The most common reason why your Viking oven won’t heat up is that it’s not getting enough power. Other possible reasons include a faulty igniter, a failed heating element, an issue with the oven door, or a faulty thermostat. To resolve this heating issue, first, check that the oven’s power supply meets the required 220-240V.
If your Viking oven won’t heat, there’s no need to panic. I’ve personally owned a Viking 5 series oven for over two years, and the heating issue happens quite a bit. Usually, it’s just a power issue, but sometimes your oven won’t heat up because of a faulty part that needs replacement. Based on my experience and the powerful Viking series user manual,
In this article, I’ll review the most common problems that can cause your Viking oven not to heat up. And I’ll share simple DIY fixes that will get you back to cooking in no time. Let’s get to it…
Here are the most likely reasons why your Viking series oven won’t heat up:
- The oven is not getting enough power.
- An igniter failure.
- A faulty heating element.
- A problem with the oven door.
- The oven has a faulty thermostat.
Viking Oven is Not Getting Enough Power
The power supply issue is common for both gas and electric ovens. Yes, your gas oven also needs electric power. So if it’s a new gas Viking oven, consider plugging in at least 120V of power to have it working and heating up. Now if your oven is plugged in but still doesn’t heat up, it’s an indication that the power supply may be insufficient. This may happen for a few reasons:
- The outlet voltage is incorrect.
- There is a tripped circuit breaker.
- The oven is not plugged in correctly.
Let’s examine how you can solve these problems.
How To Fix Power Supply to a Viking Oven
- Make sure the outlet voltage is correct: While a gas oven can function with a 120V outlet, you’ll need 220V or 240V for an electric oven to function correctly. Otherwise, there won’t be enough power for it to heat up.
- Check your circuit box: Tripped breakers are a very common problem that doesn’t often pop into our minds when there’s something wrong with our appliances. Check your circuit box for tripped breakers. If there are some, reset them and try to turn your oven back on.
- Check if your oven is plugged in correctly: It is also possible it is not plugged in properly. Try plugging it back in to see if it helps. You should also check the cable for damage and fraying. If that’s the case, you’ll have to get it replaced.
The power fixes discussed here are quite simple to implement on your own and in just a few steps. But if the fixes don’t work, find a reputable repair company to help.
An Igniter Failure
The igniter is important because it provides the heat needed to ignite the palettes. Your oven won’t heat up if it has a faulty igniter. A faulty igniter shows three common symptoms:
- Little to no heat or flame
- Violent or hard oven startups
- Excessive smoking
- A delayed fire that starts later than it should.
Let’s see how to solve the igniter problem.
How To troubleshoot and replace a faulty oven Igniter.
- Make sure the igniter is well positioned.
To do this, open the front door and remove the burn pot so you can locate the front side of the igniter tube. The tip of the igniter should be fairly centered and set back from the tube opening a half inch.
If your igniter isn’t well positioned according to your judgment, remove the screw on the back side of the igniter tube (with your screwdriver), then adjust the positioning as explained above.
- Diagnostics:
If your igniter is not well positioned, perform diagnostics to see what’s wrong. Press the enter key for about 3s on your control panel. Scroll down to ‘diagnostics’ on the set data menu and press enter. Now you can activate the igniter by highlighting the word “fire.”
Start a timer and watch your igniter. If it takes more than 3 minutes for the tip of the igniter to get hot (turns orange from the inside of the tube) or doesn’t heat up at all, then you have a faulty igniter that needs replacement.
- Replacing the Igniter:
Remove the 4mm Allen screws at the back of the igniter tube and carefully detach the entire igniter assembly from the back. Then reinstall your new igniter.
To do this, first, insert the two-piece moon-clamped bracket around the back of the igniter and slide it into the igniter tube. Then position the igniter inside the tube as described above (fairly centered and half an inch away from the tip of the tip).
This video from Comfort Bilt shows you how to troubleshoot your igniter if you’d prefer a video format.
A Faulty Heating Element
You will typically find two heating elements in your Viking oven: one on the top and the other at the bottom. The heating elements don’t have an unlimited life span, and they’ll get weaker and stop working over time. This could cause your oven to become warm but not hot, which is not enough for baking. In some cases, this can also be caused by bad contact.
There are a few things to check to troubleshoot the problem.
There are a few things to check to troubleshoot the problem.
How to fix faulty heating Oven elements
If one of the heating elements is faulty, you’ll find blisters and bubbles on it, which you can clean. Worse case, you’ll find the heating element broken. Then the only option is to have it replaced.
The heating elements can be pockmarked or discolored if the contacts are responsible for the heating problem. Since problems with the contacts can damage the heating elements, you’ll have to replace both components.
The best way to replace them is to have this done by a professional. This is typically not something that an inexperienced person can do.
A Problem with the Oven Door
A bad oven door could also cause heating issues. Viking ovens are programmed to seize heating when the door is open. So if your oven door doesn’t lock well, the oven won’t heat up.
Door damages may happen as a result of the following:
- Defective hinges
- Defective seals
How to Fix a Bad Oven door
With the right tools, you can remove the oven door, closely inspect the hinges, and replace them if necessary. The oven door issues could result from the following:
- Grease and bits of food.
- Broken springs in the hinge.
- The hinge is not tight enough.
- The hinge is coming off.
Here’s how to fix a damaged oven door: Replace the hinges if necessary and ensure they’re tight enough to close properly —clean and polish everything, removing the grease, crumbs, or any other bit of food.
When it comes to the seal on the door, can be easily removed by gently pulling it. After that, you should clean the area thoroughly and install a new seal by firmly pressing it.
A Faulty Thermostat
The thermostat has a simple but important role. It powers the igniter so it can turn on the gas. Without the power to the igniter, your Viking oven won’t heat up. This is why a faulty thermostat is problematic.
How To Fix A Faulty Oven Thermostat
It is often enough to simply recalibrate the thermostat, and it will start working great again. In other cases, you may need to replace it. Replacing it is not an easy task.
Consult the official Viking oven user manual or seek the help of an experienced electrician.
Final remarks
Your Viking oven is not heating because of any of the following problems:
- Inappropriate power supply: 120V for gas Ovens and 240V for electric ovens.
- Faulty igniter: Follow the troubleshooting guide in this article
- A damaged oven door: Use our DIY guide to troubleshoot and replace the damaged door.
- Damaged heating elements: Call a professional to have them replaced.
- Faulty thermostat. Call a professional to replace the thermostat.
