There are four main types of ovens: conventional, convection, microwave, and toaster. This is a general guide that covers how to fix an oven not heating up for a conventional electric or gas stove oven.
Electrical ovens work by using heating elements on the walls of the oven. These heating elements draw large amounts of electricity (although this only costs roughly $0.60 an hour according to Power Shop) in order to heat the air inside, cooking your food. Electric ovens are the most common variety although they tend to be more expensive than gas ovens.
While gas ovens are generally a fair bit cheaper than electric ovens to buy, they often have hot spots and you will need a gas supply. Gas ovens work using a gas fuelled burner. The gas supply is opened when you turn it on and then ignited. Once it reaches temperature it will cut the gas supply, restarting it once the oven starts to cool again.
Regardless of the type of oven you have, when it ceases to heat up properly it is an inconvenience most people would rather avoid. Here is a simple step-by-step guide on things to check yourself which may fix your oven without having to call a repair technician.
If your oven is completely dead the first thing to check is the circuit breaker. Electrical ovens use a lot of electricity in order to heat up and maintain a constant temperature. As a result, there are circuit breakers in place which can be caused to trip if there is a power surge. If your circuit breaker has been tripped, it will result in your oven not heating up.
Follow these steps to check your circuit breaker:
If your switch has been tripped you can reset it yourself. First, push the switch to off and then all the way into the on position. Now check your oven to see if this has fixed the issue. If your breaker trips again soon after you have reset it you may need to call an electrician.
If your oven has physical knobs instead of a touchscreen this is the next component for you to check. If they have been knocked or removed and not put back on correctly, there is a good chance this is your issue.
You will need to check each knob is installed correctly and in its proper place. Consult your owner’s manual if you are unsure about where the correct position is.
If your oven door is not closed and sealed, hot air will escape which will slow down the cooking process.
This step is only applicable to electric ovens.
If you have an electric oven, you should consider replacing the heating element if you are having issues with your oven not heating up. Your element should last on average 5 years but sometimes need to be replaced earlier. A replacement heating element is usually inexpensive and can be replaced yourself. First you should check if your oven is still under warranty. If not, follow these simple steps to replace your oven’s heating element:
If your oven is still not heating up correctly then it is time to consult a professional repair technician.
This step is only applicable to gas ovens.
If you have checked the simple fixes above and are still having trouble with your oven not heating up, you may have a dirty or faulty ignitor. Follow these simple steps to clean your oven ignitor.
Once you have cleaned the ignitor, turn the gas and power back on and retest your oven to see if it is heating up correctly. If not, the ignitor may need to be replaced. We highly recommend consulting a professional for this.
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