Solved: Electric Oven Won’t Turn On

Your oven might possibly be one of the most important and indispensable parts of your household that you simply cannot function without. But what if your oven won’t turn on? You may have tried everything but still cannot figure out what the problem with your oven is, and you’re stumped thinking about how “my oven won’t turn on.” 

Luckily, there are a few common problems that all ovens may undergo sometime or the other, and a few simple ways to test out whether your oven not working may be attributed to these reasons. 

Why Is My Oven Not Turning On? | Potential Causes & Fixes

1. Bake Element

The bake element of your oven is arguably one of the most important parts of your oven that needs to be looked after often. It is usually located at the bottom of your oven and may be hidden from plain sight so your oven looks more compact and sleek. Newer models conceal the bake element with a glass pane for a more aesthetic appeal.

You can first check visually whether your bake element is working properly or not – and you can do this by checking whether the element is glowing red or not. If not, then there may be parts of the bake element that have been separated or have visible blisters on them, indicating that they’re externally damaged. But if your bake element does not have any of these defects, then it may be that the damage is internal – in which case you will need a multimeter to confirm. 

Using a multimeter to check whether your bake element is defective is extremely easy – first, you will need to switch off any power sources and then remove the backplate in order to carefully inspect the wiring. Make sure that the wiring is not damaged in any way. 

You now need to apply the probes of your multimeter to the terminals of the bake element and check if the resistance is continuous, by referring to the resistance requirements of the user manual. If it is not continuous, you will need to replace your bake element. 

2. Broil Element

The broil element is located at the top of your oven, despite your oven’s configuration; conventional or convection – and while it is the bake element that produces the most heat, it is important to see whether the broil element is functioning properly or not as well. 

Checking for defects in the broil element follows almost the same procedure as the bake element – first, you will need to perform visual checks in order to make sure your broil element is not damaged externally. As you did with the bake element, make sure that your broil element is glowing red because that means it is conducting heat properly. 

If not, then it might be damaged with blisters and holes in the element itself. If the broil element is in order, then it might be an internal issue and you will need to measure the resistance with a multimeter.

Like with the bake element, make sure that all sources of power are turned off before you begin the procedure. Make sure that there is no problem with the wires or the terminals in terms of external damage such as tearing. 

If not, then apply the probes of your multimeter to the terminals of the broil element and check the resistance levels as are required by the user manual for your specific oven model. If you do not find continuity through the multimeter, then it is time to replace the broil element. 

3. Fuse Problems

With fuses in your oven, you’ll need to remember that there are numerous fuses that perform different functions and are linked with different components in your oven. But if your oven won’t turn on, then problems with fuses blowing out are pretty common. 

You’ll need to consult the user manual to figure out which fuse corresponds to what function and check those accordingly – if the fuse link seems to be functioning properly, then it is working. You will also need to check the attached wiring and the element along with the fuse to make sure all parts are working well. 

Remember to do this only after you have disconnected your oven from power at the circuit breaker to avoid any untoward accidents. It is important to check the fuse on your plug first – since this is relatively easier to replace with a matching fuse. If the blown-out fuse is internal, it is best to call an expert to get it replaced. 

4. Igniter Issues

If you’re wondering why “my oven won’t turn on but the stove works,” then the igniter for your oven may be a very visible issue and can be easily spotted. The igniter on your oven burner glows red when it is functioning properly – but if it isn’t, then there’s most likely an issue with either your igniter or the lines that supply gas to the igniter. If you see the igniters functioning by glowing red but your oven still won’t turn on, then the issue is likely to be related to your igniter. This might be a potential reason if you hear your oven clicking but it won’t turn on.  

You will first need to inspect your igniter that is situated under your oven by opening the cover of the oven located below. You will then need to clean the igniter by using any sort of brush that is small enough to clean all crevices of the igniter. Once this is done, you will need to clean the nearby hole that is an opening for gas to come through. 

Lastly, check the igniter once more after you have done this cleaning process – turn the gas supply off and check whether the igniter is sparking or not. If not, then you will need to replace your igniter for your oven. You can also attempt to check how long it takes for your igniter to light your gas – if it takes more than 90 seconds, it means your igniter is weak. 

5. Surface Burner Element

If your electric oven won’t turn on but burners work, then check your surface burner element. This is the part of your oven that is visibly responsible for the heating process. There may be many types of surface burner elements, but the procedure to check whether they’re faulty is largely similar. They may be either coiled, solid, or any other type of surface burner element. To properly inspect and check for continuity, you will have to whip out your multimeter once more. 

Inspect your surface burner element outwardly for any signs of external damage such as bubbling or holes. If there’s no damage, then use your multimeter to check for continuity and employ the assistance of your user manual once more in order to check whether the continuity of the terminals of your surface burner element is in the required range or not. If it isn’t, you will then need to change your surface burner element. 

6. Temperature Sensor

This part of your oven, as the name suggests, is responsible for controlling and regulating the temperature that is supplied to your oven’s heating element. It prevents the oven from overheating once it has reached the desired temperature. If this component of your oven is faulty, then it is possible that your oven will not start at all. 

To check whether or not your temperature sensor is faulty, you’ll have to remove it from the inside of the oven. More than likely, the temperature sensor in your oven is located at the back end of the oven towards the top. Once the temperature sensor is removed, you will need to check its continuity with your multimeter once again. 

Remember that you should do this at room temperature since this component has differing readings based on temperature changes. Check your user manual once again for the required continuity range – it should be around 1100 ohms of resistance. If not, then you need to change your temperature sensor. The following video demonstrates where you can find and check if there’s a need to replace the thing.

7. Safety Valve

Your safety valve is the component of your oven that is responsible for releasing the gas only when the igniter of your oven is at the optimum temperature for igniting the gas. This is almost never a problem with the oven – however, if nothing else seems amiss, then you’ll need to check your safety valve as well – because, with a defective safety valve, the oven will not be able to heat properly.

You will need to remove your safety valve to check it for any defects. It is usually situated near the igniters or the burners of your oven. Once you have removed it, use your multimeter to check for continuity. There might be two terminals – one each for the bake element and the broil element, so test each individually and make sure the continuity is anywhere between 0 – 50 ohms. If not, then it is most likely time to replace your safety valve.

8. Electronic Control Board

The control board is usually the component that is in charge of sending voltage to the other heating components of the oven. It controls either the safety valve or the broil element and the bake element, depending on the kind of oven it is. 

Once you have inspected the other heating components of your oven to make sure nothing is amiss, then you need to inspect your control board to make sure there’s nothing wrong with it either.

The control board is usually located just behind the control panel. Once you have it removed, then you need to check it for any external defects – since there’s no way to test it – such as burning, short-circuiting, or other forms of damage that are common. If you find a defect, then you need to get your electronic control board replaced. 

9. Switch

Lastly, you will need to check your infinite switch to make sure everything is in order. If you have already tried testing out all the other components of your oven but found nothing amiss, then the problem is most likely with your oven switch. 

This infinite switch is responsible for sending power to all other components of your oven. If one of the elements on your oven is receiving no heat but the display says it does, then your infinite switch may be the problem.

Like other components, you will need to remove the infinite switch too to inspect it and test it out. For this, you will need to remove the back panel and then remove the infinite switch. It is also a good idea to check the adjacent wires for any damage as well. Once you have your infinite switch removed, check between the L1 and H1 and L2 and H2 terminals with your multimeter for continuity. Refer this comprehensive video if you yet feel lost.

Conclusion

And those were the most common reasons for your gas oven not working and also some ways to test whether you need to replace specific components of your oven to make it work. If you’ve followed these steps and are still unsure, then it would be a good idea to have a specialist over to take a look at your oven and figure out the reason for your oven not turning on.