Oven Won't Heat

On a range, the symptom of "oven won't heat" is one of the most frequently reported homeowner complaints — and it almost always traces back to a small set of root causes that you can investigate in under fifteen minutes without specialized tools. The oven turns on, the display behaves normally, but the cavity stays cold. Before opening any access panel, unplug the appliance (or shut off the gas where applicable), give it a few minutes for residual current to bleed off, and have a flashlight, a phone camera for documenting cable routing, and a small bowl handy for any water that may release when you disconnect a hose.

Most service technicians work through the same checklist for this complaint, and the order matters because each successive cause requires more disassembly. 1. On gas ovens, the bake igniter has weakened and is no longer drawing enough current to open the gas valve. 2. On electric ovens, the bake element has burned through. 3. The temperature sensor (RTD) inside the cavity has failed. 4. The control board's relay for the bake circuit has failed. Walk these in order and stop as soon as one of them resolves the symptom — there is no need to keep digging deeper if an early-list fix restores normal operation.

Practical do-it-yourself steps you can attempt safely: Step 1: Visually inspect the bake element for breaks; replace if cracked. Step 2: Test the gas igniter current draw with a clamp meter — should be 3.2-3.6 amps for a hot-surface igniter. Step 3: Test the RTD resistance against the spec for your model (typically 1080 ohms at room temperature). After completing the steps, run a short empty cycle to confirm the symptom is gone before reloading the appliance with laundry, dishes, or food. Document anything you replaced — if the same fault returns within a few weeks, the technician will want to know what has already been ruled out.

When to escalate to a service technician: Control-board relay diagnostics require live-current testing and are best left to a service technician. Igniters and elements are straightforward DIY parts. If the unit is still under the manufacturer's parts-and-labor warranty, do not perform any repair that involves opening a sealed system, breaking a tamper sticker, or substituting a non-OEM part — any of those can void coverage. Keep the model number printed on the rating plate and the date of purchase ready when you call; a competent technician can usually narrow the diagnosis over the phone if you describe what you have already tried.