The oven is an integral part of a kitchen that’s effective in anything from quiet dinners in, to entertaining a group of friends; but when you’ve got an oven not heating properly that can throw a wrench into whatever plans you may have. We’ve seen this problem pop up many a time over the course of all the oven restorations we’ve conducted and as a result we’ve got a pretty good understanding of the scope of the different problems that could be plaguing your oven. To help aid our clientele in whatever might be troubling their oven we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common problems we see when we come across an oven not heating; with fixes that can be done either on your own or with the help of a pro.

Bake element
This element is what’s found at the bottom of your electric oven and it’s what provides the heat during your ovens use; if you find your oven not heating it could be the result of your element not heating properly. The first step is to look at your element and inspect it visually to see if there are any tears or abrasions which would result in the element not heating properly. If there’s no visible physical damage then the next step is to check for any loose or corroded wires within the element itself. These checks can be done on your own; however further testing would require the presence of a professional.

Oven control thermostat
This thermostat assists in controlling the bake and broil elements of your oven, and if you’ve got an oven not heating it could be a result of a faulty thermostat. This component is located behind the main control panel, and can be tested with a continuity meter after disconnecting the power.

Temperature sensor
Temperature sensors are what help signal the ovens elements to turn on and off, and an oven not heating can be experiencing some sort of malfunction with the sensors. It’s located near the broil element inside of the oven itself and can be tested with a multi-meter after safely killing the power.