Breville toaster ovens have a few teething issues, including uneven heating. A few problems are somewhat manageable, such as rotating the pizza stone or crisper in the middle of a cycle to heat it evenly. However, you can’t do anything if a Breville toaster oven is not heating at all.
Here’s why your Breville toaster oven is not heating:
- Bad heating element
- Broken thermostat
- Burnt or frayed wires
- Failing control board
- Modes and settings
Breville toaster ovens don’t have too many parts, but several components are interdependent. So, you have to inspect the related parts and test each independently to detect the causal issue. In this article, I explain the typical causes of a Breville toaster oven not heating and how to fix it.
Bad Heating Element
Generally, Breville toaster ovens have 2 to 4 heating elements. These elements are at the base and the top of the oven cavity. So, check if either or both aren’t working.
Here are the usual symptoms of failing or bad heating elements in a Breville toaster oven:
- The bottom element won’t glow and turn red or orange in the bake mode.
- The top heating element won’t get hot or glow brightly in the broil mode.
- Either or both sets of heating elements won’t glow in the roast mode.
It is unusual for multiple heating elements to fail simultaneously. Hence, you must note the mode when your Breville toaster oven isn’t heating. That way, you can identify the bad heating element. Unfortunately, heating elements are irreparable, so you have to replace them.
However, don’t conclude that you have a bad heating element before you test it.
Here are the steps to access and test the heating elements in a Breville toaster oven:
- Unplug the oven from the wall outlet or an extension if you use one.
- Turn the oven upside down and remove the feet (6 screws in many models).
- Remove the screws from the back access panel or cover (16 in many ovens).
- Remove the screws at the bottom and top corners to take off the back cover.
- You should be able to take apart the back cover and side panel at this stage.
- Remove the screws of the inner panel and take it out to have clear access.
- Get a multimeter and test the terminals of the heating elements for continuity.
- If you can’t access the terminals in your oven, you have to take the elements out.
- Set the multimeter to continuity mode and touch the terminals with the probes.
- Or, you can select the ohms setting on your multimeter and check for resistance.
- If the continuity mode beeps or you find nominal resistance, the elements are fine.
- Else, the elements are bad, and you must replace one or as many that are defective.
Suppose all the heating elements have continuity. In that case, you may have a bad thermostat, or the Breville toaster oven’s wiring is defective. Additionally, you may have a failing control board. On another note, an element with continuity may still heat ineffectively if it’s worn out or unclean.
How To Fix
To replace a bad heating element, match the part number when you buy the replacement, and use the same access steps I explained above to install the new heating element. Be gentle with the wires inside a Breville toaster oven throughout the process, since they are typically quite fragile.
Broken Thermostat
A broken thermostat will prevent a Breville toaster oven from heating, even if everything else is fine. So, if you don’t find any issues with the heating elements, suspect the thermostat and test its resistance to verify continuity. You may also test the thermostat before the heating element.
A defective thermostat can shut the heating element as soon as it detects a temperature spike. Or the heating element may not work at all. Normally, a functioning thermostat should regulate the temperature and shut the heating element only when the selected heat setting is attained.
Breville toaster oven thermostats should read close to 0 ohms or the baseline on a multimeter. If your multimeter’s default or calibrated resistance reading is 1, the thermostat may measure a bit more than that. A bad thermostat won’t have any reading.
You can follow the same disassembling steps I have explained above. You’ll find the thermostat at the back of the oven, which is actually the front as you access the components from the rear or side. The thermostat’s probe is inside the cavity, but the terminals are accessible at the side.
You’ll need to remove some of the insulation to access the thermostat. Additionally, you must unplug the wire harness before testing the multimeter probes on the thermostat terminals.
How To Fix
You should replace a bad thermostat, which is a relatively inexpensive fix compared to changing a heating element.
Some people suspect a blown thermal fuse instead of a bad thermostat when a Breville oven doesn’t heat. However, if your oven is on and the control panel works, the thermal fuse is fine.
Burnt or Frayed Wires
Bad wiring can prevent a Breville toaster oven from heating. The wiring issue may be with the main power cable or the internal wires connecting the following elements:
- Heating elements
- Thermostat
- Control board
Any burnt, frayed, and loose wiring calls for further inspection, possibly replacement.
How To Fix
You can tighten loose wire harnesses and repair frayed wiring if there’s enough to cut, trim, and spare. However, a burnt or visibly damaged wire needs to be replaced. You should also check the power cables, especially if you use any extensions. A weak or fluctuating power supply can prevent heating.
Failing Control Board
Your Breville toaster oven may have one or two control boards, depending on the model. If any critical part of the control board fails, it can affect the heating function. A partially failing main board won’t affect the control panel or display. However, the heating elements may not work.
How To Fix
You can replace a bad control board or consult a local technician for possible repairs. Breville toaster oven control boards can be salvaged with reflow soldering, but you can’t do this yourself unless you have the experience and necessary tools. Besides, the process isn’t exactly safe.
Mode and Settings
Refer to your manual for the standard operating practices. A few modes or settings may prevent a Breville toaster oven from heating.
Consider the example of the frozen function. In many models, the frozen feature works only for toast, bagel, pizza, and cookie. In some models, this function also works for the bake mode. However, you have to review the instructions to avoid any errors while operating a Breville toaster oven.
The models with convection fans can also overheat if the motor fails. Similarly, if the vents are blocked, the toaster oven may overheat. Hence, the oven will shut, and it may appear to be not heating when you check after a few minutes.
How To Fix
Use the right modes and settings per the instruction booklet. Check if the fan works and keep the vents clean. Furthermore, clean the heating elements and racks so that you can get an even cooking temperature in the oven. If any part is evidently broken, you have to replace it.
Chris is a Texas-based freelance writer who loves the outdoors and working in his garage. When he’s not enjoying the Texas sun, he can be found tinkering with all sorts of things in his workshop.