The KitchenAid brand is famous for its creative and bold oven colors and its ovens’ excellent baking, broiling, and steaming functions. Recently, the brand made a loud debut in the smart home category, winning the 2019 CES® Innovation Award. However, when using your KitchenAid oven, the aesthetic and efficiency aspects can be rendered useless if it stops heating.
These are the most common reasons why a KitchenAid oven is not heating:
- A defective temperature sensor.
- A damaged bake element.
- A malfunctioning oven igniter.
This article gives practical answers for troubleshooting a KitchenAid oven that won’t heat. Let’s tackle the issues one at a time.
A Defective Temperature Sensor
When using the baking function on your KitchenAid oven, the temperature sensor communicates with both the thermostat and the control panel to control oven temperature. Should the temperature in the oven exceed the desired temperature, the sensor activates electrical resistance to stop the heating.
However, if the oven temperature sensor is defective, it could continuously show resistance, causing the oven not to heat. If this is the case, then the sensor needs to be replaced.
How To Fix
Before changing a temperature sensor in a KitchenAid oven, check to see if the sensor is touching the oven wall. This could cause inaccurate temperature readings and make the oven not heat up.
If the temperature sensor isn’t touching the oven wall but is giving the wrong temperature reading, follow these steps to replace it:
- Flip the switch at the circuit breaker or turn off and unplug the oven.
- Remove the screws at the rear panel to remove it.
- Press the tabs on the sensor wire harness to release.
- Unscrew the sensor’s mounting screw.
- Remove the temperature sensor.
- Insert the new temperature sensor and replace the screws on the holding bracket, so the sensor is firmly held inside the oven.
- Reconnect the wire harness to the new sensor.
- Screw the rear panel back in its place.
- Turn on the circuit breaker or oven switch and check if the oven starts heating.
You can check these steps in this Repair Clinic video to make the process clearer:
The Bake Element Is Damaged
The bake element is the main heating element in your KitchenAid oven, and is usually just a metal coil. The wires of a bake element conduct electricity to heat the metal coil during baking and other cooking functions, but not during broiling.
If the bake element fails or is damaged, it will not heat up. You’ll have to replace it to make your KitchenAid oven heat up again.
How To Fix
You can tell if your KitchenAid oven bake element is bad if it has broken points or blisters. A bake element that won’t glow when the oven is set to bake or roast is also a sign that it is not heating.
To replace the bake element:
- Turn off the power and unplug the power cord.
- Pull the range from the wall to create a working space.
- Remove the screws securing the rear panel and set it aside.
- Disconnect the bake element wires.
- Now work from the front and open the oven door. If it makes it easier for you to work, remove the oven door by rotating the hinge locks, partially closing it, then lifting it. Set the door aside.
- Take out the oven racks.
- Remove the screws securing the bottom panel inside the oven to reveal the bake element.
- Unscrew the bake element and take it out.
- Insert the new element and screw to secure it.
- Follow the reverse steps to replace all the parts in their place.
- Turn on the power and test to see if it resumes heating.
These steps apply to the electric range oven. You can follow a visual demonstration in this Repair Clinic video:
Check your user manual for variations in the process if you have a KitchenAid countertop or wall oven.
A Malfunctioning Oven Igniter
If you own a KitchenAid gas oven, then you’ll need a reliable gas supply to run the appliance. However, gas ovens also require electricity to run some components, including the igniter.
Sometimes, the oven igniter may malfunction. This causes it not to receive enough current to activate the valve that sends gas to the burner. In this case, your oven will not heat unless you replace the igniter.
How To Fix
Before proceeding to replace the igniter, first ensure that it is truly faulty. You can do this by turning on the oven and observing if the igniter glows. If it lights but does not get strong enough to light the burners within three minutes, the igniter is defective and should be replaced. Follow these steps:
- Turn off the gas and power to the oven and unplug the power cord.
- Pull the oven from the wall and unscrew the rear panel to remove it.
- Access the igniter wire and press the tabs on the connector to release the igniter plug from the harness. Then, push the igniter wire into the oven.
- From the front, rotate the hinge locks of the oven door and partially close the door. Then lift it to remove. This will make more room to work easily.
- Take out the oven racks.
- Remove the screws securing the bottom panel and pull it out.
- Take out the screws securing the igniter to the burner and remove it.
- Insert the new igniter and screw it on, then pass the wires through the hole to the oven rear.
- Place back the bottom panel and replace the screws. Replace the door if you took it out.
- Go back to the rear and connect the igniter to the wire harness.
- Place the rear panel back and screw it to secure.
- Switch the gas and power on and test if the oven now heats as it should.
You can watch these steps on this AppliancePartsPro video:
Note that some models may allow you to remove the igniter without needing to open the rear. Go by the nature of your model.
If these issues do not get your oven heating, check the appliance for a defective convection fan motor, temperature control thermostat, or bake/broil spark electrode.