Oven Not Heating Up? 6 Things to Check Before Calling a Repair Tech

An oven that will not come up to temperature almost always has one specific failed part, and most of them cost less than a service call. This guide covers both electric and gas ovens and walks the six checks in the order a tech runs them, so you can rule out the cheap stuff before you pay anyone.

First decide which kind you have, because it changes the likely cause. An electric oven heats with a metal bake element that glows orange. A gas oven heats with a burner lit by a glowing igniter. If yours glows orange along the bottom, read the electric sections. If yours clicks and you smell gas but see no steady flame, focus on the igniter.

Start With These 30-Second Checks

1. 1Confirm the oven is not stuck in delay bake, timer, or sabbath mode. Cancel all timers and try a straight bake.
2. 2Check the breaker. An electric oven runs on a double 240-volt breaker, and one half can trip, leaving the element dead but the display on.
3. 3For a gas oven, confirm the gas is on, other burners light, and the range is plugged in. The igniter needs electricity.
4. 4Set a plain 350-degree bake and watch for the element glowing or the igniter clicking within a few minutes.

1. Tripped Breaker or Lost Leg of Power

An electric range needs both legs of a 240-volt circuit. If one leg trips or a wire loosens, the clock and burners may still work on 120 volts while the oven element gets no heat. This is the first thing a tech checks.

1. 1Open the breaker panel and find the double breaker for the range.
2. 2Flip it fully off, then firmly back on. A tripped breaker often sits in a middle position.
3. 3If it trips again immediately, stop and call an electrician, as that points to a short.
4. 4Check that the range plug is fully seated in the outlet.
5. 5Try the oven again on a plain bake.

2. Burned-Out Bake Element (Electric)

In an electric oven the bake element is the curved metal rod across the bottom. It is the most common failure. A burned-out element often shows a blister, a break, or a scorched spot.

1. 1Turn on bake and look. A working element glows bright orange within a few minutes.
2. 2If it stays dark, shut off the range breaker.
3. 3Remove the two screws holding the element at the back of the oven and pull it forward to expose the terminals.
4. 4Test the element for continuity with a multimeter. No continuity means it is burned out.
5. 5Fit the replacement element, reconnect the two wires, and screw it back in.

3. Weak or Dead Oven Igniter (Gas)

A gas oven has no pilot. It has an igniter that glows hot enough to open the safety gas valve. A weak igniter glows but never gets hot enough to open the valve, so you get glow but no flame. This is the number one gas oven failure.

1. 1Start a bake and watch the igniter at the bottom of the oven, often under a metal plate.
2. 2If it glows for more than 90 seconds without the gas lighting, the igniter is weak and needs replacing.
3. 3If it does not glow at all, it is dead.
4. 4Shut off the gas and the range power, then unscrew the old igniter and unplug its connector.
5. 5Install the new igniter without touching the carbide element with bare fingers, as skin oils shorten its life.

4. Failed Oven Temperature Sensor

The oven temperature sensor is a thin probe inside the cavity that tells the control board how hot it is. A failed sensor can make the board think the oven is already hot and shut the heat off early.

1. 1Find the sensor, a pencil-thin rod sticking out of the upper rear wall of the oven.
2. 2Shut off the power, unscrew the sensor, and pull it forward to reach the connector.
3. 3Test its resistance with a multimeter. Most read about 1080 ohms at room temperature.
4. 4A reading wildly off from that means a failed sensor.
5. 5Fit the replacement and make sure the probe does not touch the oven wall.

5. Faulty Control Board or Selector Switch

The electronic control board or the selector switch tells the oven when to power the element or open the gas valve. When it fails, the oven may light for broil but not bake, or ignore the bake command entirely.

1. 1Test whether broil works but bake does not, or the reverse. That split often points to the board or switch.
2. 2Confirm the element, igniter, and sensor have all passed their tests first, since the board is a diagnosis of last resort.
3. 3Shut off the power and inspect the board for scorched relays or burnt spots near the bake relay.
4. 4Order the board or selector switch by your exact model number.
5. 5Swap it following a photo of the wiring, or hand this one to a tech if the harness is complex.

6. Burnt Element Wiring (or When to Call a Pro)

Sometimes the element or igniter is fine but the wire feeding it has burned through at the terminal, a common hidden failure from years of heat. This is also the point to know when to stop.

1. 1With the power off, inspect the two element or igniter terminals for melted, blackened, or corroded connectors.
2. 2A wire that crumbles or a connector burned loose explains a dead element that tests fine.
3. 3Cut back the damaged wire and crimp on a high-temperature terminal rated for oven use.
4. 4If the burnt wiring runs back into the harness, or you smell gas at any point, stop and call a pro.
5. 5Never bypass a scorched connector with tape. It will fail again hotter.