GE Oven Not Turning Off? Top 4 Causes (+ How To Fix)

Ovens are supposed to turn off when a programmed bake or broil cycle is complete. What if yours won’t? What issues could a GE oven that’s not turning off have?

Your GE oven is not turning off due to one of these reasons:

• A shorted-out bake or broil element.
• A “welded” oven temperature thermostat.
• Dirty or loose oven knob controls.
• A defective oven control board.

Whichever of these issues is affecting your oven, this article will provide you with practical and easy-to-implement troubleshooting steps. Discover them in the rest of the article.

The Bake or Broil Element Has Shorted Out

A power surge into your bake or broil element can cause a short circuit, damaging the element. If this happens, the component may continue receiving power without any circuit control, causing the oven to stay on.

A shorted oven element will present signs of damage such as breakages, blisters, or holes. Even if these signs are not present, a bad element will not record electrical voltage when tested for continuity.

How To Test and Fix a Shorted-Out Bake/Broil GE Oven Element

Testing and replacing GE oven elements is similar for both the bake and broil elements. I’ll highlight any variations in the process.

Follow these 7 steps to test and replace your GE oven bake/broil element: 

1. Turn off the power to the oven and remove the plug from the wall outlet, or cut off power at the circuit breaker. Take out the oven racks to make room to work and access the elements.
2. Assess the bake and broil element for damage. You may notice cracks, blisters, or holes. These are clear signs that the element is damaged and needs replacement. If no signs of damage are visible, test the element for continuity.
3. Release the heat elements from the oven. For the bake element, remove the two screws holding the part to the rear wall of the oven. For the broil element, remove the two screws at the back wall of the range and two screws from the support bracket on the oven roof. 
4. Disconnect the wires from both elements to remove them from the oven. Ensure none of the wires sinks back into the rear oven wall, as this will make reconnecting a tough task.
5. Adjust a multimeter to the lowest setting for ohms of resistance and touch the bake element terminals with the probes of the multimeter. A reading between zero and 50 ohms shows the bake element has continuity. No activity on the multimeter display means the element is dead.
6. Repeat step 5 above with the broil element. A dead bake or broil element will need replacement.
7. Contact your dealer for the appropriate oven element (broil or bake as required). Replace what’s damaged and resume oven operation.

Here are two Youtube videos by GE Appliances to help you follow the process better. 

How to replace a GE oven bake element:

How to replace a GE oven broil element: 

If all this is too complicated for you even with the video tutorials, call in a trained electrician or oven technician to do the job. 

The Oven Temperature Thermostat Is “Welded”

A “welded” oven thermostat has its electrical contacts melted into a single element. The thermostat’s electrical contacts melt and join if the thermostat overheats. When this happens, the thermostat may consistently call for power, causing your oven to not turn off even when you’ve not set it to work.

A melted temperature control thermostat is no longer functional, and you need to replace it.

How To Replace a “Welded” GE Oven Thermostat

Follow these steps to replace a GE oven temperature control thermostat: 

1. Switch off the power to the oven and remove the plug.
2. Remove the thermostat knob from the oven. Pulling it with a string or flexible wire may make the task easier.
3. Unscrew the back panel of the range and set it aside.
4. Detach the thermostat wires.
5. Remove the screws holding the thermostat to the oven. Remove the thermostat.
6. Screw the new thermostat in the place of the old one.
7. Reattach the wires.
8. Detach the sensing bulb route of the old thermostat and replace it with that of the new one.
9. Replace the back panel and the thermostat knob and restart the oven.

You can watch these steps in this Youtube video by GE Appliances: 

The Oven Knob Controls May Be Loose or Dirty

If your GE electric or gas oven uses knob controls, they may fail to turn all the way to the ‘off’ position, causing the oven to not turn off. This may happen if the knobs are loose or full of dirt.

If your GE oven model allows it, you can remove the oven control knobs, clean them, and replace them for better performance.

How To Clean GE Oven Control Knobs

Here’s are the steps to cleaning your GE range control knobs:

1. Pull the knobs from the oven. You may need a flexible wire or a string if the knobs are somewhat stuck from dirt.
2. Wash the knobs with water and a mild kitchen detergent. Use a soft cloth to get rid of the dirt. Do not soak the knobs in water.
3. Dry the knobs completely. If needed, leave them out for a while to ensure they are dry.
4. Fix back the control knobs, following any indications on the knobs. For example, the off sign should fit directly to where the knob stands when the oven is off. Ensure you do not swap the knobs.
5. Test the knobs.  See if they turn all the way to shut off the oven.

Note: If your model has cardboard behind the oven knobs, do not get rid of it. Cardboard behind range knobs is purposely fitted to guard the knobs against splash.

In case of loose oven knob controls, push them gently back into their proper position.

A Defective GE Oven Control Board

A control board sends power to the oven’s bake and broil elements according to user-specified sensor settings. Once a broil or bake cycle is complete, the control board cuts off the power supply to the elements.

If a control board component regulating power to the oven elements malfunctions or shorts, the control board may continue to send voltage to the elements nonstop. This means your oven will not turn off even when you turn it off at the controls.

How To Fix a Defective GE Oven Control Board

First off, this is a potentially dangerous situation because your oven can overheat and cause damage to other oven components. As such, you should act quickly if you suspect your oven control board has malfunctioned.

Secondly, you will have to replace a faulty oven control board. However, only a trained oven service technician should test and replace a defective oven control board. For this reason, you should schedule a service with an expert GE Service technician near you.

Steve Rajeckas

Steve Rajeckas is an HVAC hobbyist with an avid interest in learning innovative ways to keep rooms, buildings, and everything else at the optimal temperature. When he’s not working on new posts for Temperature Master, he can be found reading books or exploring the outdoors.