Electric Oven Not Heating Up — Diagnose the Bake Element, Igniter, and Temperature Sensor

Diagnose why your electric oven won't heat — from a visibly burned-out bake element to a faulty temperature sensor — and fix the most common causes yourself.

Your oven light comes on, the display works, but after an hour the casserole is still cold. Nine times out of ten this is a failed bake element or a burned-out igniter — both are homeowner-replaceable parts that cost less than a service call. Here’s how to pinpoint the cause before you spend a dime.

Start With the Obvious Checks

Before pulling anything apart, rule out the free fixes:

• Confirm the oven isn’t in a delayed-start or lockout mode. Some models show a normal display but won’t heat until a timer or control lock is cleared. Hold the “Start” or “Cancel” button for 3-5 seconds and try again.
• Check the circuit breaker. An electric oven runs on a double-pole 240V breaker. If one leg trips, the clock and light still work (they run on 120V) but the elements get no power. Flip the breaker fully off, then back on, and test.
• Run a quick bake test. Set the oven to 350°F for 10 minutes and open the door briefly. If the interior is barely warm or completely cold, continue below.

Diagnose a Failed Bake Element (Electric Ovens)

The bake element is the exposed loop along the oven floor; the broil element runs along the ceiling. Visual inspection catches most failures:

1. Look for physical damage. A dead element often shows a blister, bubble, split, or small burn hole. Occasionally you’ll see it glowing in one spot while the rest stays dark during a test cycle.
2. Test the broil element as a comparison. Set the oven to broil. If the broil element glows red but the bake element stays cold, the bake element has failed. If neither heats, suspect the breaker, the oven’s thermal fuse, or the control board.
3. Test continuity if nothing is visible. With the oven unplugged, remove the two screws holding the element inside the cavity, pull it forward gently, and disconnect the wires. Set a multimeter to ohms and touch the probes to the element terminals. A good element reads roughly 20-40 ohms. An open circuit (no reading at all) means it’s dead.

Replacement is genuinely easy: order the exact element using your oven’s model number (found on a sticker inside the door frame or behind the bottom drawer), transfer the wires one at a time to the new element, screw it back in, and restore power. Total cost is typically $25-$60.

Diagnose a Weak Igniter (Gas Ovens)

If yours is a gas oven, the igniter — not an element — is the usual culprit. The igniter must draw enough current to open the gas safety valve:

1. Start a bake cycle and watch the igniter at the base of the oven (floor models) or under the bottom panel.
2. Igniter glows but the burner never lights: the igniter is too weak to open the safety valve even though it looks like it’s working. This is the classic gas oven failure. Replace the igniter — around $20-$50.
3. Igniter never glows at all: check that it’s receiving voltage before condemning it; if it has power but stays dark, it’s dead. No power means the safety valve, harness, or control board is at fault.

Igniter replacement requires a screwdriver and patience — the part is brittle, so handle it like a light bulb. Match the replacement to your model; igniters are rated by amperage draw, and the wrong one won’t open the valve.

Check the Oven Temperature Sensor

If the oven heats but badly overshoots, undershoots, or shuts off mid-cycle, the temperature sensor is a suspect:

• The sensor is a 2-3 inch metal probe mounted on the rear wall of the cavity, held by two screws.
• With the oven unplugged, test it with a multimeter: at room temperature it should read about 1,080-1,100 ohms. A wildly different reading means replacement (usually $15-$30).
• Small inaccuracies — everything baking 25°F hot, for example — can often be corrected through the oven’s calibration setting in the owner’s manual rather than any parts swap.

When It’s the Control Board (Call a Pro)

If the elements and sensor test fine, the igniter has voltage but won’t run, or the display behaves erratically (flickering, random beeps, error codes), the electronic control board is likely failing. Boards cost $150-$300 or more, and mis-wiring one can create fire and shock hazards. This is the point where a licensed appliance technician pays for itself — especially if the oven is less than eight years old and the board may still be covered under a parts warranty.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Diagnosing with the door open. Many ovens won’t energize elements with the door open or the door lock engaged — a “dead element” test is only valid with the door fully closed.
• Touching a test-hot element. Elements that look fine can still be open-circuited internally, and elements that just ran are burn hazards. Always unplug and let everything cool first.
• Ignoring preheat lag. An oven that takes 40 minutes to reach 350°F often has a slowing element or a drifting sensor — replace it on your schedule instead of eating a ruined holiday roast.
• Buying parts by look alone. Element shapes are similar across brands but terminal spacing and wattage differ. Order strictly by model number.

When to Repair vs. Replace

If the fix is a bake element, igniter, or sensor — under about $75 in parts and one evening of work — repair wins for nearly any oven. If the control board plus a service call approaches $400 on an oven older than ten years, replacement pricing usually makes more sense.