Over time, disaster strikes when the oven develops some problems like not heating up properly. You would notice the signs – food is undercooked at the bottom but burnt on the top. Even worse, your oven may stop heating up at all. When this happens, you will most likely need experts to diagnose and repair it.
Possible Reasons Why Your Oven Is Not Heating Up
There are many reasons why your oven is not heating up. A faulty bake element is the most common cause. If yours is in good condition, then go through the other possible issues.
1. Bake Element
The bake element is located on the oven bed and responsible for producing 90% of heat in electric ovens. The broiler provides 10% of the heat so that the food cooks evenly.
If the oven is not heating up properly, you should notice food burning on the top and undercooked at the bottom. Quite possibly, the bake element is blistered or got separated.
How to Replace the Bake Element:
Blistering or separation on the curved electric wire (bake element) at the bottom. If it appears unscathed, you can still test it to see if it is defective by turning on the oven for a minute and turning it off again. You know the bake element is faulty if it remains cold.
Follow these steps to replace the baking element.
What you need:
- Phillips-Head Screwdriver
- A pair of working gloves
Unplug the oven before removing the racks. Remember to wear your working gloves, then unscrew the old bake element using a screwdriver.
Pull out the bake element up to a point where the two wires behind the element can be revealed. Be careful not to remove the insulation.
Disconnect the wires carefully, remove the bake element, and replace it with the new one. Reconnect the wires and reassemble the oven.
2. Temperature Sensor
The temperature sensors regulate the temperature inside the oven. If it becomes defective, your oven cannot heat up properly. Worst, it may not even turn on. The more technologically advanced electrical ovens display an error code if the sensor is defective.
How to Replace the Temperature Sensor:
First, confirm that the sensor is not touching the oven walls since it affects the correct temperature readings. If it does, you have to reposition it to prevent it from touching the walls.
If you still experience the problem, you may consider replacing the sensor with a new one that costs.
Repairing or replacing the temperature sensor is best done by professionals.
3. Defective Thermostat
If the oven is not heating up, getting hot or cold, the culprit may be a defective thermostat. Primarily, it regulates the electricity sent to the bake element and thus heating up the oven. This is a rare reason why your electric oven is not heating up. So you should check out the other possible causes first.
How to Repair the Thermostat:
Unplug the appliance from the power source, then use a multimeter to confirm that the contacts are intact for continuity and make the repair. If your oven has an adjustment screw behind the thermostat, you can recalibrate with an actual thermometer.
4. Wiring
The wiring system is yet another possible cause of your oven not heating up. Moreover, it is not necessarily the wiring of the bake element. Hence, you have to make sure to check the other wires.
In particular, look for frayed wires and other signs of a short circuit. It is advisable to find a professional repair technician who can do the rewiring. With electric ovens evolving and getting more technologically advanced, it will not be easy for you to repair them by yourself.
Related article: 5 Common Reasons Your Oven Isn’t Heating
5. Electronic Control Board
The latest technology has introduced electronic control boards to control the oven’s operation and power flow to the bake elements. When these small computers malfunction, they can stop working properly. If this happens, repairing them is almost impossible, and the best solution is to order a new control board.
6. Fuses
A fuse in an electric oven can blow due to wiring problems that cause short circuits. If a fuse blows, the oven will not heat up due to an incomplete circuit. You will have to replace the fuse with a new one to fix the problem.
How to Replace a Blown Fuse:
Unplug the range and look for the fuse that is blown. The fuses are labeled to allow you easily track the defective circuit that made the fuse blow. Do not change the fuse if you still don’t know what broke it.
If you have found out where the problem was, repair it by insulating the wires and the new fuse, which should have equal ratings as the old one.
7. Igniter in Gas Oven
If you are using a gas oven and have noticed that it is not heating up, the first thing to check is the gas supply. If the gas supply is working, then the igniter could be the culprit.
To confirm this, pull the bottom panel out of the oven and then set the oven to baking mode.
If the igniter is glowing without getting hot, then you should replace it.
What you will need:
- Pair of gloves
- 1/4 inch nut driver
How to Replace the Igniter:
Unplug the range and shut off the gas. Remove the oven racks and panel on the bottom. Wearing your work gloves, use the driver to unscrew on the bracket holding the igniter. Disconnect the wire harness and remove the old igniter.
Plug the new igniter into the wire harness and reposition it before inserting the mounting screws using the driver.
Put back the panel, oven rack and turn on the gas.
8. Damaged Gas Oven Burner
If your gas oven is not heating up at all, it may be due to a damaged oven burner or the ignition electrode.
If you hear clicks when adjusting the oven temperature, followed by the sound of an igniting gas, you need to repair your gas oven burner or the ignition electrode.
This is a complex problem requiring a gas engineer to check your oven and do the repairs.
Oven Still Not Heating Up? Let Us Handle It
Are you still unable to fix your oven? You don’t have to do it all by yourself if you find it challenging. It is time to call Prime Appliance Repairs. Within a reasonable amount of time, skilled technicians can be working on your oven, repairing and restoring its functionality.
Schedule an appointment with us for your oven repair service, and our technicians will arrive much sooner than you think to diagnose the oven to determine the exact problem why it is not heating up and fix it.
Appliance Repair in Toronto
Prime Appliance Repairs provide professional appliance repair services in Toronto for several home appliances such as freezers, Cooktops, Dishwasher, Dryers, Washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, and stoves.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Which areas do you provide appliance repair services?
Prime Appliance Repairs provide appliance repair services in Mississauga, Toronto, Hamilton, and Burlington.
Our goal is to provide 100% customer satisfaction with our professional appliance installation and repair services at Prime Appliance Repairs.
We service major electric appliance brands and makes, delivering the quality that you deserve.
