How does one fix the door hanging open about four inches?

Your oven door helps to seal the oven and regulate the temperature inside.

If your oven door doesn't close all the way or hangs unevenly, several issues could be the culprit. Many involve easy fixes you can do yourself without calling an expensive repairman. An improperly closing door can lead to heat leaking out of the oven, which could lead to burns for you and to uneven baking. Once you repair your oven door so it closes properly, it's safe to resume normal cooking.

1

Unplug the oven for safety. If yours is a gas model, turn off the gas before you begin your oven door repair.

2

Remove the door to examine the hinges. Pull straight up then out on the door to release most hinges, which are only attached to the door, not the oven. If the door doesn't pull up, look inside the oven for screws holding the hinges in place and unscrew them. Replace the hinges with identical new ones and hook them back into the hinge holes in the oven. Push the door down to lock the hinges in place, or replace the screws.

3

Check the door springs to see if they are broken. Slide out the bottom drawer and look under the oven for the springs between the oven and the door. Not all ovens have springs, but old springs can break as they wear over time. If one is broken, use pliers to open the ends around the bolts, and note which bolts the springs were connected to. Replace the springs with identical ones, tightening the ends around the proper bolts.

4

Remove the silicone fabric or rubber gasket that lines the inside edge of the oven door. Use a flat-head screwdriver to pry one section loose, or grab a section tightly with pliers and pull. Grab the loosened section with your fingers and remove it. Replace it with an identical gasket. Measure the new gasket to make sure it's the same length as the original, cutting it with a utility knife if necessary. Push one end into the groove of the door with your fingers, then continue pressing the rest of the gasket around the groove until the edges of the gasket meet.