whats' you're model number?

Hi there,

Steel wool is the best bet, but it would be easier to replace the floor panel. I had a customer do the same thing. depending on how bad it is replacement mat be a easier option, about $35 for the new panel, and about a month to get the part. two screws on the floor of the oven next to the back wall. The manual does say not to use foil on the oven floor.

Good Luck!!

Thanks

have you tried warming the oven up first on low temp and then gently applying a paint scaper

mr muscle have a good degreaser but it can be strong in fumes read the tin first