After years of prepping meals and baking your favourite treats, your oven may start to develop problems reaching the appropriate temperature. Over time your oven’s components can start to break down or become damaged, leaving you with lukewarm meals.
Several risks can develop when an oven won’t heat up. Undercooked food can leave your family feeling unwell. It can also trick you into turning up the heat too high risking fire or injury. It is important to do regular inspections of your oven to ensure that all components are working properly. This will ensure that your food is always cooked properly and reduce your risk of malfunction.
So when you discover the oven is not heating up, there are a few simple things you can do to determine the cause and make any adjustments. In this article, we will review the most common causes for your oven not heating up and how a few simple adjustments can get it working again.
Oven Not Heating Up
If a gas oven is not heating up, it could be due to a broken igniter. To confirm that it’s not a problem with the gas line, you can test one of the burners of the stovetop to see if it’s receiving gas. If you hear faint clicks, but don’t hear the gas ignite and the clicking stops, then turn the oven off and consider replacing the igniter.
The process of replacing the igniter in your oven varies by model, but typically requires disconnecting the range from power and removing a handful or screws. You will then have access to disconnect a quick release wiring connection that can be reconnected with the new igniter and tighten everything back down when finished. For safety, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions or contact a professional appliance technician to do this.
If your electric oven is not heating up, it could be the result of a burnt-out element or wiring issue. This is easier to check as the heating elements should be glowing red.
If your elements are not glowing or only partly lit, it’s likely that one of them needs to be replaced. Not sure how to replace the oven element? Simply unplug the oven and remove the element from the stovetop. Check to see if there is any damage to the element or the prongs. If there are any signs of significant wear or damage, replace it with a new one that matches the manufacturer’s specifications. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to do this. Turn the element back on and you should immediately begin to feel the heat. Again for safety reasons, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you are not familiar with repairing ovens. Alternatively, you can also contact an appliance repair technician.
Oven Not Heating to Correct Temperature
Your oven needs to reach specific temperatures to ensure food is cooked, that cakes rise and souffles don’t fall. If you are finding that your food is not being cooked all the way through, there could be several issues.
If the sensor heat sensor in the oven is malfunctioning it may not reach optimum temperature. You can gauge your oven’s performance by using an oven thermometer to test to see if it is reaching a present temperature. If it takes too long or doesn’t reach the temperature at all, there is something wrong with the oven. Check to see if it is touching the inside of the wall, which may provide a false reading. Move it away from the walls to see if that improves temperature readings. If not, it may be necessary to replace the sensor with a new one.
Oven Not Cooking Evenly
Is your food hot on the outside but cold on the inside? This can be due to faulting heating elements. Check to see if your elements are turning red on all sides of your oven. If one side remains dark, then this is likely the cause of unevenly cooked food.
When your oven doesn’t heat at all, or it only heats to the wrong temperature – make sure you check if there’s anything obstructing both heating elements and sensor.
Do a quick visual test by preheating the oven to see if the heating elements are fully glowing red. Also check that the temperature sensor’s resistance is rising with the tempereature of the oven. If neither of them are working as they should, it needs to be replaced.
If the elements are operating fine, check your manual as you may have your oven set to the wrong setting. For example, if it is set to broiler then the heat will be coming from the top. Make sure you place the food on the right track to ensure it is getting the right heat to match your recipes requirements. A simple rack adjustment can quickly get your cooking back on track.
Oven Door Won’t Open or Close
If your oven door doesn’t open after a self cleaning cycle, start by unplugging the unit or shut off the circuit breaker for 5 minutes. After you restore power, move the door lock lever and see if you can open the door. If this doesn’t work, reset the self clean cycle, letting it work for about 15 minutes and then cancel the cycle. After letting the oven cool for a bit, move the door lock lever and try opening the door again.
If the oven door doesn’t stay shut, took a look at the hinges. You may be need to replace them. You’ll need to disassemble the door and possible removing the side panel as well. If you need help, call an appliance repair technician for help.
If you are having trouble with your oven getting to the right temperature of if your oven won’t heat up, call the team at Fix Repair. We provide fast, friendly, and affordable service on all makes and models no matter whether it’s your Whirlpool oven not heating up, Frigidaire oven not working or Maytag oven not heating up. We have the knowledge and expertise to get your appliance working again so you can get back to preparing a tasty hot meal.
Make an Appointment
