If your oven is not heating up, but the stove works, the issue could be a faulty igniter or a defective heating element in gas or electric ovens. You can install a new ignitor or heating element in your oven to resolve the problem.
Although a faulty igniter or a defective heating element are common causes of an oven not heating up, these are not the only possible reasons. In this guide, I will identify various potential causes and provide solutions to help you fix the issue and get your oven up and running again.
Main Caused of Iven Not Heating Up
If you are going to read nothing else from this article, here are the leading causes of an oven that doesn’t heat up even though the stove top is working:
- Faulty electric oven heating element
- Malfunctioning temperature sensor and thermostat
- Blown thermal fuse or stuck limit switch
- Disconnected or broken gas oven igniter
- Failing gas safety valve
- Circuit continuity oven
Why Your Oven Is Not Heating Up, But Stove Works
Like electric stoves, the oven has heating elements. This means that even if your electric stove’s heating elements work fine, those in the oven may not work due to connection issues or other damages that may have occurred to some of their essential components.
The burners inside a gas oven have dedicated igniters and safety valves. For this reason, even if your stove works and there is an adequate gas supply to the range, the igniters, safety valves, and other vital parts in the oven may fail, preventing the appliance from heating up.
Faulty Electric Oven Heating Element
A conventional electric oven comprises two heating elements for baking and broiling. Your oven may have two, three, or four heating elements, depending on its type. A damaged piece can prevent your electric oven from heating up while the stove atop the range usually works.
If your appliance isn’t working, one or more of these elements might be damaged. Also, you need to check whether the oven isn’t heating up in only one mode or all of them.
Here’s how the heating elements function in different modes:
- Broiling: the top heating element in the oven operates at the highest temperatures.
- Baking: two or all heating elements function at moderately high temperatures.
- Roasting: two or all heating elements operate at higher temperatures than baking.
So, when is your oven not heating up? Here are a few probable scenarios:
- The top element may be damaged if your oven is not heating up while broiling.
- The oven is not sufficiently hot to bake: the broiling mode works fine, but the bottom heating element is damaged. If an oven has a third or fourth heating element, either or both could be broken.
- The oven does not heat up while roasting: check if the oven is heating up in baking mode. If it does, the problem may not be the heating element but the temperature sensor or another component.
Here’s a video to help you test the continuity of an electric oven’s heating element:
Malfunctioning Temperature Sensor and Thermostat
A malfunctioning temperature sensor is one of the most common reasons for an oven not heating up. All gas and electric ovens have a temperature sensor and thermostat.
The temperature sensor is located in the oven’s cooking chamber. This sensor and thermostat assembly connect to the control board.
If your oven’s burners or heating elements work fine, a faulty temperature sensor can erroneously shut the oven off as it heats. Therefore, if your oven is heating but not to the desired temperature, the most likely culprit is the temperature sensor.
Here are a few common problems with oven temperature sensors:
- The temperature sensor inside the oven can go wrong.
- The ceramic material may be clogged with soot and grime.
- The wires connected to the sensor may be loose, frayed, or damaged.
Blown Thermal Fuse or Stuck Limit Switch
A blown thermal fuse or stuck limit switch will prevent the oven from heating up. A thermal fuse is generally irreparable, but you can reset a stuck limit switch.
Your oven has a safety feature, either a thermal fuse or limit switch, that disrupts the electric circuit in case of power surges. This can cause the oven to lose power, even if the display works fine. Gas ovens also need electricity to keep the igniter on. The fuse or switch may be separate from the control panel, so other oven parts won’t work even if the display does.
An easy test can be to check whether the fan works as you set the oven to heat or preheat. If it doesn’t, and the oven is not heating, you should check the fuse or limit switch. Most ovens have this fixture at the back, inside the rear access panel.
Disconnected or Broken Gas Oven Igniter
The igniter is crucial for lighting the gas that heats the oven. It must remain hot throughout preheating and cooking. Check the igniter’s condition if the burners shut off and the oven isn’t heating.
Inspect them to see if they’re broken or unclean. Also, the wires connected to the igniters may be loose, frayed, or damaged, meaning the component isn’t getting enough power to operate correctly.
Failing Gas Safety Valve
The safety valve allows gas to flow into the burner when it senses the heat from the igniter. If it fails or functions intermittently, the gas supply will be shut off, and your oven won’t heat.
You can visually check the igniter to see if it’s working, but accessing the safety valve requires taking apart the oven. If the igniter is hot, but no gas flows into the burners, the safety valve is likely broken, and stays closed.
Since your stove works, you have a sufficient gas supply. Therefore, low gas pressure is not an issue in this scenario.
Moreover, as the igniter must stay glowing hot throughout preheating and cooking, the safety valve should remain open for gas to flow continuously into the burners. In short, an igniter or a safety valve is the culprit when a gas oven doesn’t heat, or a burner doesn’t light up.
Faulty Oven Control Board
Both gas and electric ovens have an electronic control board. A failing or bad control board may prevent the oven from heating, starting, or functioning properly.
Weak wire harnesses or loose connections may affect the control board’s functions. However, it is more common for a control board to malfunction entirely or with some components, i.e., capacitors, resistors, transistors, etc.
Circuit Continuity Oven
Gas and electric ovens have elaborate circuits connecting the various components. A lack of continuity in the circuit, disrupting the current flow, will prevent the connected parts of the oven from receiving electricity.
These affected parts include the following:
- Heating elements (electric oven)
- Igniters (gas oven)
- Safety valves (gas oven)
- Thermostat and temperature sensor
- Limit switch or thermal fuse
- Electronic control board
Disconnected heating elements won’t radiate heat, and a faulty igniter won’t turn red or orange. Damaged wires, broken elements, or a bad control board can cause continuity issues. However, the control board may be okay if the issue is elsewhere in the circuit.
Watch this video with instructions on how to test the continuity of your oven’s circuit:
Continuity issues can prevent your oven from heating even if all the other critical components are in impeccable working condition.
Fixes for an Oven Not Heating Up, but the Stove Is Working
You should check the continuity and condition of every electric or gas oven component. Doing so will enable you to detect the culprit much more accurately. Then, you can choose the appropriate solution: cleaning, resetting, repairing, or replacing.
Clean all the Critical Components of the Oven
Significant soot and grime buildup can impair the functioning of several critical components in an oven. However, the heating elements or burners shouldn’t be completely incapacitated.
In contrast, a dirty temperature sensor or an igniter may not function optimally.
Therefore, clean the temperature sensors (all ovens) and igniters (gas). You may use sandpaper or a scrub pad for these components.
Reset the Limit Switch or Replace the Thermal Fuse
Ovens with a limit switch won’t heat if this safety fixture is stuck or tripped. Many limit switches have a reset feature—a button you can press to restore the device. If you cannot reset your limit switch, you must replace it.
If your oven has a thermal fuse, replace it with a new one. Most thermal fuses don’t have a reset feature. Refer to the oven’s manual to locate the limit switch or thermal fuse.
Fix Gas Oven Won’t Turn On, But Stove Works
Here are a few common ways of fixing a gas oven that won’t turn on even though the stove is working.
Power Outlet
First, check if your range is receiving power. Although it runs on gas, it still needs electricity to operate specific components. Test the circuit breaker and plug it into a different socket to ensure it’s not a power issue. If the outlet is faulty, only a qualified technician should replace it.
Faulty Igniters
The most common reason an oven does not heat up while the stove does is a faulty igniter. Over time, it can wear out or break. Check for damage or discoloration on the igniter coil and element. If the igniter works, another component may be defective.
Here’s a quick video link on how to fix a gas igniter:
Gas Supply
If the gas supply is obstructed, your oven won’t heat up. Check if the main gas valve is turned on and inspect other valves along the gas supply line.
Broken Thermostat and Thermocouple
The thermostat and thermocouple monitor regulate the oven temperature. If the temperature control thermostat is faulty, it can prevent your oven from turning on, even if the igniter works. Consider replacing the temperature control thermostat to fix the issue.
Here’s a video on replacing the thermostat in an oven:
Fix the Electric Oven Won’t Turn On, But Stove Works
If the electric oven will not turn on even though the stove top is working, here are some common fixes:
Power
Most electric ovens need 240 volts of AC to function correctly. A tripped breaker can disrupt the electricity flow and prevent the oven from getting power, causing it not to start. So, before anything, ensure you’re good on the power front.
Heating Element
Defective heating elements commonly cause an electric oven not to heat up. Most electric ovens have two heating elements that can wear out or become damaged over time, resulting in a malfunctioning oven.
Here’s a quick video to help replace heating elements:
Oven Sensor and Control Board
The control board and oven sensor work together to monitor and regulate the oven temperature. If the sensor is defective, the oven may not start at all. If this is the case, it’s important to replace it. Some ovens may use a temperature-sensing bulb instead of a sensor; if such a bulb is loose or burned out, it may need to be re-adjusted or replaced. To fix this, you should call in a certified technician.
Final Thoughts
This article reviewed some common causes and solutions for an oven that isn’t heating up while the stove still functions correctly.
If you’ve tried all the solutions in this guide and nothing seems to work, your only option would be to call a technician to look at it.
If you are wondering if you can leave your oven on overnight, the answer is yes, but it is never recommended, especially if you leave it unattended. Leaving an oven on overnight is dangerous if you’re asleep and no one watches it. No one will be able to prevent any risk or danger from happening.
Finally, if your meal needs to be prepared for over 12 hours, never leave it unsupervised. Every oven, whether electric or gas, may be left open if you watch what you’re cooking. To prevent any risk or danger, turn your ovens off after any dish is ready to serve.