The short answer
An oven that will not heat is usually the element on an electric range or the igniter on a gas one, not the control. Watch the oven through a preheat with the light on: what you see in the first few minutes names the part.
What you actually see and hear
- The oven stays cold and the element never glows — An electric bake element that has failed open.
- The grill works but baking does not, or the reverse — Two separate elements, and one of them has failed.
- It heats but takes far too long and never holds temperature — A sensor reading wrongly, or a door letting heat out.
- On a gas oven, the igniter glows but the burner never lights — A weak igniter that no longer draws enough current to open the valve.
- NEAR MISS - everything is cold and the clock is dark too — That is power, not heating. Start at the breaker.
Causes, most likely first on this machine
- Failed bake element or igniter — First, and by a wide margin. Elements fail open with age and gas igniters weaken until they can no longer open the valve - both are common and both are ordinary repairs.
- Oven temperature sensor drifted or failed — Second. It makes the oven run cool, run hot or cycle wrongly rather than stay stone cold.
- Door seal and hinge letting heat escape — Third. A door hanging out of square costs enough heat to make an oven look weak, especially on long bakes.
- Control relay or board — Fourth. Real, but it is what remains once the element and sensor have been ruled out.
- Supply issue on an electric range — Last, and distinctive: a range that has lost one half of its supply often heats weakly or runs the hob and not the oven.
Check in this order, and why
- Switch the oven light on and watch a preheat — A glowing element or a glowing igniter that never lights tells you nearly everything.
- Compare bake and grill — If one works and the other does not, you have already localised it.
- Put an oven thermometer in and compare it with the setting — A consistent offset points at the sensor rather than the element.
- Check the door for square and the gasket for flat sections — A heat-leaking door imitates a weak oven.
What an owner can safely check
- Let the oven cool, then inspect both elements visually — Look for a break, blistering or a bright scorched section.
Tools: torchAbout 15 min
- Run a preheat with the light on and watch what glows — Do not open the door - watch through the glass.
About 20 min
- Put an oven thermometer in and compare with the setting — Do this at a mid temperature and let it settle fully.
Tools: oven thermometerAbout 45 min
- Check the door gasket and the gap at the top and bottom — A dropped door costs a surprising amount of heat.
Tools: paperAbout 15 min
- Check the breaker has not tripped on one side only — An electric range can lose one half of its supply and still show life.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE before removing an element, the sensor or any panel — That is live work on a high-current appliance and gas work needs a qualified person.
Before you open anything
Safety
Switch the range off at its breaker before touching anything behind a panel - a cooking appliance is usually on a dedicated higher-rated circuit, and the socket switch is not isolation. Let the cavity cool completely first. On a gas range, if you smell gas: do not switch anything on or off, leave the building, and call the gas utility from outside. Do not look for the leak yourself.
When to call a technician
Call a technician for a failed element, a weak igniter or a sensor - all three are common, identifiable and ordinary repairs, and knowing which one it is before you call shortens the visit. Call an electrician if the range has lost part of its supply. On a gas range call a qualified gas engineer rather than a general technician, and if there is any smell of gas, leave the building and call the utility from outside before making any other call.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the domestic range oven class, not for one family or model line. Where a brand- or model-specific page exists for your unit it is the more specific answer and it is linked above, so go there first if your machine is named. What is deliberately not here: element ratings, sensor resistance tables, hinge and gasket part numbers and terminal block specifications, all of which differ by family and belong on the page for that family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
