Do you need to repair a Sport solar oven lid?
I bought my Sport solar oven in 2009. It was the first commercial solar oven that I purchased. I have used it as my primary solar oven for 8 years. The cooker is easy to take care of. A quick wipe of the surface areas, including the lid is enough to keep it going.
Except for food with a high sugar content, food does not generally burn in a solar oven. And even with high sugary foods, the cook window is long enough that food will brown nicely, but there is little danger of the food burning. Unless you forget about it and leave it for a very long time. Like I did. I forgot that I had granola cooking and when I finally remembered, the granola was extremely brown – read that as “burnt”.
The Sport solar oven lid is composed of two pieces – the outer plastic shell and an inner polyester film. During the cooking process, the food gave off a sticky brown condensation which covered the inside film of the lid. Trying to scrub it off was impossible. So I decided to replace it.
Let me make this really clear. With good care, the film on the Sport lid should not need to be replaced. This was not a problem with the lid or the manufacturer. It was due to my own negligence that I needed to replace the film.
How to Repair a Sport Solar Oven Lid
In order to replace the film, you must have something to replace it with. I ordered the replacement film and tape through Solarvore.com. The film is already cut to the exact measurement needed to cover the lid. But you will need a pair of scissors to cut the tape.
To remove the old film, gently peel back the tape from one edge of the lid. Then from the second, third, and fourth side, until the entire film can be lifted off.
After the film has been removed, gently clean the edge of the Sport to remove all the residue remaining from the old tape. Use a mild detergent if needed. The inside cavity of the lid shouldn’t need too much attention. If needed, clean the inside of the lid using a very soft cloth and water. You don’t want to leave a streaky residue of the cleaner on the inside of the lid. Be sure to use a very soft cloth so that you don’t scratch the inside of the lid. While you’re there, might as well clean the front side of the lid too.
Let the lid completely dry so that the new tape will stick. Roll out the new film and place it on the lid. The replacement film has already been cut to measure. There is a slight groove that runs around the lip of the lid. This is where the new film goes. So that the film doesn’t slip out of place while taping, place a small piece of tape at each corner,making sure the film is tight.
Tape each edge down, making sure that the film does not slip and is still in the groove. Make sure that the tape catches the edge of the film and does not leave a gap. Tape down all four sides. And you’re done! It’s as easy as that!
When you repair a Sport solar oven, the last step is testing the oven to be sure that all of the edges are taped and that the solar oven gets hot. After getting a new film, the Sport reached a temperature of 250°F (121°C) in 15 minutes on a clear sunny day.
With care, your Sport solar oven should last many many years and provide many solar cooked meals. However, should the film become too dirty to clean or old and brittle, you can easily repair a Sport solar oven by replacing the polyester film. If the lid becomes cracked or warped, you can purchase a replacement from Solavore.com.
How old is your Sport? How is it holding up? For more information on the Sport, read Sport Solar Oven Review.
Note: I was not compensated for this post. I purchased my own oven in 2009 and I purchased the replacement film as well.
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