5 Reasons Your Oven Is Not Heating Up

Without a properly functioning oven, the kinds of dishes you can cook in your kitchen are severely limited. That might mean you’re stuck with stove top soups and stews or the dreaded microwave meals until the oven is fixed.

To help you regain the ability to roast and bake delicious feasts, we’ve put together this guide on the five most likely reasons your oven is not heating up. 

1. Power supply issues

The first quick thing to check is for issues with the power supply. That means checking that the oven is properly plugged into an appropriate working outlet, which in most cases is 220-240 volts. Then, check the circuit breaker to ensure the oven hasn’t tripped.

While this may seem obvious, power supply issues are one of the most common causes of an oven not heating.

2. Faulty heating element 

In electric ovens, the heating elements are the main components that generate the heat to cook your food. However, these key components can wear out over time, causing the oven to no longer heat up.

A telltale sign that a heating element is faulty is that it no longer glows red while the oven is on. However, for many modern ovens, the baking and convection heating elements are not visible as they’re hidden behind the back wall or floor of the oven.

On average, ovens have two or three heating elements. These can be used alone or together for different types of cooking, such as baking, broiling, and convection baking or roasting. 

The baking element is located at the bottom of the oven, the broiling element is at the top, and the convection element is near the fan, usually at the back of the appliance. Just because one heating element is faulty, it doesn’t mean you will need to replace all of them. 

Follow these steps to check for a faulty heating element:

1. Turn your oven on to bake, broil, and convection baking mode, one after the other, and let it run for five minutes each mode.
2. After running the oven in baking mode for five minutes, check if the bottom element is glowing red. If it’s not visible, place your hand near the floor of the oven without touching it to see if it’s generating heat.
3. After broiling for five minutes, look to see if the top heating element is glowing red. This heating element is usually not hidden.
4. After convection baking for five minutes, use your hand to check if there is heat coming from the bottom and back wall, without touching the surface of the oven. These heating elements are likely hidden, so you won’t be able to see if they’re glowing red.

If you suspect any of the heating elements are not working, you should call in an appliance technician to repair them. Attempting to do it yourself can be quite challenging or dangerous, especially when the heating element is hidden.

3. The door is not shutting properly

This is another common problem that can result in the oven not heating up like it should. If the door is not closing completely, all the hot air can escape, so the oven won’t be able to reach a hot enough temperature.

Sometimes, an oven door can appear to be closed at first glance, but on closer inspection, you’ll see a gap around it, meaning it’s not closing entirely or sealing properly. Another telltale sign is if you can feel a draft of warm air coming from around the door while the oven is running.

If your oven door is not shutting properly and there is nothing obvious obstructing it, there is likely an issue with or damage to one of the following components:

• Door seal/gasket
• Hinges
• Latch

4. A problem with the temperature sensor

The temperature sensor monitors the heat inside the oven and controls when heat is cycled on and off to maintain the right cooking temperature. A faulty temperature sensor may inaccurately detect the oven’s temperature, causing the oven to heat inconsistently or not at all.

The temperature sensor usually looks like a thin metal rod protruding from the back wall inside the oven. Its exact location can vary depending on which model of oven you have, so refer to your user manual if you need to. Sometimes an oven will display an error code if its temperature sensor is faulty, or you can manually test it with a multimeter.

If you suspect the temperature sensor is causing your oven not to heat up, replacing it is a relatively straightforward DIY task. Follow these steps to do so:

1. Order a new replacement temperature sensor online or in-store, ensuring it is compatible with your oven model.
2. Unplug your oven to avoid the risk of electrocution.
3. Locate the temperature sensor on the back wall of your oven’s interior.
4. Remove it by unscrewing the mounting screws holding it in place, gently pulling it out, and disconnecting its wire harness.
5. Install the new temperature sensor by connecting its wiring, correctly positioning it based on where the old sensor was, and securing it with the mounting screws. 

5. Gas igniter

If you have a gas oven that is not heating up, the cause is often a faulty igniter. Clear indicators that your gas igniter is damaged include no visible flame or a weak flame, a clicking sound that continues when you attempt to ignite but fail, and an igniter that doesn’t glow orange or red-hot when the oven is turned on.

If the igniter displays any of these signs or appears visibly damaged, it’s best to call in a professional for a repair or replacement. There are serious risks involved when dealing with gas, so having a certified expert perform the repair will ensure the new igniter is fitted safely and that there are no gas leaks.